| Career (France) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Iphigénie |
| Laid down: | May 1809 |
| Launched: | 20 May 1810 |
| Captured: | 20 January 1814 |
| Career (UK) | |
| Name: | HMS Palma |
| Acquired: | 20 January 1814 (by capture) |
| Renamed: | HMS Gloire |
| Fate: | Sold 1817 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Pallas-class |
| Type: | frigate |
| Tonnage: | 106614⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: | 154 ft 5 in (47.07 m) (overall) 126 ft 10 1⁄4 in (38.7 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 7 1⁄2 in (3.848 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Complement: | 300-15 (British service) |
| Armament: |
UD =28 x 18-pounder guns |
The French frigate Iphigénie was a Pallas-class frigate of a nominal 44 guns, launched in 1810. The British captured her on 1814. The British named her HMS Palma, and then renamed her HMS Gloire. She was sold in 1817, never having been commissioned into the Royal Navy.
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On 16 January 1814, the 74-gun third-rate ship of the line Venerable, her prize, the ex-French letter of marque brig Jason, and Cyane were in company when they spotted two 44-gun French frigates, Alcmène and Iphigénie. After a chase that left Cyane far behind, Venerable captured Alcmène, though not without a fight. Venerable lost two men dead and four wounded, while the French lost 32 dead and 50 wounded.[1]
Jason and Cyane tracked Iphigénie and initially fired on her but broke off the engagement because they were out-gunned. Cyane continued the chase for over three days until Venerable was able to rejoin the fight after having sailed 153 miles in the direction she believed that Iphigénie had taken. On 20 January, after a 19 hour chase, or what amounted in all to a four day chase for Iphigénie, Venerable captured the quarry, having again left Cyane behind. In the chase, Iphigénie cast off her anchors and threw her boats overboard in order to try to gain speed. She had a complement of 325 men, under the command of Captain Emerie. She apparently did not resist after Venerable came up.[1][Note 1] Before meeting up with the British ships, the two French vessels had taken some eight prizes.[3] The action resulted in the award in 1847, to any surviving claimants, of the Naval General Service Medal with clasps "Venerable 16 Jany 1814" and "Cyane 16 Jany. 1814".
Venerable was able to locate Iphigénie because Captain de Villaneuve of Alcmène was so angry at Captain Emerie, who was the senior French commander, for not having come alongside Venerable on the other side also to board, that he essentially revealed the rendezvous instructions to Admiral Durham. (Venerable was Durham's flagship). When some prisoners from Iphigénie's crew were brought on Venerable, crew from Alcmène too were enraged. Durham had to station Royal Marines between them, with fixed bayonets, to prevent fighting from breaking out.[4]
A prize crew brought Iphigénie into Plymouth on 23 February 1814, and was laid up in ordinary. She was moved to Spithead in July. Capt. James A. Worth was in command of her, though she was never commissioned. The Admiralty named her Palma and then renamed her Gloire on 8 November. She was sold in September 1817 to a Mr. Freake for £1,750.[5]