French frigate Belle Poule ( 1765 ) Belle Poule was a French frigate of the " Dédaigneuse " class , which Léon - Michel Guignace built . She is most famous for her duel with the British frigate " Arethusa " on 17 June 1778 , which began the French involvement in the American War of Independence . 1768 – 1778 . " Belle Poule " was built in Bordeaux between March 1765 and early 1767 . She served in two campaigns in the West Indies , where due to her good sailing performance she was selected for the first French attempt at covering her hull with copper to resist marine growths . From 1772 to 1776 , she was sent on hydrographic missions , during which the young La Pérouse came to the attention of his superiors . On 12 December 1776 , she left India to return to Brest . At the time , France was not yet engaged in the American War of Independence , but there had been numerous incidents involving French and British ships . Indeed , on 27 April 1777 , " Belle Poule " was chased by a British ship of the line , which she easily evaded to reach Brest . 1778 – 1801 . In January 1778 , " Belle Poule " was selected to ferry Benjamin Franklin back to America . On 7 January , the British ships of the line " Hector " and " Courageous " stopped her and demanded to inspect her . In spite of the overwhelming superiority of the British forces , her captain , Charles de Bernard de Marigny , answered : The British offered apologies and let the frigate sail through . However , opposing winds prevented the ship from crossing the Atlantic , and after 36 days , " Belle Poule " had to return to Brest . Franklin later sailed to America aboard the " Sensible " . When war broke out , " Belle Poule " was sent on a reconnaissance mission , along with the 26 - gun frigate " Licorne " , the corvette " Hirondelle " , and the smaller " Coureur " , to locate the squadron of Admiral Keppel . They encountered the British squadron , which chased them . Between September and October 1778 , " Belle Poule " teamed up with French ship " Vengeur " and captured 5 privateers . In 1779 , the " Belle Poule " served as coast guard and convoy escort . Capture . On the evening of 14 July 1780 Captain Sir James Wallace of the 64 - gun ship of the line " Nonsuch " was off the Loire where her boats were burning the French frigate " Legere " . He observed three vessels to the north west , signalling each other and immediately gave chase . At about midnight " Nonsuch " caught up with one of the three off Île d ' Yeu and commenced a two - hour action . When the French vessel struck she turned out to be the " Belle Poule " . She was armed with thirty - two 12 - pounder guns , had a crew of 275 men and was under the command of Chevalier Kergariou - Coatlès . In the engagement " Belle Poule " lost 25 men killed , including Kergariou , 50 other officers and men , including her second captain , wounded . " Nonsuch " had lost three men killed and ten wounded , two of whom died later . The two French vessels that escaped were the frigate " Aimable " , of thirty - two 8 - pounder guns , and the corvette " Rossinolle " , of twenty 6 - pounder guns . British service . She was commissioned in February 1781 into the British Royal Navy , retaining her name . She served for the next 21 months under Captain Philip Patton . On 17 April she , with , captured the privateer " Callonne " , under the command of Luke Ryan . " Calonne " was only two years old , a fast sailer , and well equipped for a voyage of three months and a crew of 200 men . She was armed with twenty - two 9 - pounder guns , six 4 - pounder guns and six 12 - pounder carronade s . Fate . The Royal Navy put " Belle Poule " into ordinary at Chatham in November 1782 . She then served briefly as a receiving ship from 1796 before the Admiralty sold her for breaking up in 1801 .