''Harmonie'' was a 40-gun of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in th ...

. Her crew

scuttled Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being ...

her on 17 March 1797 to avoid having the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

capture her. She on being burned was reported as pierced for 44 guns

Career

On 7 June 1796, ''Harmonie'' departed Rochefort to ferry weapons and ammunition to Cap-Français, under Captain

Joshua Barney Joshua Barney (6 July 1759 – 1 December 1818) was an American Navy officer who served in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War and as a captain in the French Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars. He later achieved the rank ...

.Barney was an American naval officer in both the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

and the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

. Between 1796 and 1802 he served in the French Navy. She then cruised in the Caribbean between

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

and

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

, returning to Cap-Français on 17 October. Lieutenant Simon Billiette took command of ''Harmonie'' on 19 August 1796; he was promoted to Commander on 22 September.Billiette was also called "Billiet" () In April 1797, ''Harmonie'' was ordered to escort a convoy of merchantmen waiting in Jean-Rabel. She departed Cap Français but on 15 April the

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

and intercepted her. In the ensuing Battle of Jean-Rabel, ''Harmonie'' sought refugee in the shallow waters off

le Marigot Le Marigot (; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Mawigo) is a village and commune in the French overseas department of Martinique. Population See also *Communes of Martinique The following is a list of the 34 communes of the Martinique overseas ...

, and the ships of the line departed after firing on her with little effect for several hours or otherwise reported were struggling to keep station because of the wind. On 16 April, however, the ships returned, and the crew of ''Harmonie'', seeing her hopelessly cornered,

her by burning. Billiette sustained two wounds at the left leg. On 20 April, the British ships captured most of the

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...

that ''Harmonie'' had been tasked to escort. Billiette was court-martialled for the destruction of his frigate, and on 26 April 1798 found innocent of the loss of the ship.

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * (1671-1870) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harmonie Virginie-class frigates 1796 ships Ships built in France Maritime incidents in 1797 Ship fires Naval magazine explosions Scuttled vessels Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea