HMS Athenienne was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy, originally built as the Maltese Navy's San Giovanni at Valletta. Launched during her construction in 1798, she was captured by the French during the occupation of Malta and commissioned into the French Navy as Athénien. She was designed as a ship of the line, with a typical armament of 64 guns, and was constructed from wood at Valletta, although specific construction details are not provided in the source. After her capture by British forces at Valletta on 4 September 1800, she was incorporated into the Royal Navy as HMS Athenienne. Her service included participation in early Mediterranean operations, such as accompanying Rear Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren’s squadron off Egypt and serving in the Egyptian campaign of 1801, for which her crew qualified for the Naval General Service Medal with the "Egypt" clasp. She was also tasked with cruising around Elba and later returned to Portsmouth in 1802 to be paid off. Recommissioned in 1804 under Captain Francis Fayerman, Athenienne served as an escort for East Indiamen bound for China, departing from St. Helens in June 1804. Her voyage took her around the Cape of Good Hope, through Bass Strait, and to Norfolk Island, with her presence causing concern among local colonists due to fears of French naval activity. She reached China at Whampoa in January 1805 and returned to England later that year. In subsequent service, she supported British operations in the Mediterranean, including reinforcing defenses at Gaieta, participating in the capture of Capri in 1806, and engaging in coast forays along Calabria. Her final voyage began in October 1806 when she sailed from Gibraltar to Malta under Captain Robert Raynsford. Unfortunately, she ran aground on a submerged reef near the Strait of Sicily on 20 October 1806. Despite efforts to save her, including cutting away masts and launching a raft, she flooded and capsized, resulting in the loss of over 100 lives, including Captain Raynsford. Her wreck marked a tragic end to her service history, with significant loss of life but some survivors rescued by a Danish ship.

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