Pallas-class frigate (1808)

The Pallas class constituted the standard design of 40-gun frigates of the French Navy during the Napoleonic Empire period. Jacques-Noël Sané designed them in 1805, as a development of his seven-ship Hortense-class frigate of 1802, and over the next eight years the Napoléonic government ordered in total 62 frigates to be built to this new design. Of these some 54 were completed, although ten of them were begun for the French Navy in shipyards within the French-occupied Netherlands or Italy, which were then under French occupation; these latter ships were completed for the Netherlands or Austrian navies after 1813.

Ships launched in 1807 (1)

 * Note – Corona was completed for the Napoleonic Italian Navy, but transferred to the French Navy in April 1810.


 * Corona
 * Builder: Battistella, Venice
 * Ordered: 26 March 1805
 * Laid down: 26 December 1806
 * Launched: 27 December 1807
 * Completed: December 1808
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy at the Battle of Lissa on 13 March 1811.

Ships launched in 1808 (7)

 * Pallas
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre (near Nantes)
 * Ordered: 26 March 1805
 * Laid down: October 1805
 * Launched: 9 April 1808
 * Completed: June 1808
 * Fate: Stricken 8 November 1821 at Brest and hulked, and broken up 1841


 * Elbe
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 26 March 1805 as Aréthuse
 * Laid down: October 1805, renamed Elbe May 1807
 * Launched: 23 May 1808
 * Completed: July 1809
 * Fate: Renamed Calypso August 1814. Condemned 1825 and taken to pieces c.1841.


 * Amélie
 * Builder: Toulon
 * Ordered: 10 October 1807
 * Laid down: November 1807
 * Launched: 21 July 1808
 * Completed: January 1809
 * Fate: Renamed Junon April 1814. Condemned 1842.


 * Clorinde
 * Builder: Louis & Michel-Louis Crucy, Paimboeuf
 * Ordered: 19 July 1806
 * Laid down: July 1806
 * Launched: 6 August 1808
 * Completed: March 1809
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy in February 1814, becoming HMS Aurora.


 * Renommée
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 26 March 1805
 * Launched: 20 August 1808
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy in May 1811, becoming HMS Java; later captured by US Navy in December 1812.


 * Élisa
 * Builder: Le Havre
 * Ordered: 20 May 1806
 * Laid down: August 1806
 * Launched: 22 September 1810
 * Fate: Wrecked on 22 December 1810 near Réville


 * Favorita
 * Note – Favorita was completed for the Napoleonic Italian Navy, but transferred to the French Navy in April 1810.
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered: 1806
 * Launched: 4 October 1810
 * Fate: Renamed Favorite in April 1810 (on transfer). Burnt at Battle of Lissa March 1811.

Ships launched in 1809 (3)

 * Astrée
 * Builder: Cherbourg
 * Ordered: 1808
 * Launched: May 1809
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy in December 1810, becoming HMS Pomone.


 * Fidèle
 * Builder: Vlissingen (Flushing)
 * Ordered: 14 August 1806
 * Launched: June 1809
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy in August 1809, becoming HMS Laurel.


 * Adrienne
 * Builder: Toulon
 * Ordered: 10 October 1807
 * Launched: 15 August 1810
 * Fate: Renamed Aurore in April 1814, then Dauphine in September 1829 and Aurore again in August 1830. Converted to a transport 1841.

Ships launched in 1810 (4)

 * Nymphe
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 25 April 1807
 * Launched: 1 May 1810
 * Fate: Converted to a breakwater 1832


 * Iphigénie
 * Builder: Cherbourg
 * Ordered: 1809
 * Launched: 20 May 1810
 * Fate: Captured by the Royal Navy in January 1814, becoming first HMS Palma and then HMS Gloire. before being sold in 1817.


 * Méduse
 * Builder: Paimboeuf
 * Ordered: 11 March 1807
 * Launched: 1 July 1810
 * Fate: Wrecked in July 1816.


 * Prégel
 * Builder: Saint Malo
 * Ordered: 1807
 * Launched: 30 October 1810
 * Fate: Renamed Eurydice August 1814. Deleted 1825.

Ships launched in 1811 (9)

 * Ariane
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 25 April 1807
 * Launched: 7 April 1811
 * Fate: Burnt to avoid capture in the action of 22 May 1812.


 * Médée
 * Builder: Genoa
 * Ordered: 1808
 * Launched: 5 May 1811
 * Fate: Hulked 1849. Renamed Muiron 1850. Burnt 1882.


 * Andromaque
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 10 November 1808
 * Launched: 21 May 1811
 * Fate: Sunk in the action of 22 May 1812.


 * IJssel
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: May 1811
 * Fate: Transferred to Netherlands 1814.


 * Carolina
 * Builder: Naples
 * Ordered: 1807
 * Launched: 16 June 1811
 * Fate: Transferred to the Neapolitan Navy in December 1813.


 * Princesse de Bologne
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 5 September 1811
 * Fate: Transferred to the Austrian Navy in April 1814, becoming their Lipsia.


 * Gloire
 * Builder: Le Havre
 * Ordered: 26 December 1808
 * Launched: 3 November 1811
 * Fate: Condemned 1822.


 * Illyrienne
 * Builder: Saint Malo
 * Ordered: 26 December 1808
 * Launched: 13 November 1811
 * Fate: Renamed Hermione 30 August 1814; stricken 14 April 1841.


 * Meuse
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered: 1810 as Alcide, renamed September 1810 before being laid down
 * Launched: 17 December 1811
 * Fate: Transferred to the Netherlands Navy in May 1814, becoming their Maas.

Ships launched in 1812 (14)

 * Terpsichore
 * Builder: Antwerp
 * Ordered: 1810
 * Launched: 26 February 1812
 * Fate: Captured by the fourth rate HMS Majestic (1785) in February 1814, becoming HMS Modeste; she was broken up in 1816


 * Érigone
 * Builder: Antwerp
 * Ordered: 1810
 * Launched: 25 March 1812


 * Aréthuse
 * Builder: Paimboeuf
 * Ordered: 26 December 1808
 * Launched: 11 April 1812
 * Fate: Converted to a 28-gun corvette 1833–1834. Stricken 1851 and broken up after 1865.


 * Galatée
 * Builder: Genoa
 * Ordered: 1808
 * Launched: 3 May 1812
 * Fate: Stricken at Toulon 6 May 1837.


 * Jahde
 * Builder: Rotterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 9 May 1812


 * Trave
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 12 May 1812


 * Weser
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 12 May 1812


 * Melpomène
 * Builder: Toulon
 * Ordered: 18 January 1810
 * Launched: 17 May 1812


 * Rubis
 * Builder: Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-Indre
 * Ordered: 21 October 1809
 * Launched: 25 May 1812


 * Ems
 * Builder: Rotterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 26 May 1812


 * Atalante
 * Builder: Lorient – Caudan
 * Ordered: 1 July 1809 as Eurydice but renamed 1811
 * Launched: 24 June 1812


 * Cérès
 * Builder: Brest
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 12 August 1812


 * Piave
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 15 August 1812


 * Dryade
 * Builder: Genoa
 * Ordered: 1811
 * Launched: 4 October 1812

Ships launched in 1813 (4)

 * Sultane
 * Builder: Paimboeuf
 * Ordered: 21 October 1809
 * Launched: 30 May 1813
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy March 1814, becoming HMS Sultane.


 * Étoile
 * Builder: Paimboeuf
 * Ordered: 21 October 1810 as Hyménée, but renamed before being laid down.
 * Launched: 28 July 1813
 * Fate: Captured by the British Navy in March 1814, becoming HMS Topaze.


 * Rancune
 * Builder: Toulon
 * Ordered: 20 February 1812
 * Launched: 30 September 1813
 * Fate: Renamed Néréide about August 1814. Condemned 1825.


 * Amphitrite
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: October 1813
 * Fate: Still incomplete in April 1814 when Venice was captured by the Austrians. Then renamed Anfitrite and later Augusta in the Austrian Navy.

Ships launched in 1814 (3)
As noted below, all three vessels launched in 1814 were never added to the French Navy, as they were completed for the Dutch after the liberation of the Netherlands.


 * Amstel
 * Builder: Rotterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 13 September 1814
 * Fate: Completed for the Netherlands Navy in 1816, becoming their Amster.


 * Ambitieuse
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: November 1814
 * Fate: Completed for the Netherlands Navy in 1816, becoming their Koningen, later Wilhelmina.


 * Immortelle
 * Builder: Amsterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: November 1814
 * Fate: Completed for the Netherlands Navy in 1816, becoming their Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina.

Ships launched after 1814 (12)
Six of the following were completed for the French Navy after the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy; the other six, laid down in Rotterdam and Venice while those cities were under French control, were completed for the Netherlands and Austrian Navies respectively.


 * Cybèle
 * Builder: Le Havre
 * Ordered: 1810
 * Launched: 11 April 1815
 * Fate: Completed 1816. Hulked 1850 as Remise.


 * Duchesse de Berry
 * Builder: Lorient – Caudan
 * Ordered: 1810 as Didon, renamed at launch.
 * Launched: 25 August 1816
 * Fate: Completed 1817. Hulked 1829 and renamed Victoire in August 1830.


 * Vestale
 * Builder: Rotterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: October 1816
 * Fate: Completed for the Netherlands Navy in 1818, becoming their Vestale, later (1828) Rhijn.


 * Fidèle
 * Builder: Rotterdam
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 22 November 1817
 * Fate: Completed for the Netherlands Navy in 1819, becoming their Schelde.


 * Constance
 * Builder: Brest
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 2 September 1818
 * Fate: Completed 1823. Hulked 1836.


 * Thétis
 * Builder: Toulon
 * Ordered: 1813
 * Launched: 3 May 1819
 * Fate: Completed 1822. Renamed 1865 as Lanninon.


 * Astrée
 * Builder: Paimboeuf originally, then Lorient
 * Ordered: 25 March 1812
 * Launched: 28 April 1820
 * Fate: Completed 1821. Condemned 1842.


 * Hébé
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 1820
 * Fate: Completed for the Austrian Navy in 1821, becoming their Ebe.


 * Armide
 * Builder: Paimboeuf originally, then Lorient
 * Ordered: 25 March 1812
 * Launched: 1 May 1821
 * Fate: Completed 1823. Renamed 1866 as Entrepot.


 * Moskva
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 1827
 * Fate: Completed for the Austrian Navy in 1828, becoming their Medea.


 * Guerrière
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 1829
 * Fate: Completed for the Austrian Navy in 1830, becoming their Juno.


 * Vénus
 * Builder: Venice
 * Ordered:
 * Launched: 1832
 * Fate: Completed for the Austrian Navy in 1833, becoming their Venere.

Ships never launched (i.e. cancelled)

 * Corona
 * Builder: Venice
 * Begun: August 1812
 * Fate: Construction abandoned April 1814 at the fall of Venice to the Austrians.


 * Inconstante
 * Builder: Antwerp
 * Begun: August 1812
 * Fate: Construction abandoned August 1814 at the fall of Antwerp to the Allies.


 * Ruppel
 * Builder: Antwerp
 * Begun: September 1812
 * Fate: Construction abandoned August 1814 at the fall of Antwerp to the Allies.


 * Précieuse
 * Builder: Antwerp
 * Begun: September 1812
 * Fate: Construction abandoned August 1814 at the fall of Antwerp to the Allies.


 * Istrienne
 * Builder: Trieste
 * Begun: April 1813
 * Fate: Construction abandoned October 1813 at the fall of Trieste to the Austrians.