French corvette 'Le Thorn' (1781)

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Le Thorn
Nominal Guns	14	NNF-1774
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Previously	British sloop 'Thorn' (1779) (16) 1779-1779 British 16 Gun Unrated Sloop
Captured	7.1781	NNF-1774
Shipyard	Mistley - Essex	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Swan Class (1766)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	James BettsBritish Ship Builder Service 1778-1807	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	NNF-1774
Ship Type	Corvette	NNF-1774
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1774
Captured	20.8.1782	BWAS-1714
Becomes	British sloop 'Thorn' (1782) (16) 1782-1816 British 16 Gun Unrated Sloop

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck96' 7"Imperial Feet29.2904
Length of Keel79' 3"Imperial Feet24.0877
Breadth26' 11"Imperial Feet7.929
Depth in Hold12' 10"Imperial Feet3.6576
Burthen305 ³⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1780Broadside Weight = 42 French Livre (45.3264 lbs 20.559 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck14 French 6-Pounder

Service History

DateEventSource
20.8.1782Taken by after a chase of 25 hoursBG
24.8.1782

Carried in Halifax

Notes on Ship

NationalityBG

In the letter of the Captain of Arethusa : American Privateer from Boston

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

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Date posted	By	Page
Thursday 18th of June 2026 09:14	Jon Miller	American Fifth Rate frigate 'Confederacy' (1778) (36) 1778-1781 American 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Thursday 18th of June 2026 09:12	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Flora' (1780) (36) 1780-1808 British 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Thursday 18th of June 2026 09:10	Jon Miller	French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Andromaque' (1777) (32) 1777-1796 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Thursday 18th of June 2026 09:10	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate ship 'Unicorn' (1776) (20) 1776-1780 British 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship
Thursday 18th of June 2026 09:08	Jon Miller	British sloop 'Vulture' (1776) (14) 1776-1805 British 14 Gun Unrated Sloop

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