French frigate Clorinde (1808)


Clorinde was a 40-gun of the French Navy, designed by Sané. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1814 and renamed her HMS Aurora. After 19 years as a coal hulk she was broken up in 1851.

French frigate

From June 1809, she was stationed with the 16-gun and the 38-gun. In September, she sailed with Renommée, Loire, and Seine to Guadeloupe. On 13 December, she and Renommée captured.
On 15 December 1809, Clorinde ran aground, and freed herself by dropping guns and ammunition overboard.
She took part in the Action of 20 May 1811, fought off Madagascar, and returned to Brest. Captain Jacques Saint-Cricq was found guilty of failing to properly support his commodore, and demoted of rank, expelled from the Legion of Honour, and sentenced to three years in prison.
On 6 December 1813, Clorinde captured the British merchant vessel in the Atlantic Ocean. Lusitania, Johnston, master, had been sailing from London to Suriname. Clorinde then put the crews of four other vessels that she had captured aboard Lusitania and sent her into Plymouth. The other four were:
Clorinde abandoned Blenden Hall at sea, where the Falmouth packet Eliza, homeward bound from Malta, found her floating. brought Blenden Hall into Plymouth. They arrived on 19 December, on the same day as Lusitania.
On 25 February 1814, at, and under Commander René Joseph Marie Denis-Lagarde, she was chased by the 38-gun. A violent fight ensued for two hours and 20 minutes that left both ships dismasted, Eurotas suffering 20 killed and 30 wounded, and Clorinde, 40 killed and 80 wounded. During the night, the ships built jury rigs and resumed the pursuit the next day, when and intervened. The helpless Clorinde struck after the first cannon shot from Dryad, who towed her to Portsmouth.

British frigate

Clorinde was brought into British service as HMS Aurora. She served off South America during the years 1821–25, and in the Caribbean, 1826–28.

Fate

From January 1832, she was used as a coal hulk in Falmouth. She was eventually broken up in May 1851.

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