View source for USS Queen of France

{{distinguish|SS Empress of France}}
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|Ship country=United States 
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1779}}
|Ship name= USS ''Queen of France'' ex "la Brune"
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|Ship acquired=1777 
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|Ship fate= Sunk to avoid capture, 11 May 1780
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|Ship type= [[Frigate]]  
|Ship tonnage= 581 tons
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|Ship armament=28 guns
               24 × 6-pounder guns
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|commanders=*Capt. Joseph Olney
*Capt. [[John Rathbun]] 
|operations=[[Siege of Charleston]]
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'''USS ''Queen of France''''' was a [[frigate]] in the [[Continental Navy]]. She was named for [[Marie Antoinette]].

''Queen of France'' was an old ship purchased in [[France]] in 1777 by American commissioners, [[Benjamin Franklin]] and [[Silas Deane]], and fitted out as a 28-gun frigate. She was in [[Boston Harbor]] by December 1778.

In a squadron commanded by Captain [[John Burroughs Hopkins]], ''Queen of France'', commanded by Captain [[Joseph Olney]], departed [[Boston, Massachusetts]] 13 March 1779. She cruised along the Atlantic coast as far south as [[Charleston, South Carolina]], to destroy small armed vessels operating out of [[New York City|New York]] to prey upon American shipping. Near dawn 6 April, some 16 miles east of [[Cape Henry, Virginia]], they sighted [[schooner]] ''Hibernia'', a 10-gun [[privateer]], and took her after a short chase. At about the same time the next morning, the American warships saw a fleet of 9 sails and pursued them until catching their quarry that afternoon. Ship ''Jason'', mounting 20 guns and carrying 150 men, headed the list of seven prizes that day, including also ship ''Meriah'' — carrying 10 six pounders and richly laden with provisions and cavalry equipment — [[brig]]s ''Patriot'', ''Prince Ferdinand'', ''John'', and ''Batchelor'', and finally [[schooner]] ''Chance''. Hopkins ordered his ships home with their prizes, and ''Queen of France'' reached Boston with ''Maria'', ''Hibernia'', and three brigs on the 20th.

While ''Queen of France'' was in Boston, Captain [[John Rathbun]] relieved Capt. Olney in command of the frigate. She sailed 18 June with {{USS|Providence|1776|2}} and {{USS|Ranger|1777|2}}. She fell in with the British [[Jamaica Fleet]] of some 150 ships near the [[Grand Banks of Newfoundland]] about the middle of July. In the dense fog, the American warships pretended to be British frigates of the convoy’s escort and, sending boarding parties across by boats, quietly took possession of eleven prizes before slipping away at night. Three of the prizes were later recaptured, but the eight which reached Boston with the squadron late in August were sold for over a million dollars.

''Queen of France'' departed Boston with frigates {{USS|Providence|1776|2}} and {{USS|Boston|1777|2}}, and sloop ''Ranger'', on 23 November and cruised east of [[Bermuda]]. They took 12-gun privateer ''Dolphin'' on 5 December before arriving Charleston, on the 23rd.

''Queen of France'' was sunk at Charleston to avoid falling into British hands when that city surrendered 11 May 1780.

As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, no other ship has been named ''Queen of France''.

==References==
{{DANFS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen of France}}
[[Category:Ships of the Continental Navy]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1780]]
[[Category:Marie Antoinette]]