French Sixth Rate corvette 'La Brune' (1781)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Update
John WalkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1803
Update
Pylades (16) 1794-1815
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Update
George Stevenson WintourBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1824
Update
Arrogant (74) 1761-1810
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Update
Excellent (74) 1787-1835
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Update
Edward MarshBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1801
Added
Charles ProbyBritish
Dockyard Staff
Clergyman
Service 1794
Update
Justus ThompsonBritish
Dockyard Staff
Service 1774
Update
John ThompsonBritish
Dockyard Staff
Service 1787-1794
Added
William GilbertBritish
Dockyard Staff
Service 1794
See more...

Recent Comments

Confederacy (36) 1778-1781
American 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1778)
Flora (36) 1780-1808
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1780)
L'Andromaque (32) 1777-1796
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1777)
Unicorn (20) 1776-1780
British 20 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1776)
Vulture (14) 1776-1805
British 14 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1776)
Black Princess (12) 1781-1781
American 12 Gun
Privateer Snow
(1781)
Vestal (28) 1779-1816
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1779)
Pearl (32) 1762-1832
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
1825 Renamed "Prothee"
(1762)
Culloden (74) 1776-1781
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1776)
Tartar (24) 1756-1797
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1756)
See more...

La Brune
Nominal Guns	20	NNF-1774
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Keel Laid Down	8.1780	NNF-1774
Launched	15.1.1781	NNF-1774
First Commissioned	3.1781	NNF-1774
How acquired	Purpose built	NNF-1774
Shipyard	Toulon - Provence	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Coquette Class (1779)	NNF-1774
Designed by	Joseph-Marie-Blaise CoulombFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1755-1789	NNF-1774
Category	Sixth Rate	NNF-1774
Ship Type	Corvette	NNF-1774
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1774
Captured	3.1799	NNF-1774

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1774
Length of Gundeck119' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)38.6512 (126′ 9″ Imperial)
Length of Keel106' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)34.4288 (112′ 11″ Imperial)
Breadth30' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)9.9064 (32′ 6″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold45' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)14.6485 (48′ 0″ Imperial)
Burthen480Ton

Armament

15.1.1781Broadside Weight = 80 French Livre (86.336 lbs 39.16 kg)NNF-1774
Upper Gun Deck20 French 8-Pounder

1783Broadside Weight = 98 French Livre (105.7616 lbs 47.971 kg)NNF-1774
Upper Gun Deck20 French 8-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle6 French 6-Pounder

1799Broadside Weight = 106 French Livre (114.3952 lbs 51.887 kg)NNF-1774
Upper Gun Deck22 French 8-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle6 French 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1779168Design Complement

1 Ship Commander

DatesRankNameSource
1788Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:673

Service History

DateEventSource
13.7.1795Battle of Hyeres
3.1799Taken by the Russian at Corfu

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:673 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by A Morddel on Wednesday 1st of March 2023 11:14

Wikipedia says that the Russians gave this ship to the Ottoman Navy. Has anyone found the Turkish name for the Brune (1785)? I have a reference that it was something like "Lemenev Bey", but the writing is hard to read.

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

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

GDPR Statement