Egyptienne (ship)

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars Egyptienne or Egypt, which commemorated Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign, was a popular name for French vessels, including naval vessels and privateers. Between 1799 and 1804, warships of the Royal Navy captured one French frigate and five different French privateers all with the name Egyptienne, and at least one privateer with the name Egypte.

Égypte conquise

• Égypte conquise, a privateer ship based in Guadeloupe.^[1][2] On 28 May 1801, some 80 leagues to windward of Barbados, HMS Heureux pursued and captured the 16-gun French sloop Egypte from Guadeloupe. The pursuit lasted 16 hours while Egypte kept up a running fight for three hours. She had a crew of 103 men, and during the engagement apparently had neither inflicted nor suffered any casualties. Bland reported that Egypte was said to be the fastest vessel out of Guadeloupe. She had sailed 13 days earlier but had made no captures.^[3]

Égyptien

• Égyptien, a fluyt.^[4][5] On 24 November 1799, HMS Solebay captured a second French privateer ship "Egyptienne". This Egyptienne was of 300 tons burthen, was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 140 men. She was sailing from Cape François to Jacquemel.^[6] Drake, under Commander John Perkins, was in company with Solebay.^[7]
• Égyptien, a privateer brig. She might be the Égyptienne captured by HMS Mercury (see below).^[8][9] She was under Louis Mosqueron or Margereau, displaced 74 tons, and carried 56 men and 16 guns.^[10]
• Égyptien, a xebec. ^[11] Built in Sicily, coppered-hulled, she was used as a storeship in Toulon from April 1804 and is not mentioned after 1807^[12]

Égyptienne

• Égyptienne, a privateer base in Bordeaux.^[13] His Majesty's schooner HMS Netley captured the first French ship named Egyptienne on record, on 1 May 1799. Egyptienne, a privateer schooner, was pierced for 14 guns but only carried eight, four of which she had thrown overboard while trying to evade capture. She had only 35 men on board, having recently taken four neutral vessels as prizes. Netley had herself recaptured one of these, a galiot carrying a cargo of wine from Oporto.^[14]
• Égyptienne, a 24-pounder frigate designed by Fr. Caro. ^[15][16] The British captured the French frigate Egyptienne on 2 September 1801, after the fall of Alexandria. This Egyptienne then served in the Royal Navy under the same name until 1817 when she was broken up.
• Railleuse, a 32-gun frigate built in 1777, was sold and commissioned as a privateer in 1800 as Égyptienne.^[17] On 27 March 1804 HMS Hippomenes captured the Egyptienne, a French privateer, that was the former French frigate Railleuse. Egyptienne mounted 36 guns and carried a crew of 250 men. She did not surrender until after a 54-hour-long chase and a running fight of over 3 hours. The Royal Navy took Egyptienne into service as the prison ship Antigua.^[18]
• Égyptienne, a Licorne-class fluyt.^[19]

Incidents involving ships of similar names

• On 5 February 1800, HMS Mercury captured the French privateer brig Egyptienne off the Isle of Wight. This Egyptienne mounted 15 brass guns and had a crew of 66 men. She had sailed from Cherbourg the evening before and had not yet taken any prizes. As she was striking her colours her crew suddenly discharged a volley of small arms fire that slightly wounded one man on Mercury.^[20] Mercury sent Egyptian into Portsmouth.^[21]

• HMS Incendiary, a fire ship, captured another French privateer brig Egyptienne in the Mediterranean on 12 May 1800. This Egyptienne was armed with eight guns and had a crew of 50 men.^[22]

Citations

1. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.302, no 2825
2. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.320, no 2735
3. The London Gazette: no. 15391. p. 931. 28 Jul 1801.
4. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.173, no 1250
5. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.56, no 357
6. The London Gazette: no. 15253. p. 418. 29 April 1800.
7. The London Gazette: no. 15872. p. 1570. 14 December 1805.
8. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.239, no 2012
9. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.257, no 1919
10. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.257, no 1920
11. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.115, no 743
12. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.135, no 1082
13. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.271, no 2381
14. The London Gazette: no. 15162. p. 742. 23 July 1799.
15. Demerliac 1792-1799, p.67, no 359
16. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.19, no 56
17. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.284, no 2255
18. The London Gazette: no. 15702. p. 620. 15 May 1804.
19. Demerliac 1800-1815, p.151, no 1244
20. The London Gazette: no. 15228. p. 116. 4 February 1800.
21. Lloyd's List, - accessed 22 January 2014.
22. The London Gazette: no. 15301. p. 1169. 11 October 1800.

• Demerliac, Alain (2004). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 A 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-24-1.