HMS ''Alert'' was an 18-gun cutter of 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 ...

. She took part 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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, where she was captured by the French Navy and brought into their service. She was part on the squadron under Grasse until a British frigate recaptured her.

Service history

British career

''Alert'' was built at Dover in 1779. She patrolled in the

Gulf of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

until ''Diligente'' captured her on 25 September 1780 off the

Gironde Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1, ...

. The French brought her into service as ''Alerte''.

French career

''Alerte'' was attached to the squadron of

Grasse Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the co ...

, under Ensign Gallien de Chabons. She took part in the Battle of Fort Royal on 29 April and 30 April 1781. On 28 November 1781, the 36-gun frigate HMS ''Perseverance'' recaptured her after a long battle. Auxiliary officer Galocheau was wounded and lost an eye.

Fate

''Alert'' was sold to break up at

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...

in October 1792.

Notes

Citations

References

* * * (1671-1870) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alert (1779) 1779 ships Ships built in Dover