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 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 1809 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.
Yssel 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 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: 7 November 1815 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.
References Citations
References Alain Demerliac, Nomenclature des navires francais de 1800–1815 Rif Winfield & Stephen S Roberts, French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786-1861: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing, 2015) .