French frigate Pourvoyeuse (1772)
The Pourvoyeuse was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She is notable as one of the earliest attempts at building a frigate armed with 24-pounders on the artillery deck, rather than the 18-pounders typical of the day. Career. Launched at Lorient in November 1772, "Pourvoyeuse" was completed during the following year. During the American Revolutionary War, she took part in the Indian campaign of the naval operations, notable in the Siege of Pondicherry. At the outbreak of the war, "Pourvoyeuse", under Captain Saint-Orens, constituted the brunt  of the French naval forces at Pondicherry, along with the 64-gun , under Captain François-Jean-Baptiste l'Ollivier de Tronjoli, whose departure for France had been delayed in response to the British preparations for war. On 21 February 1779, under Captain de Tromelin, she captured the East Indiaman . On 1 November 1781, Lieutenant Morard de Galles was given command of "Pourvoyeuse". After Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves died on 9 February 1782 and he assumed command of the French forces in the Indian Ocean, Suffren gave Morard de Galles command of the 50-gun "Petit Hannibal", putting Lieutenant de Ruyter in charge  Pourvoyeuse. In March 1781, "Pourvoyeuse" escorted transports bound for the neutral Danish harbour of Trinquebar. The convoy sustained an attack from the British, and the transport "Bons-Amis", under Captain Granières, managed to repel . "Pourvoyeuse" failed to intervene, and Suffren replaced Lieutenant De Ruyter with Lannuguy-Tromelin. In early July 1782, during the run-up of the Battle of Negapatam, Suffren sent "Pourvoyeuse" to Malacca to purchase spare spars, food and ammunition to resupply his fleet. After the battle, "Pourvoyeuse" had to provide her entire main mast to "Brillant" and exchange it for that of the fluyt . In late 1782 , "Pourvoyeuse" cruised in the Strait of Malacca under Captain de Lannuguy-Tromelin. On 9 September, she encountered the East Indiamen "Asia", "Essex", , and , and the country ship "Shah Byram Gore". The next day the action of 10 September 1782 ensued, an inconclusive two-and-a-half hour battle after which "Pourvoyeuse" withdrew. She had suffered four men killed and several wounded. After "Pourvoyeuse" withdrew, she sailed for Malacca where she could take shelter under the guns of the Dutch fort there. On 26 December she arrived at Trincomalee, which the French under Bailli de Suffren had captured from the British  at the battle of Trincomalee on 3 September 1782, having left him and his squadron at Aceh, where they were wintering. At Trincomalee the memorist William Hickey met Trommelin. Later, Hickey described "Pourvoyeuse" as "Almost tumbling to pieces, and in want of every kind of stores." Fate. "Pourvoyeuse" was later armed en flûte, with her armament reduced to 26 guns. She was eventually struck from the lists in 1794.