French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Diane' (1779)

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Recent Comments

La Diane (32) 1779-1780
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1779)
Hussar (28) 1763-1780
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1763)
Nonsuch (64) 1774-1802
British 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1774)
La Légère (32) 1765-1780
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1765)
Le Hussard (18) 1780-1780
French 18 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1780)
Le Printemps (4) 1780-1780
French 4 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1780)
Cyclops (28) 1779-1814
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1779)
Robert DillonBritish
Merchant Sailor
Service 1770-1771
Chatham (50) 1758-1814
British 50 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
1810 Renamed "Tilbury"
(1758)
Fowey (24) 1749-1781
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1749)
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La Diane
Nominal Guns	32	NNF-1774
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Keel Laid Down	3.1778	NNF-1774
Launched	18.1.1779	NNF-1774
First Commissioned	4.1779	NNF-1774
How acquired	Purpose built	NNF-1774
Shipyard	St Malo - Brittany	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Sibylle Class (1777)	NNF-1774
Designed by	Jacques-Noël SanéFrench Naval Sailor Designer Ship Builder Administrator Service 1758-1836	NNF-1774
Constructor	Jacques Denis Chevillard le CadetFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1777-1778	ref:631
Category	Fifth Rate	NNF-1774
National Rate	Quatrième Rang	NNF-1774
Ship Type	Frigate	NNF-1774
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1774
Wrecked	31.3.1780	NNF-1774

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1774
Length of Gundeck135' 2"French Feet (Pied du Roi)43.8495 (143′ 10″ Imperial)
Length of Keel120' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)38.9841 (127′ 10″ Imperial)
Breadth34' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)11.0838 (36′ 4″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold17' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)5.5448 (18′ 2″ Imperial)
Burthen600Ton

Armament

18.1.1779Broadside Weight = 174 French Livre (187.7808 lbs 85.173 kg)NNF-1774
Upper Gun Deck26 French 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle6 French 6-Pounder

4.1779Broadside Weight = 174 French Livre (187.7808 lbs 85.173 kg)NNF-1774
Upper Gun Deck26 French 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle6 French 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1777271Design Complement

Service History

DateEventSource
13.5.1779Action in Cancale Bay
20.3.17801st Action off Monti Christi

Notes on Ship

NoteNNF-1774

In march 1780, during a storm, while sailing in the Caribbean (or off the american coast), the ship turned over and have been lost with all hands

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:631 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 19th of June 2026 00:08

Amsterdam, 24 August 1780: By letters received from divers ports of France we learn that the convoy hat had been so long detained at Cherburgh, and destined for Brest, had at length sailed, and was seen near Granville the second of this month; and they were informed by letters from Port au Prince, that the frigate la Diane, bound to St Domingo, had the misfortune to blow up, and that all the crew, seven excepted, had perished; that the Count de Maurepas privateer, having fell in with some English frigates, could not avoid falling into their hands. [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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