French frigate Artémise (1794)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Artémise and French ship Aurore.

Artémise was a 32-gun Magicienne-class frigate of the French Navy.

A Magicienne-class frigate
History
France
Name	Artémise
Namesake	Artemisia I of Caria/Artemis
Builder	Toulon
Laid down	December 1791
Launched	25 September 1794
In service	November 1794
Fate	Scuttled on 2 August 1798 after the Battle of the Nile to avoid capture
General characteristics
Class and type	Magicienne-class frigate
Displacement	1,100 tons (French)
Length	44.18 m (144.9 ft) (overall) 38.66 m (126.8 ft) (keel)
Beam	11.21 m (36.8 ft)
Draught	5.2 m (17 ft) (laden)
Complement	265-285
Armament	UD:26 × 12-pounder long guns Spar deck:6 × 6-pounder long guns (by 1798, 4 more added) Also: 2 × 36-pounder obusiers (by 1798, 2 more added~)
Armour	Timber

Capture of La Minerve off Toulon, 24 June 1795 by Thomas Whitcombe. In the foreground the damaged and dismasted Minerve duels with HMS Dido, while in the background far left Artémise flees, pursued by Lowestoffe

She was under construction in Toulon when the Coalition seized the city in August 1793. They evacuated the city in December 1793, leaving her behind. The French named her Aurore on 24 July 1794, but then renamed her Artémise when they launched her on 25 September.

At the action of 24 June 1795, along with the 40-gun Minerve, she took part in an action against HMS Dido and Lowestoffe, escaping while Minerve was captured. Her captain was relieved of his command for leaving Minerve.

In 1798, she took part in the Expedition of Egypt. During the Battle of the Nile on 2 August 1798 HMS Orion and HMS Theseus engaged her; outgunned, her crew set fire to her to prevent the British from capturing her.

References

• Boudriot, Jean; Berti, Hubert (1992). Frégate, Marine de France 1650-1850. Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2903179115.
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 52. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
• Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.