HMS Didon

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

Didon was a Virginie-class 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. Captured by the British in 1805, she went on to serve briefly in the Royal Navy as the 38-gun fifth-rate HMS Didon until she was sold in 1810.

The engagement between HMS Phoenix and Didon, 10 August 1805, by Thomas Luny
History
France
Name	Didon
Namesake	Dido
Builder	Enterprise Ethéart, Saint Malo (Construteurs: François Pestel and Pierre Ozanne)
Laid down	September 1796
Launched	1 August 1799
Captured	on 10 August 1805
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Didon
In service	Captured on 10 August 1805
Fate	Broken up August 1811
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Virginie-class frigate
Displacement	1,400 tons (French)[2]
Tons burthen	1,09042⁄94 (bm)
Length	153 ft 0 in (46.6 m) (overall) 124 ft 7+1⁄8 in (38.0 m) (keel)
Beam	40 ft 1 in (12.2 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 10 in (3.9 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	French service:340 (war), 260 (peace)[2] British service: 284; 300 (later)
Armament	French service: British service: Upper deck:28 × 18-pounder guns QD: 6 × 9-pounder guns + 32-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

French service

Laid down in 1796 as Fâcheuse, she was renamed to Didon in 1799, the year of her launch.

On 13 October 1803, she captured the British privateer brig Laurel.

Didon later took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805.

Capture

The battered Didon about to strike her colours

Further information: Action of 10 August 1805

While attempting to rejoin the French fleet of Allemand's expedition of 1805, she encountered HMS Phoenix, Captain Thomas Baker, on 10 August 1805, off Cape Finisterre, and struck at 43°16′N 12°14′W.^[3]

Captain Milius, of Didon, maneuvered adroitly, and casualties on both sides were heavy. The 4-hour fight cost Didon 27 men killed and 44 wounded. Phoenix lost 12 men killed and 28 wounded.^[4] Lloyd's Patriotic Fund awarded Baker a sword worth 100 guineas.^[5] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp, "Phoenix 10 Augt. 1805".^[6]

Baker took Didon in tow and sailed towards Gibraltar. By good fortune and skillful sailing he avoided encountering the Franco-Spanish fleet that had just left Cádiz. Instead of continuing onward, Baker changed direction and sailed for England.^[7]

British service and fate

Didon arrived at Plymouth on 4 September 1805.^[1] The Navy took her into British service as HMS Didon; she is the only ship of the Royal Navy to have borne this name. The Royal Navy commissioned Didon under the command of Captain Thomas Baker in November. She was paid off in 1807 and placed into Ordinary the same year.^[1] The Navy commenced major repairs on Didon in May, but then cancelled the work. Didon was broken up in August 1811.^[1]

Citations

1. Winfield (2008), p. 176.
2. Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 141.
3. "No. 15838". The London Gazette. 27 August 1805. p. 1091.
4. "No. 15840". The London Gazette. 3 September 1805. p. 1115.
5. Long (1895), p. 400.
6. "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 240.
7. Long (1895), pp. 127–8.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Long, William H. (1895). "Medals of the British navy and how they were won : with a list of those officers, who for their gallant conduct were granted honorary swords and plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund". Norie & Wilson. OCLC 613203093.
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
• Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.

External links

• Media related to HMS Didon (ship, 1805) at Wikimedia Commons