Built at Toulon, Alceste was captured by Britain, transferred to Sardinia, recaptured by France, and captured by Britain again. Across five changes of service, prize-taking and alliance politics moved the hull rapidly between fleets. Britain had considered her of limited value and passed her to an ally almost immediately after the first capture. National labels and simple capture counts can therefore obscure the operational lives and changing assessments of prize vessels.
Notable Point · 1:02:44-1:05:23
Alceste changes hands across three navies
Alceste's French, British, Sardinian, French, and British service captures the fluid ownership of warships in the Revolutionary Wars.