Ships of Robert Surcouf La Confiance & Le Renard

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ROBERT SURCOUF SHIPS

Admiralty Ship Model > ROBERT SURCOUF SHIPS

Robert Surcouf, His Life & Ships

Robert Surcouf was born in December 1773 in Saint-Malo in Brittany, a town with strong affiliation with corsairs. At 13, he escaped from school and stole a small craft to prove his ability to sail; but was caught in a tempest and was rescued. At age 15, he enlisted on a merchantman to India. Between 1789 and 1791, he participated in slave trade between Mozambique and Madagascar. In 1792, he sailed to Île de France (now Mauritius) in August on a commercial brig. By then the war broke out between France & Britain. Île de France which lay on the spice route and was also a strategic stronghold in the Indian Ocean, was threatened by two vessels led by Commodore Osborn. Surcouf was made a second officer of the frigate Cybèle, which, with another frigate and a brig, engaged and repelled the attackers. In June 1794, Surcouf captained the 4-gun ship La Créole, with 30 men, with orders to bring rice to Mauritius, and encountered 3 British ships & 26-gun Triton; he used a technicality to engage combat in self-defence, by not flying his colours until the English ships requested them by firing a warning shot, which Surcouf later reported to consider an aggression. The British ships lowered their flag and were brought back to Mauritius, with their cargo of rice and maize. Surcouf was welcomed as a saviour in the famished Port Louis.

Captain of La Confiance

In May 1800, Surcouf took command of Confiance, a fast 18-gun ship from Bordeaux undergoing repairs in Île de France. Beginning in March, he led a brilliant campaign which resulted in the capture of nine British ships. On 7 October 1800, in the Bay of Bengal, Confiance met the 38-gun Kent, a 1200-ton East Indiaman with 400 men and a company of naval riflemen. Despite being outnumbered three to one, the French managed to seize control of the Kent. He became a living legend in France and, in England, a public enemy whose capture was valued at 5 million francs

Captain of Le Renard

In 1812, Surcouf launched his last ship, the Renard ("Fox"). She was a single-mast, 70-ton cutter, with 10 carronades and 4 long guns, crewed by 46 men. On 9 September beginning at five o'clock and lasting through the night, Renard successfully engaged the British 16-gun Alphea, crewed by over 80 elite sailors. Combat was intense and bloody until at three o'clock in the morning, when the Alphea took two direct hits from Renard to (presumably) the powder magazine and exploded. There were no reported survivors; Surcouf returned to France with only 13 able-bodied men.

The ship models below are teak replicas of the Confiance and the Renard both two beatifully assembled & crafted rare display models ideal for collectors.

La Confiance 1799 France

Commander: French Privateer Robert Surcouf of Museum Quality

Copper Pinned Wooden Plank on Frame Model

Length: 36" (93 cm)
Width: 12" (30 cm)
Height: 28" (72 cm)

Click for Detailed Pictures

Price: £950.00 (Euro 1,102.00)

LIMITED STOCK Please Use the EMail or Phone Number Above to Place an Order.

La Confiance (M) 1799 France

Commander: French Privateer Robert Surcouf of Museum Quality

Copper Pinned Wooden Plank on Frame Model

Length: 27" (70 cm)
Width: 10" (25 cm)
Height: 23.6" (60 cm)
Click for Detailed Pictures

Price: £500.00 (Euro 580.00)

LIMITED STOCK Please Use the EMail or Phone Number Above to Place an Order.

Le Renard 1812 France

Commander: French Privateer Robert Surcouf of Museum Quality

Copper Pinned Wooden Plank on Frame Model

Length: 25" (64 cm)
Width: 7" (18 cm)
Height: 23" (58 cm)

Click for Detailed Pictures

Price: £375.00 (Euro 435.00)

LIMITED STOCK Please Use the EMail or Phone Number Above to Place an Order.