French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Forte' (1794)

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Britannia (100) 1762-1825
British 100 Gun
1st Rate Ship of the Line
1812 Renamed "Princess Royal"
1812 Renamed "Saint George"
1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
(1762)
Devastation (6) 1841-1866
British 6 Gun
Unrated Steam Sloop
(1841)
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1790)
Pembroke (60) 1733-1749
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
(1733)
Mercury (20) 1745-1753
British 20 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1745)
Seahorse (24) 1748-1784
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1748)
Charles PowlettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1749
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
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La Forte
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	République Française
Operator	State Navy
Keel Laid Down	5.1794	BWAS-1793
Launched	26.9.1794	BWAS-1793
First Commissioned	11.1794	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Lorient - Brittany	BWAS-1793
Designed by	François CaroFrench Ship Builder	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Captured	1.3.1799	BWAS-1793
Becomes	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Forte' (1799) (44) 1799-1801 British 44 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck170' 0"Imperial Feet51.816
Length of Keel139' 2"Imperial Feet42.3685
Breadth43' 6"Imperial Feet13.1572
Depth in Hold15' 1"Imperial Feet4.5771
Burthen1,434 ⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

1 Ship Commander

DatesRankNameSource
1796 - 1.3.1799Capitaine de Frégate†TRN4

2 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1799 - 1.3.1799Lieutenant de VaisseauE-WIKI1799 - 1.3.1799Lieutenant de Vaisseau†E-WIKI

Service History

DateEventSource
9.9.1796Action off Sumatra
1799Refitted as a 44 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
1799Took the East Indiaman Off Balasore RoadsEICS
28.2.1799Capture of the Forte
1.3.1799Taken by off the coast of Bengal

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

E-WIKIVarious, Web Site

EICSAndrea Cordani, Cy Harrison, Web Site

TRN4William Laird Clowes, Digital Book

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Date posted	By	Page
Monday 8th of June 2026 17:20	F.F.	British First Rate ship of the line 'Britannia' (1762) (100) 1762-1825 British 100 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line 1812 Renamed "Princess Royal" 1812 Renamed "Saint George" 1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
Thursday 4th of June 2026 20:01	James Daschuk	British steam sloop 'Devastation' (1841) (6) 1841-1866 British 6 Gun Unrated Steam Sloop
Thursday 4th of June 2026 14:56	AvM	British Merchant east indiaman 'Zephyr' (1790) (8) 1790-1798 British 8 Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:37	Jon Miller	British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Pembroke' (1733) (60) 1733-1749 British 60 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:33	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate ship 'Mercury' (1745) (20) 1745-1753 British 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship

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