''Aigrette'' was a 30-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

. She took part in the Seven Year War and in the

War of American Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Career

''Aigrette'' took part in the

Battle of Quiberon Bay The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as the ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' by the French) was a decisive naval engagement during the Seven Years' War. It was fought on 20 November 1759 between the Royal Navy and the French Navy in Quiberon Bay, off ...

on 20 November 1759 under Longueville, and escaped into Vilaine River. On 27 July 1778, she took part in the Battle of Ushant. She was then part in the

Armada of 1779 The Armada of 1779 was a combined Franco- Spanish naval enterprise intended to divert British military assets, primarily of the Royal Navy, from other war theatres by invading the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary Wa ...

. In 1779, ''Aigrette'' was under Lieutenant

Mortemart Mortemart (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in west-central France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. See also *Communes of t ...

. On 18 March, she was fought HMS ''Arethusa'', under captain Charles Holmes Everitt. ''Arethusa'' sustained damage and was wrecked the next day off

Ushant Ushant (; , ; , ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and in medieval times, Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a commune in t ...

, at a point . In 1781, she was under Traversay, part of the squadron under

Grasse Grasse (; Provençal dialect, Provençal in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional ) is the only Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur Re ...

. She took part in the

action of 4 January 1781 The action of 4 January 1781 was a minor battle of the American Revolutionary War. A French frigate division, departing Brest, met two British 74-gun ships of the line. The frigates tried to flee their stronger opponents, which gave chase. One o ...

. ''Aigrette'' took part in the

Battle of Fort Royal The Battle of Fort Royal was a naval battle fought off Fort Royal, Martinique in the West Indies during the Anglo-French War on 29 April 1781, between fleets of the British Royal Navy and the French Navy. After an engagement lasting four hours, ...

on 29 April and 30 April 1781. In July 1781, she sailed to Havana to ferry 500,000 piasters that the Spanish government was providing to fund the French squadron. She returned to Bahamas with the funds in August. She took part in the

Battle of the Chesapeake The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American Revolutionary War that took place near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1 ...

on 5 September 1781.} In September 1781, she ferried troops from Annapolis to James River to support the

Siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

. On 11 September, she captured HMS ''Richmond''.

Fate

''Aigrette'' was condemned in Brest in October 1789.

Citations

References

* * * * (1671-1870) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aigrette Age of Sail frigates of France Blonde-class frigates Ships built in France 1756 ships