The Iphigénie was a French Pallas-class frigate launched in 1810, armed with 44 guns. As a member of her class, she was designed for speed, agility, and extended cruising capabilities, typical of early 19th-century frigates. She participated in coastal defense and naval operations, notably serving at Cherbourg in 1813 within the squadron of contre-amiral Amable Troude, alongside the ship Alcmène, tasked with protecting the harbor. In early 1814, under Commander Jean-Léon Émeric, Iphigénie was part of a two-frigate squadron with Alcmène, conducting a cruise between the Azores and Cap-Vert off Guinea. Her service record includes a significant engagement in January 1814, during which she was pursued and ultimately captured by the British Royal Navy. On 16 January 1814, the British 74-gun ship of the line Venerable, along with accompanying vessels Jason and Cyane, engaged Iphigénie after capturing her sister ship Alcmène following a fierce chase. The pursuit lasted four days, involving a 19-hour chase on 20 January, during which Iphigénie attempted to escape by casting off anchors and throwing her boats overboard to increase speed. Despite her efforts, she was overtaken and surrendered without resistance once the British ships caught up. Following her capture, Iphigénie was taken into Plymouth in February 1814, laid up in ordinary, and later moved to Spithead. She was renamed twice by the British Admiralty—first HMS Palma, then HMS Gloire—though she was never commissioned into Royal Navy service. The vessel was sold in September 1817 for £1,750 to a Mr. Freake. Her relatively short career and unsuccessful integration into the Royal Navy mark her as a notable example of early 19th-century frigate design and the tumultuous naval conflicts of the Napoleonic era.

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