Indian Ocean campaign of the American Revolutionary War
On 16 April 1781, she was part of Suffren's squadron at the Battle of Porto Praya, although she did not take part in the action. [1] She took part in several actions in the Indian Ocean. In November 1781, Captain Périer de Salvert took command.[5]Fine was part of the French frigate screen at the Battle of Providien, where she collided with HMS Isis before unentangling herself, then ran aground, then caught fire, but managed to save herself.[6] In June, Fine captured the 24-gun storeship Yarmouth, carrying rice, field artillery and nine Army officers. [7]
On 23 June, Fine captured the East Indianman Fortitude.[8] When the French captured her they freed some eight men from Artésien, who had been part of the French prize crew at the Battle of Porto Praya. Fine brought Fortitude to Cuddalore, where Suffren's squadron was anchored, arriving there on 29 June. [9]
On 14 July 1782,[Note 1] following the Battle of Negapatam, Suffren appointed La Corne to Fine,[10][4][Note 2][11][12] replacing Salvert whom he had promoted to Flamand.[13] On 28 July 1782, Fine joined Suffren's squadron at Bahour, where a diplomatic meeting with Hyder Ali was taking place. She was bringing as prize a British brig carrying a cargo of rice, as well as British colonel Horn, who was to take command of the Army of Thanjavur. [14] On 2 August 1782, Fine was at Tharangambadi with spare anchors for the squadron. [15]
In January 1783, Fine was under Chevalier de Saint-Georges. She intercepted the East Indiaman Bland-Fort but engaged from too far away and wasted her ammunition in a futile attempt to stop her. Three days after, Fine was thus unable to engage two other Indiamen when they passed nearby. Bland-Fort would be captured on 12 January by M. d'Herly, captaining Coventry, herself captured and recommissioned in the French Royal Navy that very day.[16]
Later career
On 5 February 1791, under Augustin Truguet (1753–1793),[17] she departed Brest, as part of a squadron bound for Martinique. [1]
^The incident occurred as the French squadron as passing Trincomalee harbour, where HMS Sceptre and Monmouth were at anchor. Cunat conjectures that if the collision had not happened, he would have investigated the port, and probably destroyed or captured two of Hughes' best ships .[12]
Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours, 1671 - 1870. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. pp. 325–6. ISBN978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC165892922.
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN978-1-86176-246-7.
Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN9781848322042.