HISTORY
Lutine was a frigate
which served in both the French Navy and the Royal Navy. She
was launched by the French in 1779. The ship passed to
British control in 1793 and was taken into service as HMS
Lutine. She sank among the West Frisian Islands during a
storm in 1799.
She was built as a French Magicienne-class frigate with 32
guns, and was launched at Toulon in 1779. During the French
Revolution, Lutine came under French Royalist control. On 18
December 1793, she was one of sixteen ships handed over to a
British fleet at the end of the Siege of Toulon, to prevent
her being captured by the French Republicans. In 1795, she
was rebuilt by the British as a fifth-rate frigate with 38
guns. She served thereafter in the North Sea, where she was
part of the blockade of Amsterdam.
Lutine sank during a storm at Vlieland in the West Frisian
Islands on 9 October 1799, whilst carrying a large shipment
of gold. Shifting sandbanks disrupted salvage attempts, and
the majority of the cargo has never been recovered. Lloyd's
of London has preserved her salvaged bell – the Lutine Bell
– which is now used for ceremonial purposes at their
headquarters in London. |