French corvette 'La Lunette' (1766)

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La Lunette
Nominal Guns	4	NNF-1715
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Keel Laid Down	2.1766	NNF-1715
Named	31.3.1766	FWAS1626
Launched	19.5.1766	NNF-1715
First Commissioned	8.1766	NNF-1715
How acquired	Purpose built	NNF-1715
Shipyard	Brest - Brittany	NNF-1715
Designed by	Pierre-Augustin Lamothe Kercaradec (Sieur de Kercaradec)French Designer Ship Builder Service 1756-1782	FWAS1626
Constructor	Pierre-Augustin Lamothe Kercaradec (Sieur de Kercaradec)French Designer Ship Builder Service 1756-1782	FWAS1626
Category	Unrated	NNF-1715
Ship Type	Corvette	NNF-1715
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1715
Condemned	1784	NNF-1715

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1715
Length of Gundeck90' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)29.232 (95′ 10″ Imperial)
Breadth25' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)8.12 (26′ 7″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold12' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)3.8976 (12′ 9″ Imperial)
Displacementc350Ton
Burthen150Ton

Armament

8.1766Broadside Weight = 48 French Livre (51.8016 lbs 23.496 kg)NNF-1715
Gun Deck4 French 24-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
8.1766855 officers, 80 menNNF-1715

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
28.2.1778 - 28.2.1779Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:12751779Lieutenant de Frégate, ?? , no dateref:631

Service History

DateEventSource
3.1776Refitted as a Unrated BrigantineFWAS1626
27.7.17781st Battle of Ushant

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

FWAS1626Stephen S. Roberts, Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:1275 Web Site

ref:631 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tom Jensen on Thursday 4th of July 2019 23:19

Great, thanks so much Cy

Posted by Cy on Thursday 4th of July 2019 19:58

Hi
I checked in Winfield and Roberts, French Warhsips of the Age of Sail and they alos give 4 x 24-pounders on pivoting mounts that could fire both sides.
Lists for 1778 show 4 x 24-pounders, 1782 with 10 x 12-pounders and 1781&1783 again with 4x24-pounders.

So yes, the armament is correct. She appears to have been a one off though.

Posted by Cy on Wednesday 3rd of July 2019 07:50

I will have to check, but when you consider that French corvettes of a similar size usually carry 14 or 16 4-pounders, 4 24-pounders doesn't seem too much of a stretch.
Also consider that the burthen given is not Tons BM (it should probably be Tonneaux), which works out at approximately 270bm (assuming a keel length of 75' which is on the cautious side).

Posted by Tom Jensen on Wednesday 3rd of July 2019 00:55

Is the armament of this ship correct?

24-pdrs seems very heavy for a ship of this size :) should it be 4-pdrs instead?

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Date posted	By	Page
Sunday 26th of July 2026 05:58	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Oiseau' (1793) (36) 1793-1816 British 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
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