HMSDidon
 The engagement betweenHMSPhoenixandDidon,10 August 1805, by Thomas Luny
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Didon |
| Namesake | Dido |
| Builder | Enterprise Ethéart,Saint Malo(Construteurs:François Pestel and Pierre Ozanne) |
| Laid down | September 1796 |
| Launched | 1 August 1799 |
| Captured | on 10 August 1805 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSDidon |
| In service | Captured on 10 August 1805 |
| Fate | Broken up August 1811 |
| General characteristics[1] | |
| Class and type | Virginie-classfrigate |
| Displacement | 1,400 tons (French)[2] |
| Tons burthen | 1,09042⁄94(bm) |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 40 ft 1 in (12.2 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
Didonwas aVirginie-class40-gunfrigateof theFrench Navy.Captured by the British in 1805, she went on to serve briefly in theRoyal Navyas the 38-gunfifth-rateHMSDidonuntil she was sold in 1810.
French service
[edit]Laid down in 1796 asFâcheuse,she was renamed toDidonin 1799, the year of her launch.
On 13 October 1803, she captured the British privateer brigLaurel.
Didonlater took part in theBattle of Cape Finisterrein 1805.
Capture
[edit]
While attempting to rejoin the French fleet ofAllemand's expedition of 1805,she encounteredHMSPhoenix,CaptainThomas Baker,on 10 August 1805, offCape Finisterre,and struck at43°16′N12°14′W/ 43.267°N 12.233°W.[3]
Captain Milius, ofDidon,maneuvered adroitly, and casualties on both sides were heavy. The 4-hour fight costDidon27 men killed and 44 wounded.Phoenixlost 12 men killed and 28 wounded.[4]Lloyd's Patriotic Fundawarded Baker a sword worth 100guineas.[5]In 1847 theAdmiraltyawarded theNaval General Service Medalwith clasp, "Phoenix 10 Augt. 1805".[6]
Baker tookDidonin tow and sailed towardsGibraltar.By good fortune and skillful sailing he avoided encountering the Franco-Spanish fleet that had just leftCádiz.Instead of continuing onward, Baker changed direction and sailed for England.[7]
British service and fate
[edit]Didonarrived at Plymouth on 4 September 1805.[1]The Navy took her into British service as HMSDidon;she is the only ship of the Royal Navy to have borne this name. The Royal Navy commissionedDidonunder the command of Captain Thomas Baker in November. She waspaid offin 1807 and placed intoOrdinarythe same year.[1]The Navy commenced major repairs onDidonin May, but then cancelled the work.Didonwas broken up in August 1811.[1]
Citations
[edit]- ^abcdWinfield (2008),p. 176.
- ^abWinfield & Roberts (2015),p. 141.
- ^"No. 15838".The London Gazette.27 August 1805. p. 1091.
- ^"No. 15840".The London Gazette.3 September 1805. p. 1115.
- ^Long (1895),p. 400.
- ^"No. 20939".The London Gazette.26 January 1849. p. 240.
- ^Long (1895),pp. 127–8.
References
[edit]- Colledge, J. J.;Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN978-1-86176-281-8.
- Long, William H. (1895)."Medals of the British navy and how they were won: with a list of those officers, who for their gallant conduct were granted honorary swords and plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund".Norie & Wilson.OCLC613203093.
- Winfield, Rif (2008).British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates.Seaforth Publishing.ISBN978-1-86176-246-7.
- Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015).French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates.Seaforth Publishing.ISBN978-1-84832-204-2.
External links
[edit]
Media related toHMS Didon (ship, 1805)at Wikimedia Commons
