French frigate Muiron

The "Muiron" was a frigate of the French Navy, famous for ferrying Bonaparte on the 22 August 1799 under the flagship of Admiral Ganteaume from Egypt to France after the Battle of the Nile. [cite web|url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_french_egypt.html|title=History of war|accessdate=2007-03-07]

The "Muiron" was one of two 18pdr-armed frigates which were building on the stocks in Venice in November 1796, when Bonaparte took Venice during the . The two frigates were completed in August 1797 under the names "Carrère" and "Muiron" by the orders of Pierre-Alexandre Forfait. The second vessel was named "Muiron" in honour of Colonel Jean-Baptiste Muiron, who had covered Bonaparte with his body during the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole.

The "Muiron" was armed with 28 x 18pdr guns on the upper deck, and 12 x 6pdr guns on the quarterdeck and forecastle, and manned with a complement of 340. She was incorporated in the fleet which invaded Egypt, and after the Battle of the Nile, Bonaparte departed for France aboard. She later took part in the Battle of Algeciras Bay. In 1807, Napoléon ordered that the "Muiron" be preserved as a monument. She was repaired and docked in Toulon, but in 1850 she was destroyed in unclear circumstances. Her sistership "Carrère" was taken by the British in August 1801 and added to the British Navy as HMS "Carrere", being sold in 1814.

Napoléon was very fond of the "Muiron", and in 1803 had a scale model made for his study. The model is now on display at the "Musée national de la Marine" in Paris.

References

External links

* [http://users.skynet.be/tintinpassion/VOIRSAVOIR/Marin2/pages_Marin2/023_Marin2.html La frégate la "Muiron" (France)]
* [http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conMediaFile.7989 Model of 'La Muiron' which Napoleon commissioned for his study]
* [http://www.web-books.com/classics/Nonfiction/History/Napoleon_Abbott/Napoleon_AbbottP25.htm Web books]