HMS Pique (1795)

HMS Blanche tows the captured Pique into port, depicted by Robert Dodd
History
France
Name	Pique
Builder	Rochefort
Laid down	January 1783
Launched	2 December 1785
Completed	By 1786
Renamed	Built as Fleur-de-Lys Renamed Pique in June 1792
Captured	6 January 1795, by the Royal Navy
Great Britain
Name	HMS Pique
Acquired	1795
Fate	Wrecked and burned 30 June 1798
General characteristics [1][2]
Class and type	Galathée class frigate, later 38-gun fifth rate frigate
Displacement	1,150 tons (French)
Tons burthen	906 21⁄94 (bm)
Length	144 ft 1+1⁄2 in (43.9 m) (overall) 119 ft 5+1⁄4 in (36.4 m) (keel)
Beam	37 ft 9+1⁄4 in (11.5 m)
Depth of hold	11 ft 8 in (3.6 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	French service Originally: 150 (peace) and 220 (war) Later:280 and then 322
Armament	French service Upper deck: 26 × 12-pounder guns Spar deck:6 × 6-pounder guns British service' Upper deck:26 × 12-pounder guns QD: 6 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 24-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 24-pounder carronades

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. HMS Blanche captured her in 1795 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 Pique failed; she bilged and had to be abandoned.