History
France
NameLézard
BuilderDunkirk, [1] Jacques and Daniel Denys [2]
Laid downOctober 1780 [1]
Launched10 March 1781 [1]
In serviceJune 1781 [1]
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameHMS Lizard
FateReturned to France
General characteristics
Class and typeCerf-class cutter cutter
Displacement130 tonnes
Length26.3 metres
Beam8.4 metres
Height3.9 metres
Armament16 to 18 6-pounder long guns [1]

Lézard was a 16-gun Cerf-class cutter of the French Navy. She was built in 1781, and took part in the Indian theatre of the Anglo-French War. She was captured by the 74-gun HMS Sultan in October 1782 at Trinquebar,[3] and later returned to France.[1]

Career

Lézard was built at by Jacques and Daniel Denys at Dunkirk and launched on 10 March 1781. [2]

On 27 July 1782, Lézard arrived at Puducherry, where Hyder Ali and Suffren were conferring, bringing news of the arrival of Bussy-Castelnau, with the 74-gun Illustre and the 64-gun Saint Michel, on the theatre of operations.[4] In August, Lézard was at Galle. [5]

On 19 August 1782, Lézard brought despatches officially approving of Suffren's conduct at the Battle of Porto Praya, and granting requests he had made to appoint his officers. Furthermore, a letter from Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, informed Suffren that he was promoted to Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.[6][7] The next day, Lézard sailed to the neutral, Danish-held port of Tranquebar to conduct reconnaissance.[8] On 26, Lézard covered the landing of French troops in the prelude of the Battle of Trincomalee.[9]

In September 1782, Dufreneau replaced Ensign Saint-Georges as captain of Lézard, and on 25 she sailed to Tranquebar, carrying letters from Suffren to Piveron de Morlat.[10]

On 2 October 1782, the 74-gun HMS Sultan captured Lézard in the roads of the neutral (Danish) port of Tranquebar and took her to Bombay. She was under Lieutenant Thomas Troubridge from October 1782,[11] and from January 1783 under Lieutenant Richard Strachan, and was present at the Battle of Cuddalore.

There she was released back to France in 1783 and re-entered on the lists in January 1784.[2]

Fate

Lézard was struck from the Navy lists in 1784.[1]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Roche (2005), p. 280.
  2. 1 2 3 Demerliac (1996), p. 88, n°584.
  3. ↑ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 542.
  4. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 192.
  5. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 199.
  6. ↑ Hennequin (1835), p. 312.
  7. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 202.
  8. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 205.
  9. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 207.
  10. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 232.
  11. ↑ Laughton, John Knox (1899). "Troubridge, Thomas (1758?-1807)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

References

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