French Frigate Bellone (1778)

''Bellone'' was an 32-gun frigate of the French Navy on plans by Léon-Michel Guignace. She took part in the American Revolutionary War in the Indian Ocean with the squadron under Suffren, and later in the French Revolutionary Wars. She was present at the Glorious First of June.

The British Royal Navy captured her in 1798 and commissioned her as HMS ''Proserpine''. She never went to sea and was broken up in 1806.

French service

In January 1780, ''Bellone'' received copper sheathing.

Operations off America

On 2 May 1780, she departed Brest with the 7-ship and 3-frigate Expédition Particulière under Admiral Ternay, escorting 36 transports carrying troops to support the Continental Army in the War of American Independence. The squadron comprised the 80-gun ''Duc de Bourgogne'', under Ternay d'Arsac (admiral) and Médine (flag captain); the 74-gun ''Neptune'', under Sochet Des Touches, and ''Conquérant'', under La Grandière; and the 64-gun ''Provence'' under Lombard, ''Ardent'' under Bernard de Marigny, ''Jason'' under La Clocheterie and ''Éveillé'' under Le Gardeur de Tilly, and the frigates ''Surveillante'' under Villeneuve Cillart, ''Amazone'' under La Pérouse, and ''Bellone''. ''Amazone'', which constituted the vanguard of the fleet, arrived at Boston on 11 June 1780.

Indian Ocean campaign of the American Revolutionary War

In October 1781, ''Bellone'', under Captain Étienne-François de Cillart de Villeneuve, was off Cape of Good Hope escorting the transports ''Neker'' and ''Sévère''. The squadron encountered the 50-gun , which captured the transports and brought them to Saint Helena. ''Bellone'' sailed on to Isle de France and reinforced the French squadron under Rear-Admiral Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves.

On 9 February 1782, Estienne d'Orves and Suffren assumed command of the squadron. He re-appointed his captains and gave command of ''Bellone'' to Jean André de Pas de Beaulieu.

On 14 February 1782 ''Bellone'' captured the sloop in a single ship action. The French took her into service as the corvette ''Chasseur''.

On 1 March 1782, under Captain de Beaulieu, ''Bellone'' returned to Trinquebar from a cruise in the Indian Ocean, where she had captured or destroyed 14 merchantmen. In April 1782, ''Bellone'' captured the East Indiaman ''Cartier'', which came from China, and brought her to Batacalo. In June of the same year, she captured a British "both", in the roads of Negapatnam that the French took into service as ''Negapatnam''. The next month ''Negapatnam'' was at Pondicherry with the French squadron under Admiral Suffren, but her subsequent disposition is unknown. Around late May, ''Bellone'' cut out the snow ''Raiker'', with a cargo of arak, and three smaller ships, near the fort of Nagapattinam.

In July 1782, in the wake of the Battle of Negapatam, Suffren promoted Beaulieu to the command of , replacing him with Pierrevert.

On 12 August 1782, in the runup to the Battle of Trincomalee, ''Bellone'' had her mainmast damaged by a gust of wind and sailed to Batacalo for repairs. En route, she encountered , under Andrew Mitchell. In the ensuing Action of 12 August 1782, ''Coventry'' killed or wounded the senior officers of ''Bellone'', which allowed her to make good her escape.

In the wake of the Battle of Trincomalee, Suffren sent ''Bellone'' to reconnaitre the harbour of Cuddalore and investigate whether a British attack was imminent. ''Bellone'' returned on 23 September 1782 and could report that everything was quiet at Cuddalore.

In January 1783, she was under Villaret-Joyeuse.

Later career

On 5 February 1791, under Captain de Méhérenc de Saint Pierre, ''Bellone'' departed Brest with ''Amphitrite'', bound for Martinique.

From May to December 1792, she cruised the North Sea, before returning to Brest. On 8 October 1792, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Leprince, committed suicide, and the First Officer, Lieutenant Lafargue, took over. In August 1793, she ran aground at Quibéron, but was successfully refloated.

''Bellone'' took part in the Glorious First of June.

In February 1795, under Lieutenant Anger, she crossed from Bergen to Brest. She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande.

Capture and fate

Under Commander Louis Léon Jacob, ''Bellone'' took part in the Battle of Tory Island on 12 October 1798. There, she was captured by and , and was commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS ''Proserpine''. She had 20 killed and 45 wounded in the action.

The Royal Navy hulked her, with Captain William Ferris commanding her from August 1804. Still, although officially "under repair" at Plymouth, she was never more than a hulk. The Navy sold her for breaking up on 27 August 1806.

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External links

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Naval Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellone (1778)
Age of Sail frigates of France
Ships built in France
Iphigénie-class frigates
1778 ships
Captured ships