French ship Protée (1772)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Protée.

Plans of the ship
History
France
Name	Protée
Launched	10 November 1772
Captured	24 February 1780, by Royal Navy
Great Britain
Name	Prothee
Acquired	24 February 1780
Fate	Broken up, 1815
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Artésien-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	1480 tons
Length	164 ft 1 in (50.01 m) (gundeck)
Beam	44 ft 7 in (13.59 m)
Depth of hold	19 ft (5.8 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	64 guns of various weights of shot

Protée was an Artésien-class 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1772.^[1]

Career

Further information: Action of 24 February 1780

On 16 February 1780, Protée departed Lorient escorting a convoy bound for India, with troops and ammunition.^[2] Protée, under Captain Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche was the flagship of the convoy.^[3]

On 23 February, off Spain, the convoy met Rodney's fleet. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, Protée struck while Charmante returned to Lorient,^[3] arriving there on 3 March.^[2] Three merchantmen were also captured. Court-martialled for the loss of his ship, Duchilleau was honourably acquitted.^[3]

Protée was commissioned in the Royal Navy as the third rate HMS Prothee. She saw action on 12 April 1782 against a huge French fleet at the Battle of the Saintes under the command of Captain Buckner.^[4]

She was converted to serve as a prison ship in 1799, and broken up in 1815. Eight of her small cannons were purchased by John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland and are currently at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire. The cannon are still fired on special occasions, such as weddings and the Duke's birthday.

Citations

1. Lavery (2003), p. 182, volume 1.
2. Roche (2005), p. 365.
3. Troude (1867), p. 66.
4. Fraser (1904), p. 103.

References

• Fraser, Edward (1904). Famous Fighters of the Fleet..
• Lavery, Brian (2003). The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8..
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922. (1671-1870)
• Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.