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Lézard was a 16-gun Cerf-class cutter of the French Navy. She was built in 1781, and took part in the Indian theatre of the Anglo-French War. She was captured by the 74-gun HMS Sultan in October 1782 at Trinquebar,[3] and later returned to France.[1]
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Lézard |
| Builder | Dunkirk, [1] Jacques and Daniel Denys [2] |
| Laid down | October 1780 [1] |
| Launched | 10 March 1781 [1] |
| In service | June 1781 [1] |
 Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Lizard |
| Fate | Returned to France |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Cerf-class cutter cutter |
| Displacement | 130 tonnes |
| Length | 26.3 metres |
| Beam | 8.4 metres |
| Height | 3.9 metres |
| Armament | 16 to 18 6-pounder long guns [1] |
Lézard was built at by Jacques and Daniel Denys at Dunkirk and launched on 10 March 1781. [2]
On 27 July 1782, Lézard arrived at Puducherry, where Hyder Ali and Suffren were conferring, bringing news of the arrival of Bussy-Castelnau, with the 74-gun Illustre and the 64-gun Saint Michel, on the theatre of operations.[4] In August, Lézard was at Galle. [5]
On 19 August 1782, Lézard brought despatches officially approving of Suffren's conduct at the Battle of Porto Praya, and granting requests he had made to appoint his officers. Furthermore, a letter from Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, informed Suffren that he was promoted to Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.[6][7] The next day, Lézard sailed to the neutral, Danish-held port of Tranquebar to conduct reconnaissance.[8] On 26, Lézard covered the landing of French troops in the prelude of the Battle of Trincomalee.[9]
In September 1782, Dufreneau replaced Ensign Saint-Georges as captain of Lézard, and on 25 she sailed to Tranquebar, carrying letters from Suffren to Piveron de Morlat.[10]
On 2 October 1782, the 74-gun HMS Sultan captured Lézard in the roads of the neutral (Danish) port of Tranquebar and took her to Bombay. She was under Lieutenant Thomas Troubridge from October 1782,[11] and from January 1783 under Lieutenant Richard Strachan, and was present at the Battle of Cuddalore.
There she was released back to France in 1783 and re-entered on the lists in January 1784.[2]
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Lézard was struck from the Navy lists in 1784.[1]
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