French frigate Républicaine française (1794)

The Républicaine française was a 32-gun frigate of the French Navy, of the Galathée class.

French service
Ordered in March 1793 as Panthère, she became République française in January 1794, and eventually Républicaine française when commissioned in May, as the name had been attributed to the 120-gun République française.

Under Lieutenant François Pitot, she cruised the Atlantic off Brest. On 30 May 1795, she was again renamed to Renommée.

Action of 13 June 1796
In June 1796, Renommée patrolled the Caribbean off Porto Rico. On 12 June, she chased a strange ship, which she joined around 18:00. The ship hoisted two flags half-mast and fired a shot, to which Renommée responded by flying her colours. Immediately, the ship hoisted the Union Jack and gave chase.

Captain Pitot attempted to escape by throwing his anchors and part of his guns overboard, but the ship gained on Renommée. On 13 June, at around 4, the British ship, identified as the 74-gun HMS Alfred, under captain Thomas Drury, fired a broadside that struck Renommée under the waterline, causing a leak that wet her ammunition. After a second broadside from Alfred, Pitot struck his colours.

Led aboard  Alfred, Pitot learned that several ships had been lured into the trap which had caught him. Pitot was later acquitted by the court-martial for the loss of his ship.

British service
The British took her into service as HMS Renommee, and used her as a transport from 1800.

She was scrapped in 1810.

Legacy
Derek Gardner realised a painting of her surrender to HMS Alfred.