The French brig Voltigeur was a brig-corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1804. She had a brief career under French colours before being captured by the Royal Navy in 1805.
Construction and Design Voltigeur was built at Le Havre and launched in 1804, during the Napoleonic Wars. As a brig-corvette, she was designed for duties such as scouting, dispatch carrying, and convoy escort. Her armament typically consisted of sixteen 8-pounder cannons.
Service History Voltigeur's primary mission under French command involved a voyage to the French West Indies. On 4 March 1805, while en route from Cherbourg to Martinique, she was intercepted off the Île de Batz by the British frigate HMS St Fiorenzo (Captain Stafford). After a pursuit and a brief engagement, Voltigeur, under the command of Lieutenant Mandrou, struck her colours and surrendered to the British.
Capture and Subsequent Service Following her capture, Voltigeur was taken into British service and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Voltigeur. She served as a sloop-of-war for several years, undertaking duties such as convoy escort and patrol. HMS Voltigeur was eventually sold out of service in 1811.