List of French sail frigates

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This article is a list of French naval frigates during the Age of Sail, from the middle of the 17th century (when the type emerged) until the close of the sailing era in the middle of the 19th century. The tables excludes privateer frigates which were not part of the Marine Royale as well as frigates were built for the French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes). Note that the pre-1715 list is only partial, and needs expansion.

Contents

Classification of frigates

Early French naval frigates, until the 1740s, comprises two distinct groups. The larger types were the frégates-vaisseau, with batteries of guns spread over two decks; these were subdivided into frégates du premier ordre or vaisseau du quatrième rang (French Fourth Rates) usually with a lower deck battery of 12-pounder guns, and an upper deck battery of either 8-pounder or 6-pounder guns; and frégates du deuxième ordre or vaisseau du cinquième rang (French Fifth Rates) with a lower deck batter of 8-pounder guns, and an upper deck battery of either 6-pounder or 4-pounder guns. The smaller types were the frégates légères, with a single battery of (usually) 6-pounder or 4-pounder guns, plus a few small guns on its superstructure or gaillards. The 'modern' sail frigate, with its main battery on the upper deck, and no ports along the lower deck, emerged at the start of the 1740s.

The article categorises frigates according to the weight of the projectile fired by the main battery; the first 'true' frigates in the 1740s carried either 6-pounder or 8-pounder guns, but development soon standardised around the 12-pounder frigate, carrying thirteen pairs (occasionally fourteen pairs) of 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, and usually three pairs of 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and forecastle (collectively referred to as the "gaillards" in French). During the American Revolutionary War, larger types carrying an 18-pounder or even 24-pounder main battery (and more secondary guns on the gaillards) were introduced, and following the French Revolution these became predominant. Finally in the 1820s, a new type of 30-pounder armed frigate was brought into service.

Design and Construction

In general, French frigates were more lightly built than their British equivalents. This reflected not a poorer quality of design (French designs were often highly prized by the Royal Navy, which copied the designs of a number of the French frigates that they captured, and built a quantity of vessels to the same designs, but with heavier scantlings), but resulted from a different strategic need. French frigates were perceived as being away from port for limited periods; they had less room for storage of provisions for protracted overseas deployments, and they sacrificed durability for speed and ease of handling. British frigates, in comparison, were more solidly built to endure lengthly times at sea (in particular, to remain for several months on blockade service off enemy harbours and thus were more able to withstand extreme weather conditions, but were slow in comparison

The number of guns is as rated; from the 1780s, many carried some obusiers (from 1800, carronades) or swivels also.

Frigates of Louis XIV (1643-1715)

This table commences with a listing of early French naval frigates of the second half of the 17th century and the early 18th century (under the reign of Louis XIV - the "Sun King" - from 14 May 1643 to 1 September 1715). Note that many French warships underwent changes of names in June 1671, with other changes of names on various occasions.

Under the classification system introduced by Colbert in 1669, as altered in 1671, the "quatrième rang" (fourth rate) covered two-decked frigates carrying a main battery of 12-pounder guns, while the "cinquième rang" (fifth rate) comprised smaller frigates, both single-decked and two-decked, carrying between 28 and 34 guns (increased in 1683 to between 30 and 36 guns), but with a main battery of 8-pounders. Below this rate were the unrated frégates légères ("light frigates") carrying fewer guns.

Frigates of the 1st Order

These were two-decked ships, carrying 12-pounder guns in their lower deck battery, and generally an upper deck battery of 6-pounders. They were classed as fourth rate vessels (quatrième rang). While not rated as ships of the line, inevitably several of these frigates not infrequently found themselves taking a place in the line of battle, although their many function was for cruising and for trade protrection/attack.

Frigates of the 2nd Order

These generally carried 8-pounder guns in their lower deck battery, and were classed as fifth rate vessels (vaisseaux du cinquième rang).

Light Frigates (Frégates légères)

These were single-decked unrated ships (i.e. classified as below the cinqième rang), carrying a battery of 6-pounder or 8-pounder guns on their sole gundeck. An estimated 162 of these were placed in service between 1661 and 1715, of which the following is simply a partial list.

Frigates under Louis XV (1715-1774)

6-pounder armed frigates (frégates légères)

8-pounder armed frigates (frégates du deuxième ordre)

12-pounder armed frigates (frégates du premier ordre)

18-pounder/24-pounder armed frigates

Frigates of Louis XVI (1774-1792), the Revolutionary era and the First Empire (to 1815)

12-pounder armed frigates

The above list excludes some 12-pounder frigates captured from the British Navy at various dates, or from other navies.

18-pounder armed frigates

18-pounder frigates captured or purchased by French Navy

24-pounder armed frigates

France experimented early with heavy frigates, with a pair being built in 1772 (however the 24-pounder guns of this pair were quickly replaced by 18-pounders in service). One was built in 1785, and more were constructed in the French Revolution, but the Romaine Class of "frégate-bombardes", to which curious design (incorporating a heavy mortar into the design) at least thirteen vessels were ordered (24 were originally planned), proved over-gunned, and no further 24-pounder armed frigates were begun until after 1815.

Frigates under Louis XVIII and later (1815-1860)

After 1815, French frigates were classified as either 1st, 2nd or 3rd Class. The 1st Class carried a main battery of 30-pounder guns, and the 2nd Class a main battery of 24-pounder guns. The 3rd Class initially comprised the remaining pre-1815 vessels with 18-pounder guns, but after 1830 a new group of 3rd Class frigates was built with 30-pounder guns (although fewer in quantity than the 1st Rate frigates carried).

Third Class frigates (from 1830), 30-pounder armed

Second Class frigates, 24-pounder armed

First Class frigates, 30-pounder armed

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.shipscribe.com/marvap/ships16.html
  • Frégate - Marine de France 1650-1850 - Jean Boudriot and Hubert Berti, Editions ANCRE, Paris, 1992 ISBN 2903179115
  • Nomenclature des navires francais - Alain Demerliac, Editions OMEGA, Nice - series of volumes: (i) 1614-1661 (ii) 1661-1715 (iii) 1715-1774 (iv) 1774-1792 (v) 1789-1799 (vi) 1800-1815
  • A history of the French navy, from its beginnings to the present day (1973) - E. H. Jenkins ISBN 0356041964
  • Conway's All the world's fighting ships, 1860-1905 (1979) - Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0851771335
  • Warships of the Napoleonic Era (1999) - Robert Gardiner ISBN 1861761171
  • The 50-gun ship (1997) - Rif Winfield ISBN 1861760256