The la Libre, on stocks 1795 and launched 1796, was 24 December 1805 captured by the British Egyptienne and the la Loire . The first was the French l'Egyptienne captured in 1801 and taken into British service as the 5th rate Egyptienne armed with 40 guns and finally sold in 1817. She was launched at Lorient , France Loire , captured from French by Anson off Ireland 18 October 1798 and taken into British service as the 5th rate la Loire , armed with 40 guns (28-18pdr, 12-9pdr). She was built at Nantes , France
The commanding officer of the Eygyptienne, lieutenant P.C. Handfield wrote 20 December 1805 while off Ushant a letter dealing with this capture in the afternoon of 24 December off Rochefort by his ship and the la Loire commanded by captain F.L. Maitland. The latter ship took the prize in tow while the Egyptienne departed 25th. "La Libre, commanded by Monsieur Descorches, Capitaine de Fregate, mounts twenty-four eighteen-pounder guns on the main deck, pounder carronades, and ten nine-pounder guns on the quarter deck and forecastle, with a complement of 280 men. She submitted, after an obstinate defence of half an hour, having twenty men killed and wounded and received so much damage, that all her masts went overboard soon after we took possession. She sailed from Flushing [=Netherlands] on the 14th November, in company with the French frigate of 48 guns, from whom she parted in a gale of wind of the 9th instant, on the coast of Scotland".
Sources
J. Vichot. Repertoire des navires de guerre français. Paris
The Naval Chronicle for 1806. January-June.
J.J. Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy. An Historical Index, 2 vols. David&Charles, Newton Abbot, 1969.
