French corvette Sardine ( 1771 ) Sardine was a corvette of the French Navy , launched in 1771 . The Royal Navy captured her at the Siege of Toulon but the French retook her when the Anglo - Spanish force retreated . The Royal Navy captured her again in 1796 . She then served as HMS " Sardine " until she was sold in 1806 . French career . " Sardine " was built to a design by Broquier , who died 26 December 1781 . She served in the Mediterranean during the Ancien Régime . In 1792 she was under the command of " Lieutenant de vaiseau " the chevalier de Bellon de Sainte - Marguerite and served as an escort in the Levant . She was at Smyrna in March , and then cruised the Aegean Sea . Next , she escorted a convoy from Smyrna to Cape Matapan , and then protected French trade between Tripoli ( Syria ) and Alexandria . Lastly , she escorted a convoy from Cyprus to Marseilles in October . In August 1793 an Anglo - Spanish force captured Toulon and Royalist forces turned over to them the French naval vessels in the port . When the Anglo - Spanish force had to leave in December , they took with them the best vessels and tried to burn the remainder . Although some reports have the Anglo - Spanish forces capturing her and then leaving her behind , she does not appear on an English list of vessels captured , burnt , or otherwise disposed off . On 9 December 1795 , " Sardine " was part of Gantaume ' s squadron . She , the frigate " Sensible " , and the corvette " Rossignol " captured the 28 - gun HMS " Nemesis " , which had grounded and after refloating had anchored out of range of the fort in the neutral port of Smyrna . The French warships entered the harbour in disregard of its neutrality and called on " Nemesis " to surrender , which she did when the French refused to honour the port ' s neutrality and fired on " Nemesis " . Three men from " Nemesis " , a sailor and two Royal Marines , defected to the French and joined " Sardine " . Capture . On 9 March 1796 , " Nemesis " was anchored in the neutral harbour of Tunis , together with " Sardine " , under the command of " Enseigne de vaisseu " Icard ( acting ) , and " Postillon " . The British sent a squadron under the command of Vice - Admiral William Waldegrave to recapture " Nemesis " . Boats from " Egmont " , " Barfleur " and " Bombay Castle " attacked the French ships and captured all three . The squadron also included , , and the cutter . The British took the three men who had defected from " Nemesis " to " Sardine " and hanged them . Admiral Jervis sent " Nemesis " , " Sardine " , and " Postillon " to Ajaccio . He had " Postillon " repaired and painted before selling her to Sir Gilbert Elliot the British viceroy of the Anglo - Corsican Kingdom , for onward transfer to the Dey of the Regency of Algiers . " Nemesis " returned to British service , and " Sardine " was brought into the Royal Navy . British service . " Sardine " was brought into British service as the sloop - of - war HMS " Sardine " and commissioned under Commander W . Wilkinson . By July Jervis had appointed Commander Edward Killwick , of to command her . In July 1796 , Admiral Lord Nelson took " Sardine " with him to blockade Leghorn but remarked : The Sardine cannot move in light airs , she is so very foul ; and to say the truth , she has not the men to manage her , although I am sure that Captain Killwick does all in his power . On 15 September 1796 " Sardine " captured the Spanish brig " St . Juan Baptise " . On 20 September " Sardine " attempted to enter the port at Genoa but was driven away by gunfire . " Sardine " was part of a squadron under Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood , in , and also containing the cutter , at Bastia before the British evacuated it in October . In early 1797 and " Sardine " escorted a convoy of 13 merchantmen from Elba to Gibraltar . In March Commander A . Kempe took command of " Sardine " . Then Commander Edward Killwick replaced Kempe in May . " Sardine " was formally named and registered on 27 June 1798 . In May 1798 Killwick was appointed to command the Southwark Sea Fencibles . " Sardine " then essentially disappears from view . As Nelson had already remarked that she was foul , it is highly likely that Killwick had sailed her to Britain where she was paid off , registered , and ignored . Fate . From 1805 , she was at Portsmouth in ordinary . She was offered for sale in September 1806 , and was sold later that year and broken up .