L'Artemise: The L'Artemise was a 32-gun, 600 ton Magicienne class frigate of the French Navy. She was laid down at Toulon in December of 1791 as the Aurore when the British had captured Toulon. She was finished when the city was retaken on 24 July 1794 and subsequently renamed L'Artemise. Placed in service in November 1794. The ship was 44.2 meters in length, 11.2 meters in beam, and 5.2 meters in draught. Armament consisted of 26 x 12 pounder long guns and 6 x 6-pounder long guns. Painting of L'Artemise by Julian Stockwin The L'Artemise took part in a naval action on 23 June 1795 with the 40-gun Minerve against the HMS Dido and the HMS Lowestoffe. The Minerve was captured during this action while the L'Artemise was able to escape. Her captain was later relieved of his command for leaving the Minerve. In 1798, the L'Artemise was part of Napoleon's Expedition of Egypt and participated in the Battle of the Nile. During the battle she was engaged by the HMS Orion and HMS Theseus. (see L'Orient for an account of the Battle of the Nile.) Below is an excerpt from "American Independance and the French Revolution" (S. E. Winbolt, M.A., and Kenneth Bell, M.A.): "Thursday morning, the second of August. - When the day opened, how different was the prospect from that which the preceding evening had closed! The greatest part of the ships, which formed the van of the French line, dismasted, and all struck! Not a vestige of their admiral's ship to be seen! The frigate (La Serieuse), whom the Orion had silenced the preceding evening, now sunk! The Bellerophon was observed several miles to the eastward along shore, at anchor, dismasted. Some of the British ships, which had attacked and defeated the van, now shifted more towards the rear, and others moving thither, to complete the conquest of the enemy's ships. In that part, this led to a recommencement of the connonade, in the outset of which, a frigate (L'Artemise), in the centre, displayed a conduct mean and unworthy of the squadron to which it was attached. After firing a broad-side, she struck (her colors); but, before she was sent to, by any of the British ships, was observed to be on fire, and the crew making for the shore in their boats, where they were so ill received by the natives, that a remnant of them were fain to return, and trust to the generosity of their enemy, whom they had so recently offended by a flagrant breach of the laws of war." The L'Artemise now lies in 5-7 meters of waters near the remains of the ancient sunken city of Heraclion (31.18.775N/30.07.670E). Not much remains of the ship except a few charred timbers laying on the seabed. The remainder of the ship is lying beneath the seabed. Archaeological excavation of the site has been conducted by the team of Franck Goddio and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Department of Underwater Archaeology. This wreck is currently off-limits to recreational diving References: http://history.navy.mil/library/online/nile.htm http://www.archive.org/stream/englishhistoryso12winbuoft/englishhistoryso12winbuoft_djvu.txt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_frigate_Art%C3%A9mise_(1794) "Underwater Archaeology in the Canopic Region in Egypt" (Jean-Daniel Stanley)