- Career
- Notes, citations, and references
{{other ships|French ship Harmonie}}{{Infobox ship image| Ship image= | Ship caption=
}}{{Infobox ship career | Hide header= | Ship country=France | Ship flag= | Ship name=Harmonie | Ship namesake= | Ship ordered= | Ship builder=Bordeaux [1][1] | Ship laid down=May 1794 [2] | Ship launched=early 1796 [2] | Ship completed=May 1796 [2] | Ship commissioned= | Ship decommissioned= | Ship in service= | Ship out of service= | Ship renamed= | Ship captured= | Ship struck= | Ship reinstated= | Ship fate= Beached and burnt to avoid capture by the Royal Navy in April 1797 | Ship status= | Ship honours= | Ship notes=
}}{{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Virginie|frigate}} | Ship displacement=720 tons (French) | 47.4|m|abbr=on}} | 11.9|m|abbr=on}} | 5.5|m|abbr=on}} | Ship propulsion= | Ship speed= | Ship boats= | Ship capacity= | Ship complement= | Ship armament=44 guns | Ship armour=Timber | Ship motto= | Ship nickname= | Ship honours= | Ship notes= | Ship badge=
}} | Harmonie was a 40-gun {{sclass-|Virginie|frigate}} of the French Navy. Her crew scuttled her on 17 March 1797 to avoid having the Royal Navy capture her. Career On 7 June 1796, Harmonie departed Rochefort to ferry weapons and ammunition to Cap-Français, under Captain Joshua Barney.[3] She then cruised in the Caribbean between Havana and Chesapeake Bay, returning to Cap-Français on 17 October.[4][5] Lieutenant Simon Billiette took command of Harmonie on 19 August 1796; he was promoted to Commander on 22 September.[9][6] In April 1797, Harmonie was ordered to escort a convoy of merchantmen waiting in Jean-Rabel. She departed Cap Français but on 16 April the ships of the line {{HMS|Thunderer|1783|6}} and {{HMS|Valiant|1759|6}} intercepted her. In the ensuing Battle of Jean-Rabel, Harmonie sought refugee in the shallow waters off le Marigot, and the ships of the line departed after firing on her with little effect for several hours.[7] The next day, however, the ships returned, and the crew of Harmonie, seeing her hopelessly cornered, scuttled her by fire.[8][9] Billiette sustained two wounds at the left leg.[10] On 20 April, the British ships captured most of the convoy that Harmonie had been tasked to escort.[8] Billiette was court-martialled for the destruction of his frigate, and on 26 April 1798 found innocent of the loss of the ship.[10] Notes, citations, and referencesNotes1. ^Demerliac, p.69, no 373
2. ^1 2 3 Roche, p.237
3. ^Barney was an American naval officer in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Between 1796 and 1802 he served in the French Navy.
4. ^Fonds Marine, p.153
5. ^Fonds Marine, p.178.
6. ^Billiette was also called "Billiet" (Quintin, p.69)
7. ^Troude, p.64
8. ^1 Troude, p.65
9. ^Fonds Marine, p.192
10. ^1 2 Quintin, p.70
Citations{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}References- {{cite book|title=La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 A 1799|last=Demerliac|first=Alain|year=2004|publisher=Éditions Ancre|isbn=2-906381-24-1|language=French}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/contenu/module-dc/functions/dc/attached/FRSHD_PUB_00000226_dc/FRSHD_PUB_00000226_dc_att-FRSHD_PUB_00000226_01.pdf |title=Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 1 à 482 (1790-1826) |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website=www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr |publisher=Service historique du Ministère de la Défense |accessdate=6 May 2013 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{cite book|first1=Danielle|last1=Quintin|first2=Bernard|last2=Quintin|year=2003|title=Dictionnaire des capitaines de Vaisseau de Napoléon|isbn=2-901952-42-9|publisher=S.P.M.|language=French}}
- {{cite book|first=Jean-Michel|last=Roche|year=2005|title=Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours|isbn=978-2-9525917-0-6|oclc=165892922|publisher=Group Retozel-Maury Millau|volume=1}} (1671-1870)
- {{Cite book|first=Onésime-Joachim|last=Troude|authorlink=Onésime-Joachim Troude|year=1867|publisher=Challamel ainé|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rhIR5D5quFYC|title=Batailles navales de la France|language=French|volume=3}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harmonie}} 4 : Virginie-class frigates|1796 ships|Ships built in France|Maritime incidents in 1797 |