French frigate Flore (1806) explained

Flore was a 44-gun[1] or 40-gun[2] [3] of the French Navy.

Service history

In 1808, she was part of Ganteaume's squadron that cruised in the Mediterranean.On 12 March 1811, she was part of Bernard Dubourdieu's squadron sailing to raid the British commerce raider base of the island of Lissa. The squadron encountered William Hoste's frigate squadron, leading to the Battle of Lissa.[4] [5]

In the ensuing fight, Flore was distanced by her flagship, which engaged the British flagship, and ran aground. Flore and Bellona caught on and engaged Amphion in a crossfire. Amphion outmanoeuvred Flore and raked her for ten minutes, after which Flore struck her colours.

The battle still raging, the British failed to send a capture crew aboard, and Flore eventually joined the surviving Carolina and and fleeing to Ragusa.

Flore was wrecked in a tempest off Chioggia on 30 November 1811, with the loss of 75. Her commanding officer, Frigate Captain Lissilour, was acquitted by the court martial.

A shipyard model of Flore, originally part of the Trianon model collection, is on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris.

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Battle of Lissa (1811). 2012-12-08.
  2. News: French Naval Force in the Mediterranean, April, 1811 . 1811-07-09 . Enquirer . 18 . Richmond, VA . 8.
  3. News: The Last of Nelson's Captains . 1869-05-27 . The Newcastle Chronicle . 2200-6915.
  4. Web site: Dubourdieu. https://web.archive.org/web/20140219214347/http://marine-imperiale.pagesperso-orange.fr/amiraux/dubourdieu.htm. 2014-02-19.
  5. Web site: Bataille de Lissa. https://web.archive.org/web/20110721015252/http://marine-imperiale.pagesperso-orange.fr/chronologie/1811/03_13.htm. 2011-07-21.