French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Légère' (1765)

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Recent Comments

La Diane (32) 1779-1780
French 32 Gun
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Hussar (28) 1763-1780
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Nonsuch (64) 1774-1802
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La Légère (32) 1765-1780
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1765)
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La Légère
Nominal Guns	32	NNF-1715
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Keel Laid Down	10.1764	NNF-1715
Acquired	6.1765	NNF-1715
First Commissioned	9.1765	NNF-1715
Shipyard	Le Havre - Normandy	NNF-1715
Ship Class	Infidèle Class (1765)	NNF-1715
Designed by	Jean-Joseph GinouxFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1751-1781	NNF-1715
Constructor	Jean-Joseph GinouxFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1751-1781	NNF-1715
Category	Fifth Rate	NNF-1715
National Rate	Quatrième Rang	NNF-1715
Ship Type	Frigate	NNF-1715
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1715
Sunk in Action	14.7.1780	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1715
Length of Gundeck130'French Feet (Pied du Roi)42.224 (138′ 6″ Imperial)
Breadth34'French Feet (Pied du Roi)11.0703 (36′ 3″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold17'French Feet (Pied du Roi)5.5487 (18′ 2″ Imperial)
Burthen600Ton

Armament

9.1765Broadside Weight = 174 French Livre (187.7808 lbs 85.173 kg)NNF-1715
Upper Gun Deck26 French 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle6 French 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
9.17652477 officers, 240 menNNF-1715

1 Ship Commander

DatesRankNameSource
14.9.1765 - 20.2.1766Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:1275

2 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
28.10.1765 - 27.11.1765Enseigne de Vaisseauref:127527.11.1765 - 1767Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:1275

Service History

DateEventSource
14.7.1780Destoryed by BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:1275 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 18th of June 2026 23:52

For sale by the candle, at the London Tavern, in Foxhole-street, Plymouth, on Wednesday, 20th September 1780... If possible, the sails, with sundry bolts, sailcloth, and some other valuable stores saved out of the French frigate Le Legere, (lately burnt by Sir James Wallace on the coast of France) will be sold. Vaughan, Winne, and Margetson, Brokers. [Exeter Flying Post, 1 September 1780]

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Friday 19th of June 2026 00:08	Jon Miller	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Diane' (1779) (32) 1779-1780 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Friday 19th of June 2026 00:05	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate frigate 'Hussar' (1763) (28) 1763-1780 British 28 Gun 6th Rate Frigate
Friday 19th of June 2026 00:03	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Nonsuch' (1774) (64) 1774-1802 British 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Thursday 18th of June 2026 23:52	Jon Miller	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Légère' (1765) (32) 1765-1780 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Thursday 18th of June 2026 23:48	Jon Miller	French Privateer 'Le Hussard' (1780) (18) 1780-1780 French 18 Gun Privateer Unknown

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