French frigate Engageante (1766)

Engageante was a 26-gun frigate of the French Navy, only ship of her class, built to a design by Jean-François Etienne. The British captured her in 1794 and converted her to a hospital ship. She served as a hospital ship until she was broken up in 1811.

French service
Engageante was built in Toulon to a design by Jean-François Etienne. She was the sole ship of her class.

From July 1778, Engageante was under the command of Captain Gras-Préville. On 5 July 1778, as Engageante was scouting in front of D'Estaing's squadron, she detected the 26-gun British privateer frigate Rose, under Captain James Duncan. Engageante gave chase and caught up with her quarry around 2000hrs. The battle lasted until 0100hrs of 6 July, by which time Rose had been reduced to a wreck and struck her colours. Engageante returned to her squadron to report on the event; deeming Rose irretrievable, the French scuttled her.

Engageante took part in the Battle of St. Lucia on 15 December 1778.

In February 1779, Engageante departed Toulon for America, where she arrived in late March, but had to be quarantined. In April 1779, she escorted a convoy from Martinique to France, successfully fending off a British attack.

From 1781, she took part in the American Revolutionary War, including the Hudson Bay Expedition in 1782, with FRENCH FRIGATE Astrée and the 74-gun FRENCH SHIP Sceptre. The copper sheathing of the ships made them especially vulnerable in arctic waters, and Engageante suffered the most, damaging her bow so much that she had to call into Cadiz for repair. The crew also suffered from scurvy: by the time Engageante arrived in Europe, all had been affected; around 100 were too sick to work, and 15 had died.

Capture
Engageante was captured, along with FRENCH FRIGATE Pomone and HMS Babet (1794), off the Île de Batz during the action of 23 April 1794. Her captor was HMS Concorde (1783). On Engageante 30 to 40 men were killed or wounded. On Concorde one man was killed and 12 were wounded. In the evening after the action Engageantes masts fell overboard, and Concordes masts were kept upright only with great difficulty.

British service
Engageante was subsequently recommissioned in the Royal Navy and registered as the hospital ship HMS Engageante on 27 July 1794.

She was commissioned at Cork in February 1795 under Lieutenant William Fry. She served for a while as Vice-Admiral Robert Kingsmill's flagship.

In 1796 Lieutenant Henry Parker replaced Fry, but drowned in January 1797. In 1798 Fry returned to command, but he died in 1801. In 1801 Lieutenant Barrington Mansfield assumed command, only to die within the year.

In June 1802 HMS Glenmore (1796) escorted Engageante, Lieutenant Donocliff, to Plymouth. There Engageante became a hospital ship; later she was a receiving ship at Cork. Although it was expected that Engageante would be broken up at Plymouth, that did not take place for almost a decade.

Fate
Engageante was broken up at Plymouth in May 1811.