HMS Pique (1795)

HMS Pique was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had formerly served with the French Navy, initially as the Fleur-de-Lys, and later as the Pique. She was captured in 1795 by HMS Blanche, in a battle that left the Blanche's commander, Captain Robert Faulknor, dead. HMS Pique was taken into service under her only British captain, David Milne, but served for just three years with the Royal Navy before being wrecked in an engagement with the French ship Seine in 1798. The Seine had been spotted heading for a French port and Pique and another British ship gave chase. All three ships ran aground after a long and hard-fought pursuit. The arrival of a third British ship ended French resistance, but while the Seine and Jason were both refloated, attempts to save the Pique failed; she bilged and had to be abandoned.

French career
Pique was built at Rochefort as the Fleur-de-Lys, one of the six ship Galatée class designed by Raymond-Antoine Haran. She was launched on 2 December 1785. The French Revolution led to her being renamed Pique in June 1792.

The Pique encountered HMS Blanche (1786) off the island of Desirade at Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe on 4 January 1795. The Pique at first tried to avoid an action, but eventually the two ships came to close quarters in the early hours of 5 January. The two ships closed and exchanged broadsides, with both sustaining heavy damage; the Blanche lost her main and mizzen masts. The Pique then turned and ran afoul of the Blanche, with her bowsprit caught across her port quarter. While the French made several attempts to board, which were repulsed, the crew of the Blanche attempted to lash the bowsprit to their capstan, but during the attempt Captain Faulknor was killed by a musket ball to the heart. The Pique then broke away from the Blanche and came round her stern, this time colliding on the starboard quarter. Blanche's men quickly lashed the bowsprit to the stump of their mainmast, which held her fast. The Pique was now unable to manoeuvre or bring any of her guns to bear on the Blanche. After being repeatedly raked by Blanche's guns, the Pique surrendered. Casualties for the British were eight killed, including Captain Faulknor, and 21 wounded. The Pique had lost 76 killed and 110 wounded. The two ships were joined later that morning by the 64-gun HMS Veteran (1787), which helped exchange and secure the prisoners and tow the ships to port. The Blanche towed her prize to a British port, where she was named and registered on 5 September.

British career
HMS Pique was commissioned in September 1795 under Captain David Milne, and assigned to serve in the Leeward Islands. On 9 March 1796 Pique and HMS Charon (1783) captured the French privateer Lacédémonienne off Barbados. She was described as a brig of 14 guns and 90 men. The British took her into service.

Pique then went on to serve as part a squadron under Captain Thomas Parr in the fourth rate HMS Malabar. She was present at the capture of the Dutch colonies of Demerera and Essequibo on 23 April 1796, and the capture of Berbice on 2 May 1796.

Pique, HMS Babet (1794), HMS Prompte (1793), and HMS Scipio (1782) captured the Catherina Christina in July 1796. Pique then returned to Britain and operated in the English Channel from 1797.

Pique shared with HMS Révolutionnaire (1794), HMS Boadicea (1797) and the hired armed cutter Nimrod in the capture of the Anna Christiana on 17 May 1798.

While patrolling off the Penmarks on 29 June 1798 she and her consorts HMS Mermaid (1782) and HMS Jason (1794) came across the French frigate Seine. The Seine had crossed the Atlantic from the West Indies and was bound for a French port. The British squadron manoeuvred to cut her off from land, but the Mermaid, under Captain James Newman-Newman, soon lost contact, leaving the Pique under Milne and the Jason under Captain Charles Stirling, to chase down the Frenchman.

The chase lasted all day, until 11 o'clock at night when Pique was able to range alongside the Seine and fire a broadside. The two exchanged fire for several hours, with the lighter Pique suffering considerable damage to her masts and rigging. Jason then ranged up and Captain Stirling called upon Milne to anchor, but Milne did not hear and was determined to see the Seine captured, and pressed on. Before the battle could be resumed Pique ran suddenly aground. The Jason too ran aground before she could swing way, while the Seine was observed to have grounded, and lost all her masts in the process. As the tide rose the Seine was able to swing into a position to rake the two British ships. With difficulty the sailors of Jason dragged several guns to the bow in order to exchange fire, while the Pique was able to bring her foremost guns to bear. Under fire from both British ships, the appearance on the scene of the Mermaid convinced the French to surrender. Jason had lost seven killed and 12 wounded, while Pique sustained casualties of two killed and six wounded. The Seine however had 170 killed and 100 wounded.

Fate
Mermaid arrived and retrieved Jason, but Pique had bilged and had to be destroyed. HMS St Fiorenzo (1794) too arrived and was instrumental in recovering Seine. The Royal Navy took HMS Seine (1798) into service under her existing name.