French frigate Flore (1806)

The Flore was a 44-gun Armide class frigate of the French Navy.

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.

In the ensuing fight, Flore was distanced by her flagship Favorite, which engaged the British flagship HMS Amphion, and ran aground. Flore and Bellona caught on and engaged Amphion in a crossfire. Amphion outmanoeuvered 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 Danaé 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 1/48 shipyard model of the Flore, originally part of the "Trianon collection", is on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris.

Sources and references

 * BATAILLE DE LISSA
 * BATAILLE DE LISSA