French ship America ( 1788 ) America was a 74 - gun ship of the line of the French Navy . The Royal Navy captured her in 1794 at the Battle of the Glorious First of June . She then served with the British under the name HMS " Impetueux " until she was broken up in 1813 . She became the prototype for the Royal Navy . Capture . She was captured by at the Battle of the Glorious First of June . In 1795 the Admiralty renamed her HMS " Impétueux " as there was already a ship named " America " in the British navy . British service . On 5 October 1796 , Captain John Willet Payne was given command . After a refit at Portsmouth , she sailed for Spithead on Friday 11 October , where her refit continued until she sailed on Channel duty on 28 October , returning to Spithead on 1 January 1797 . In that year Payne resigned his commission through ill - health and Captain Sampson Edwards assumed command until 1799 , when Captain Sir Edward Pellew took over on 1 March 1799 . In March 1799 , while under Pellew ' s command , some of the crew of " Impetueux " fomented a mutiny . The Marine Guard remained loyal , which enabled Pellew to suppress the mutiny . Three were hanged and six were flogged around the fleet before being transferred to other ships . On 4 June 1800 , a squadron under Captain Edward Pellew in " Impetueux " , the 32 - gun frigate , Captain William Lukin , the 16 - gun ship sloop and some small - craft , attacked the south - west end of Quiberon and silenced the forts . Troops under Major Ramsey then landed and destroyed the forts . The attack resulted in the British taking several vessels and scuttling others . The only casualties were in " Cynthia " , which lost two men killed and one wounded . On 29 July a boat each from " Impetueux " , , and " Viper " , under the command of Lieutenant Jeremiah Coghlan of " Viper " brought out the brig " Cerbère " from Port - Louis , Morbihan . In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp , " 29 July Boat Service 1800 " to the four surviving claimants from the action . On 25 August a squadron and convoy under the command of Rear - Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren participated in another attack on a fort at the bay of Playa de Dominos ( Doniños ) , outside the port of Ferrol . The " Impétueux " , 28 - gun frigate , " Cynthia " and the 14 - gun hired armed cutter " St Vincent " silenced the battery , which was armed with eight 24 - pounders . Then seamen from the ships landed to assist a large force of army troops to haul the guns up to the heights above Ferrol . However , it became apparent that Ferrol was too well fortified . The Navy then re - embarked the troops and the whole British force withdrew . Four days later , the same squadron sent a cutting out party consisting of two boats each from , , , and " Cynthia " , four boats from , as well as the boats from , and " Impetueux " into Vigo bay where the French privateer " Guipe " , of Bordeaux , had taken refuge . After a 15 - minute fight the British captured the privateer and towed her out . She was flush - decked and or 300 tons . She was pierced for 22 guns but carried 18 9 - pounders , and had a crew of 161 men under the command of Citoyenne Dupan . The expedition cost the British four dead , 23 officers and men wounded , and one man missing . The French lost 25 dead and 40 wounded . In 1847 the Admiralty issued the Naval General Service Medal with clasp " 29 Aug . Boat Service 1800 " to all survivors of the this action that came forward to claim it . Fate . " Impétueux " was broken up in 1813 .