The USS Queen of France was a 28-gun frigate serving in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Originally purchased in France in 1777 by American commissioners Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, the vessel was fitted out as a frigate and was in Boston Harbor by December 1778. Her design and armament made her a formidable presence on the Atlantic coast. Constructed for combat and patrol duties, Queen of France participated in various naval operations along the American coast. Under the command of Captain Joseph Olney, she departed Boston on March 13, 1779, as part of a squadron led by Captain John Burroughs Hopkins. During this cruise, she cruised as far south as Charleston, South Carolina, targeting small armed vessels operating out of New York. Notably, on April 6, near Cape Henry, Virginia, she captured the schooner Hibernia, a 10-gun privateer. The following morning, Queen of France and her squadron engaged and captured a fleet of nine vessels, including the 20-gun ship Jason, the provision-laden schooner Meriah, and several brigs and schooners. Queen of France returned to Boston on April 20 with her prizes, including Maria, Hibernia, and three other vessels. While in Boston, command shifted to Captain John Rathbun. Under his leadership, Queen of France continued her operations, including an audacious attack near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in July 1779. In dense fog, she and her accompanying ships tricked a British convoy by pretending to be British frigates, then boarding and capturing two West Indiamen. Over the course of this operation, they captured nine additional British vessels, with eight reaching Boston with the squadron and later sold for over a million dollars—an impressive haul for the young American navy. Queen of France's service included cruising off Bermuda, where she captured the privateer Dolphin on December 5, 1779. Her active career ended when she was scuttled at Charleston on May 11, 1780, to prevent her capture following the city’s surrender during the British occupation. Her operational history highlights her as a key vessel in the early naval efforts of the United States against British maritime forces.

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