French frigate Amphitrite (1808)
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name: | Amphitrite |
| Namesake: | Amphitrite |
| Ordered: | 6 January 1806 |
| Builder: | Cherbourg |
| Laid down: | August 1806 |
| Launched: | 11 April 1808 |
| In service: | 1804 |
| Fate: | Scuttled on 3 February 1809 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Armide class |
| Displacement: | 1330 tonnes |
| Length: | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Sail |
| Complement: | 339 |
| Armament: |
|
| Armour: | Timber |
The Amphitrite was a 44-gun Armide class frigate of the French Navy.
Amphitrite, under frigate captain Trobriand, departed Cherbourg for Martinique on 10 November 1808, along with Vénus, Junon, Cygne and Papillon, under contre-amiral Hamelin.[1] The next day, the squadron broke apart.
Amphitrite arrived at Fort de France, only to find it blockaded by the Royal Navy. She managed to slip through and reach the harbour. On 3 February, as the British attacked Martinique, the Amphitrite was scuttled to prevent her capture.
In 1960, construction work of a modern commerce harbour in Fort de France uncovered the bottom of the hull of Amphitrite. Copper sheets of the hull and other fragments were recovered and are now on display at the Service Régional de l'Archéologie.[1]
Sources and references
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.