French frigate Minerve (1809)
Minerve was the 48-gun Portuguese Navy frigate "Nossa Senhora da Vitória, a Minerva", launched in 1788. The French captured her in November 1809 off India and took her into service as "Minerve". The British captured her shortly thereafter and had her broken up. Career. "N.a S.a da Vitória, a Minerva" spent the first almost two decades of her career guarding Portuguese waters. In 1807 she was part of the flotilla involved in the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil. In November 1809 "Minerva" sailed to Brazil, under Captain Pinto. On 22 November 1809 she  encountered the French frigate "Bellone", under Captain Duperré. The distance between the two ships being too great for Duperré to catch them before nightfall, he shadowed "Minerva" until the next morning. On 23, at 9:00, "Bellone" had taken a favourable position behind "Minerva", at pistol range. Understanding the advantage that this configuration gave to "Bellone", Pinto turned, but the French followed and fired a raking broadside. Pinto then turned the other way, only to receive another broadside. Eventually, "Minerva" ran downwind, but "Bellone" followed and maintained fire, until "Minerva" surrendered. The fight had lasted for one hour and forty-five  minutes. Section::::"Minerve". The French commissioned "Minerva" as Minerve, and appointed Pierre Bouvet as her captain. Duperré, hindered by the damage "Bellone" had sustained, the reduction and dispersion of his crew over his prizes, and the 500 prisoners he had aboard, decided to return to Île de France, where he arrived on 2 January 1810, accompanied by "Manche", which they had met en route. At Île de France the French repaired "Minerve" and replaced her carronades with 18-pounder short guns. "Minerve" and "Manche" then sailed together, capturing the East Indiamen "Windham" and "Ceylon" in the action of 3 July 1810 . On their return to Île de France, the squadron fought in the Battle of Grand Port. "Minerve' next sailed to the Philippines. There she took on the crew and commander, "lieutenant de vaisseau" Ducrest de Villeneuve, of "Mouche n° 6", which the Spanish had seized at Manila. "Minerve" was surrendered to the British after the Invasion of Île de France in December 1810, and was broken up shortly thereafter.