French frigate Clorinde (1808)

The Clorinde was a 40-gun Pallas-class frigate of the French Navy, designed by Sané.

From June 1809, she was stationed with the 16-gun Milan and the 38-gun Renommée. In September, she sailed with Renommée, Loire and Seine to Guadeloupe. On 13 December, she and Renommée captured HMS Junon.

On 15 December 1809, she ran aground, and freed herself by dropping guns and ammunition overboard.

She took part in the Action of 20 May 1811, fought off Madagascar, and returned to Brest. Captain Jacques Saint-Cricq was found guilty of failing to properly support his commodore, and demoted of rank, expelled from the legion of Honour, and sentenced to three years in prison.

On 25 February 1814, at lat. 47° 40' N., lon. 9° 30' W., under Commander René Joseph Marie Denis-Lagarde, she was chased by the 38-gun HMS Eurotas. A violent fight ensued for two hours and 20 minutes that left both ships dismasted, Eurotas suffering 20 killed and 30 wounded (including Captain John Phillimore), and Clorinde, 40 killed and 80 wounded. During the night, the ships built jury rigs and resumed the pursuit the next day, when HMS Dryad and HMS Achates intervened. The helpless Clorinde struck after the first cannon shot from Dryad, who towed her to Portsmouth.

Clorinde was brought into British service as HMS Aurora. She served off South America from 1821-25 and in the Caribbean from 1826-28.

From 1832, she was used as a coal depot in Falmouth, and was eventually broken up in 1851.