拍品专文
The Royal Navy's Princess Charlotte, a fifth-rate of 1,029 tons, began her live as the French Toulon-built frigate Junon.
In May 1799, a small squadron of French ships began its journey home from Jaffa where it had landed ammunition and other supplies for Napoleon's Egyptian expeditionary force. On 29 June, off Cape Sicie and only sixty miles from a safe haven, the squadron was surprised by the advance division of Admiral Lord Keith's Mediterranean Fleet and captured after a short but spirited action. Of the five ships taken, the most valuable prize was the Junon and, since there was already a Juno in the Royal Navy, she was renamed Princess Charlotte in honour of the Prince of Wales' infant daughter. Mounting 38 guns and able to carry a crew of almost 300 men, the Princess was an extremely useful addition to the wartime navy and distinguished herself twice before changing her name again later in her career.
On 4 October 1805, having spent all that year in the West Indies, Princess Charlotte was patrolling east of Tobago when she engaged two French ships; the larger Naiade managed to escape, but the recently captured British sloop Cyane was retaken and thus restored to the King's service. On 9 January 1811, during her last cruise before refitting, Princess Charlotte captured the French privateer Aimable Flore 210 miles west of Ushant. Allotted her new name the following year when the old Andromache was broken up, she retained it until she too was broken up at Deptford in 1828.
In May 1799, a small squadron of French ships began its journey home from Jaffa where it had landed ammunition and other supplies for Napoleon's Egyptian expeditionary force. On 29 June, off Cape Sicie and only sixty miles from a safe haven, the squadron was surprised by the advance division of Admiral Lord Keith's Mediterranean Fleet and captured after a short but spirited action. Of the five ships taken, the most valuable prize was the Junon and, since there was already a Juno in the Royal Navy, she was renamed Princess Charlotte in honour of the Prince of Wales' infant daughter. Mounting 38 guns and able to carry a crew of almost 300 men, the Princess was an extremely useful addition to the wartime navy and distinguished herself twice before changing her name again later in her career.
On 4 October 1805, having spent all that year in the West Indies, Princess Charlotte was patrolling east of Tobago when she engaged two French ships; the larger Naiade managed to escape, but the recently captured British sloop Cyane was retaken and thus restored to the King's service. On 9 January 1811, during her last cruise before refitting, Princess Charlotte captured the French privateer Aimable Flore 210 miles west of Ushant. Allotted her new name the following year when the old Andromache was broken up, she retained it until she too was broken up at Deptford in 1828.