The French ship Brillant was a 74-gun Téméraire-class ship of the line constructed in Genoa between February 1812 and April 1815, during a period when Genoa had been annexed by France since 1805. Designed as a formidable warship of her class, she was part of France's naval expansion during the Napoleonic era. However, her construction was interrupted by the fall of Genoa in 1814, when she was captured incomplete by the British during their invasion of the city. Captured while still on slipway on 18 April 1814, Brillant was taken as a prize by a British squadron under Captain Sir Josias Rowley. The Royal Navy completed her construction, and she was launched as HMS Genoa on 18 April 1815. After her launch, she was transported to Britain, arriving at Chatham on 13 October 1815. The vessel underwent extensive repairs from September 1816 to February 1818 to modify her from her original French configuration to suit British naval standards. As HMS Genoa, she served initially as a guard ship at Chatham until October 1821. She was subsequently commissioned to serve on the Lisbon Station under Captain Sir Thomas Livingstone and later operated in the Mediterranean Fleet. Her most notable engagement was at the Battle of Navarino on 20 October 1827, where she played a significant role supporting the flagship HMS Asia. During the battle, Genoa sustained heavy fire, resulting in high casualties, including Captain Walter Bathurst who was killed early in the action. She suffered the most casualties among the British ships present, with twenty-six men killed, and Captain Bathurst was injured prior to his death by round shot. Her maneuvering during the battle was praised by Admiral Edward Codrington as 'beautiful.' Following the battle, command was transferred to Captain Charles Leonard Irby, and she returned to Plymouth by November 1827. She was paid off in January 1828, later serving as a receiving ship from 1833 to 1837. Ultimately, HMS Genoa was broken up at Plymouth in January 1838, marking the end of her maritime service. Her history highlights her as a notable example of a captured French ship that served in the Royal Navy during a pivotal period of naval warfare.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.