Galathée, drawn in 1781 by François Aimé Louis Dumoulin
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History | |
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France | |
Name | Galathée |
Namesake | Galatea |
Builder | Rochefort [1] |
Laid down | January 1778 [1] |
Launched | 28 June 1779 [1] |
Fate | Ran aground 1795 [1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Galathée-class frigate |
Tons burthen | 600 tonnes |
Length | 44.5 m (146 ft 0 in) |
Beam | 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in) |
Depth of hold | 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) |
Propulsion | Sails |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Armament | 32 guns, later upgraded to 44 |
Galathée (or Galatée) [1][2] was a 32-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.
In February 1780, Galathée escorted convoys in the Bay of Biscay, along with Hermione.[2]
Galathée took part in the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the capture of Sint Eustatius and to the Battle of the Saintes.[1][3]
In the summer of 1791, under Major de vaisseau Joseph de Cambis, she ferried French national commissioners to Saint-Domingue.[4] In March 1792, in support of one of these commissioners, Edmond de Saint-Léger, Galathée shelled the forces of Romaine-la-Prophétesse which were attacking Léogâne.[5]
During the French Revolution, she took part in the Combat du 13 prairial, where she took Terrible in tow, under fire, preventing her capture by the British. [1]
On 14 July 1794 she and Seine captured the 16-gun sloop-of-war HMS Hound in the Atlantic.[6] [1]
In the night of 23 to 24 April 1795, Galathée ran aground off Penmarch, becoming a total loss. [1]