Nymphe-class frigate

The Nymphe class was a class of four 34/44-gun frigates of the French Navy, designed in 1781 by Pierre-Augustin Lamothe. The prototype (FRENCH FRIGATE Nymphe) was one of the earliest of the frigates to be armed with 18-pounder long guns. The first two - FRENCH FRIGATE Nymphe and FRENCH FRIGATE Thétis - carried 34 guns comprising twenty-six 18-pounders on the upper deck and eight 8-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle. The latter two - FRENCH FRIGATE Cybèle and FRENCH FRIGATE Concorde - carried an increased armament of 44 guns comprising twenty-eight 18-pounders on the upper deck and twelve 8-pounders plus four 36-pounder obuses on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Thétis was retro-fitted by 1794 to carry the same increased armament as the last two; she was rebuilt at Rochefort from October 1802 to September 1803.

The design followed on at Brest from an earlier class of three smaller frigates (armed with 12-pounder long guns) - named FRENCH FRIGATE Nymphe (1777), FRENCH FRIGATE Andromaque (1778) and FRENCH FRIGATE Astrée (1780) - built at Brest to a different design by Lamothe's father.

Ships in earlier (12-pounder armed) class
These three ships were named on 11 April 1777, 29 September 1777 and 4 December 1778 respectively.
 * FRENCH FRIGATE Nymphe (12-pounder armed frigate)
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: April 1777
 * Launched: 18 August 1777
 * Completed: November 1777
 * Fate: captured by British Royal Navy in 1780 and became HMS Nymphe (1780).


 * FRENCH FRIGATE Andromaque
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: August 1777
 * Launched: 24 December 1777
 * Completed: April 1778
 * Fate: Scuttled by fire on 22 August 1796


 * FRENCH FRIGATE Astrée
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: August 1779
 * Launched: 16 May 1780
 * Completed: July 1780
 * Fate: Wrecked in the Atlantic in May 1795

Ships in (18-pounder armed) class

 * FRENCH FRIGATE Nymphe (18-pounder armed frigate)
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: December 1781
 * Launched: 30 May 1782
 * Completed: August 1782
 * Fate: Wrecked at Noirmoutier on 30 December 1793.


 * FRENCH FRIGATE Thétis
 * Builder: Brest
 * Ordered: 4 November 1786
 * Begun: September 1787
 * Launched: 16 June 1788
 * Completed: October 1788
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 10 November 1808 off Lorient. The British took her into service as HMS Brune (1808).


 * FRENCH FRIGATE Cybèle
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: June 1788
 * Launched: 7 July 1789
 * Completed: May 1790
 * Fate: Wrecked in action 24 February 1809 off Sables d'Olonne.


 * FRENCH FRIGATE Concorde
 * Builder: Brest
 * Begun: April 1790
 * Launched: 25 October 1791
 * Completed: February 1793
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy off Brazil on 4 August 1800.