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French frigate Hermione (1779)
Encyclopedia
The Hermione was a 12-pounder Concorde class frigate of the French Navy
. She became famous when she ferried General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 to allow him to join the American side in the American Revolutionary War
.
She was of the type of frigate known as light , due to speed and maneuverability. She could carry a crew of 255, had a displacement of 1,166 tons, a length overall of 44.2m, a beam of 11.24m and a draught of 5.78m.
She was armed with 26, 32 or 36 (sources vary) 12-pound cannons and had three decks: quarter deck, gun deck and a berth deck.
The shipyard is in one of the two dry docks beside the Corderie Royale at Rochefort.
As far as possible, traditional construction methods are used although modern power tools were substituted for the period tools on some jobs. The site is open to the public, and admission fees help fund the project.
The original plans have been modified in several ways for reasons of strength and safety: planks have been bolted rather than pegged to avoid movement during the long period of construction. Similarly, the mast sections are fastened with glue rather than metal hoops to avoid water penetration. The cannons are lightweight and non-functional to save weight, and for safety reasons. Hemp rigging will be used, but the sails will be synthetic for strength and to allow a smaller crew to handle them.
An engine will be used for safety, and electric generators for lighting and basic amenities.
Photographs of the reconstruction from 2006
Photographs of the reconstruction from 2009
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
. She became famous when she ferried General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 to allow him to join the American side in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
History
- 1779 : Built in eleven months at RochefortRochefort, Charente-MaritimeRochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
, by the shipwright Henri Chevillard. Between May and December she underwent successful sea trials in the Gulf of Gascony under the command of Vassor de la Touche. - 1780 : General La Fayette embarked at Rochefort on the 11th March and arrived in Boston on 28 April carrying the then secret news that he had secured French reinforcements (5,500 men and 5 frigates) for WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. She got underway again on 2 June and suffered serious damage in a fierce but indecisive action against the 32 gun BritishGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
frigate Iris (formerly USS HancockUSS Hancock (1776)The second Hancock was one of the first 13 frigates of the Continental Navy. A resolution of the Continental Congress of British North America 13 December 1775 authorized her construction; she was named for John Hancock...
) under the command of James Hawker. - 1781 : The ship received the American Congress on board in May. Under the command of Louis-René Levassor de Latouche TrévilleLouis-René Levassor de Latouche TrévilleLouis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville was a French admiral and a hero of the American Revolutionary War and of the Napoleonic wars.-Early life:...
she fought several times in company with the Astrée commanded by Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La PérouseJean-François de Galaup, comte de La PérouseJean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
, especially at the Naval battle of Louisbourg on 21 July 1781. - 1782 : After the end of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the frigate returned to France in February. She then formed part of a squadron sent to India to help Pierre André de Suffren against the British. However peace was declared and the ship returned to Rochefort in April 1784. - 1792 : Again in service against the British, she ran aground off CroisicLe CroisicLe Croisic is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-References:...
, and was then wrecked by heavy seas. - 1997 : Rebuilding project starts in Rochefort.
Characteristics
She was armed with 26, 32 or 36 (sources vary) 12-pound cannons and had three decks: quarter deck, gun deck and a berth deck.
Reconstruction
This project was conceived by members of the Centre International de la Mer in 1992, and construction began in 1997, envisaging a launch in the Spring of 2013 (as compared to the original, which took less than a year to build).The shipyard is in one of the two dry docks beside the Corderie Royale at Rochefort.
As far as possible, traditional construction methods are used although modern power tools were substituted for the period tools on some jobs. The site is open to the public, and admission fees help fund the project.
The original plans have been modified in several ways for reasons of strength and safety: planks have been bolted rather than pegged to avoid movement during the long period of construction. Similarly, the mast sections are fastened with glue rather than metal hoops to avoid water penetration. The cannons are lightweight and non-functional to save weight, and for safety reasons. Hemp rigging will be used, but the sails will be synthetic for strength and to allow a smaller crew to handle them.
An engine will be used for safety, and electric generators for lighting and basic amenities.
Gallery
Photographs of the reconstruction from 2005Photographs of the reconstruction from 2006
Photographs of the reconstruction from 2009