HMS Alexander

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Alexander:

Alexander was also the name of a vessel used in New Zealand:

French ship Indivisible (1799)

Indivisible was a Tonnant class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Originally named the Indivisible in 1793, she was commissioned in Toulon on 23 September 1800. On 5 February 1803, she was renamed Alexandre, and recommissioned in Brest under Captain Leveyer.

In December, under Captain Garreau, she was part of Corentin Urbain Leissègues's squadron bound for San Domingo. She took part in the subsequent Battle of San Domingo, where she was badly damaged by the fire of HMS Superb, which left her adrift, her rigging shot off and her rudder destroyed. She was taken by HMS Spencer.

From 1808, the Royal Navy used her as a gunpowder hulk in Plymouth. Indivisible was eventually broken up in 1822.

References and sources

HMS Alexander (1778)

HMS Alexander was a 74-gun third-rate of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Deptford Dockyard on 8 October 1778. During her career she was captured by the French, and later recaptured by the British. She fought at the Nile in 1798, and was broken up in 1819. She was named after Alexander the Great.

British service and capture

On 13 March 1780, Alexander and HMS Courageaux captured the 40-gun French privateer Monsieur after a long chase and some exchange of fire. The Royal Navy took the privateer into service as HMS Monsieur.

In 1794, whilst returning to England in the company of HMS Canada after escorting a convoy to Spain, Alexander, under the command of Rear-Admiral Richard Rodney Bligh, fell in with a French squadron of five 74-gun ships, and three frigates, led by Joseph-Marie Nielly. In the Action of 6 November 1794 Alexander was overrun by the Droits de l'Homme, but escaped when she damaged the Droits de l'Homme's rigging. Alexander was then caught by Marat, which came behind her stern and raked her. Then, the 74 gun third-rate Jean Bart closed in and fired broadsides at close range, forcing Bligh to surrender Alexander. In the meantime, Canada escaped. The subsequent court martial honourably acquitted Bligh of any blame for the loss of his ship.