In 1776,
Solitaire was under
Chef d'Escadre Chartres as flagship of one of the three division of the
Escadre d'évolution that year. In June, she collided with
Terpsichore and both ships had to repair in Cadiz. In 1778,
Solitaire was part of the Third Division of the Blue squadron in the fleet of
Orvilliers, and took part in the
Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778 under Captain
Briqueville. In 1779, she was part of a division under
Louis Augustin de Monteclerc, also comprising the frigates
Inconstante and
Surveillante, and led an expedition to hunt down privateers. The division returned to Brest on 4 May 1779 with 400 prisoners. Later that year,
Solitaire was attached to a squadron under
Orvilliers. She took part in the
Battle of Fort Royal on 29 April 1781 under
Cicé-Champion.
Solitaire was part of a squadron that comprised
Triton,
Résolue,
Nymphe, and the brig
Speedy. The French squadron sailed on 24 November 1782 from
Saint-Pierre, Martinique. after a vigorous defence. In the action, her captain, Ribiers, was killed, together with a large part of her crew. Among the crew members taken prisoners was the young Swedish naval officer
Johan Herman Schützercrantz, who would later become a
rear admiral in Swedish service. ==Citations==