Iphigénie-class frigate

Fight between Bellone and HMS Foudroyant at the Battle of Tory Island
Class overview
Name:	Iphigénie
Builders:	Lorient and Saint Malo
Operators:	French Navy  Royal Navy
Completed:	9
General characteristics [1]
Type:	frigate
Tonnage:	1,100 tons (French)
Length:	43.53 metres (142.8 ft) (overall) 38.98 metres (127.9 ft) (keel)
Beam:	11.21 metres (36.8 ft)
Depth of hold:	5.68 metres (18.6 ft)
Propulsion:	Sail
Armament:	32 guns: 26 × 12-pounder long guns 6 × 6-pounder long guns Several had 2 or 4 x 36-pounder obusiers added
Armour:	Timber

The Iphigénie class was a group of nine 32-gun/12-pounder frigates of the French Navy, built during the late 1770s at Lorient (2 ships) and Saint Malo (7 ships). They were designed by Léon Guignace. The seven built at Saint Malo were initially numbered Nos. 1 – 7 respectively, and not given names until October 1777 (for Nos 1 – 4) and the start of 1778 (Nos. 5 – 7); all seven were captured by the British Navy between 1779 and the end of 1800. Of the two built at Lorient, the Spanish captured one, and a storm wrecked the other.

• Iphigénie

Builder: Gilles Cambry at Lorient Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: February 1777

Launched: 16 October 1777

Completed: March 1778

Fate: Captured by the Spanish in February 1795, becoming Spanish Ifigenia.

• Surveillante

Builder: Gilles Cambry at Lorient Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: August 1777

Launched: 26 March 1778

Completed: May 1778

Fate: Wrecked in a storm in Bantry Bay, January 1797

• Résolue (ex No.1)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: July 1777

Launched: 16 March 1778

Completed: April 1778

Fate: Captured by the British 14 October 1798, becoming HMS Resolue.

• Gentille (ex No.2)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: July 1777

Launched: 18 June 1778

Completed: August 1778

Fate: Captured by the British 11 April 1795, becoming HMS Gentille.

• Amazone (ex No.3)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: August 1777

Launched: 11 May 1778

Completed: July 1778

Fate: Captured by the British 29 July 1782, but retaken by a French squadron the following day; wrecked off the Penmarch Islands January 1797.

• Prudente (ex No.4)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: August 1777

Launched: late March 1778

Completed: July 1778

Fate: Captured by the British 2 June 1779, becoming HMS Prudente.

• Gloire (ex No.5)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: January 1778

Launched: 9 July 1778

Completed: October 1778

Fate: Captured by the British 10 April 1795, becoming HMS Gloire.

• Bellone (ex No.6)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: January 1778

Launched: 2 August 1778

Completed: February 1779

Fate: Captured by the British 12 October 1798, becoming HMS Proserpine.

• Médée (ex No.7)

Builder: Saint Malo Dockyard

Ordered:

Laid down: January 1778

Launched: 23 September 1778

Completed: February 1779

Fate: Captured by the British 5 August 1800, becoming HMS Medee.

Citations and references

Citations

1. Winfield and Roberts (2015), pp.124-5.

References

• Winfield, Rif & Stephen S. Roberts (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 - 1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042