HMS Seine was a 38-gun frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built as a French Seine-class frigate and launched on 19 December 1793 at Le Havre. Constructed between May 1793 and March 1794, she measured typical of a frigate of her class, armed with a complement of 42 guns, including eighteen and nine-pounders, and had a crew of approximately 610 men, including troops. Seine’s early service with the French Navy was relatively brief, lasting less than five years. During this period, she participated in notable actions including the capture of the HMS Hound in 1794 alongside Galathée and the engagement at the Breton Passage in 1798, where she was ultimately captured by the British. The capture occurred during a naval encounter on 30 June 1798, involving HMS Jason and Pique, with the French frigate suffering significant casualties—170 killed and around 100 wounded—and grounding during the battle. Despite her damages, she was not badly wrecked and was subsequently taken into British service. The Royal Navy commissioned her as HMS Seine in November 1798, under Captain David Milne. She underwent fitting at Portsmouth and was re-rated as a 38-gun frigate. Her service included capturing the Danish ship Graff Bernstoff in February 1799, recapturing the Industry in March 1799, and participating in various patrols and engagements. Notably, on 20–21 August 1800, she engaged and captured the French frigate Vengeance after a fierce hour-and-a-half battle, sustaining casualties of 13 killed and 29 wounded. Vengeance, heavily damaged, was repaired in Jamaica and entered British service under her original name. Seine continued active service in the West Africa station and later at Jamaica, before being paid off in 1802. She underwent a refit at Chatham Dockyard in 1803 and was recommissioned for the North Sea. Her career ended disastrously when she grounded on a sandbank near Terschelling on 21 July 1803. Despite efforts to lighten and salvage her, she was abandoned and set on fire by her crew to prevent capture. A court martial acquitted Captain Milne and his crew, but condemned the pilots for their negligence. The vessel’s brief yet notable career highlights her role in the naval conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and her participation in significant engagements during the French Revolutionary Wars.

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