Egyptienne (ship)

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars Egyptienne or Egypt, which commemorated Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign, was a popular name for French vessels, including naval vessels and privateers. Between 1799 and 1804, warships of the Royal Navy captured one French frigate and five different French privateers all with the name Egyptienne, and at least one privateer with the name Egypte.

Egyptienne

 * His Majesty's schooner HMS Netley (1798) captured the first French ship named Egyptienne on record, on 1 May 1799. Egyptienne, a privateer schooner, was pierced for 14 guns but only carried eight, four of which she had thrown overboard while trying to evade capture. She had only 35 men on board, having recently taken four neutral vessels as prizes. Netley had herself recaptured one of these, a galiot carrying a cargo of wine from Oporto.


 * On 24 November 1799, HMS Solebay (1785) captured a second French privateer ship Egyptienne. This Egyptienne was of 300 tons burthen, was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 140 men. She was sailing from Cape François to Jacquemel. HMS Drake (1779), under Commander John Perkins was in company with Solebay.


 * On 5 February 1800, HMS Mercury (1779) captured the French privateer brig Egyptienne off the Isle of Wight. This Egyptienne mounted 15 brass guns and had a crew of 66 men. She had sailed from Cherbourg the evening before and had not yet taken any prizes. As she was striking her colours her crew suddenly discharged a volley of small arms fire that slightly wounded one man on Mercury.


 * HMS Incendiary (1782), a fire ship, captured another French privateer brig Egyptienne in the Mediterranean on 12 May 1800. This Egyptienne was armed with eight guns and had a crew of 50 men.


 * The British captured the French frigate Egyptienne on 2 September 1801, after the fall of Alexandria. This Egyptienne then served in the Royal Navy under the same name until 1817 when she was broken up.


 * On 27 March 1804 HMS Hippomenes (1803) captured the Egyptienne, a French privateer and the former French frigate Railleuse. Egyptienne mounted 36 guns and carried a crew of 250 men. She did not surrender until after a 54-hour long chase and a running fight of over 3 hours. The Royal Navy took Egyptienne into service as the prison ship HMS Antigua (1804).

Egypte
On 28 May 1801, some 80 leagues to windward of Barbados, HMS Heureux (1800) pursued and captured the 16-gun French sloop Egypte from Guadeloupe. The pursuit lasted 16 hours while Egypte kept up a running fight for three hours. She had a crew of 103 men, and during the engagement apparently had neither inflicted nor suffered any casualties. Bland reported that Egypte was said to be the fastest vessel out of Guadeloupe. She had sailed 13 days earlier but had made no captures.