French ship République française (1802)
 1/48 scale model of the Océan class 120-gun ship of the line Commerce de Marseille. On display at Marseille naval museum.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 .svg){kind=small} France | |
| Namesake | French Republic |
| Builder | Pierre Rolland, Rochefort Dyd |
| Laid down | March 1794 |
| Launched | 18 April 1802 |
| Completed | August 1803 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1839 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Océan-class ship of the line |
| Displacement | 5,098 t (5,017 long tons) |
| Tons burthen | 2,794–2,930 tonnes |
| Length | 63.83 m (209 ft 5 in) (gun deck) |
| Beam | 16.24 m (53 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion | sail, 3,250 m2 (35,000 sq ft) |
| Sail plan | full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 1,117 |
| Armament |
|
The République française was a first-rate 118-gun Océan-class ship of the line built for the French Navy during the first decade of the 19th century. Renamed Majestueux in 1803, the ship was completed that same year. She played a small role during the Napoleonic Wars and was scrapped in 1839.
Description
[edit]The Océan-class ships had a length of 63.83 metres (209 ft 5 in) at the gun deck a beam of 16.24 metres (53 ft 3 in) and a depth of hold of 8.12 metres (26 ft 8 in). The ships displaced 5,095 tonnes (5,015 long tons) and had a mean draught of 8.15 metres (26 ft 9 in). They had a tonnage of 2,794–2,930 tons burthen. Their crew numbered 1,117 officers and ratings. They were fitted with three masts and ship rigged with a sail area of 3,250 square metres (35,000 sq ft).[1]
The muzzle-loading, smoothbore armament of the Océan class consisted of thirty-two 36-pounder long guns on the lower gun deck, thirty-four 24-pounder long guns on the middle gun deck and on the upper gundeck were thirty-four 12-pounder long guns. On the quarterdeck and forecastle were a total of eighteen 8-pounder long guns and six 30-pounder obusiers.[2]
Career
[edit]
République Française was laid down at the Arsenal de Rochefort on 23 March 1794, although construction soon stopped. It was resumed on 22 March 1800 by Entreprise Destouches and the ship was launched on 18 April 1802. She was renamed Majestueux on 5 February 1802, commissioned on 1 August 1803 and completed later that month.[2]
The ship took part in Allemand's expedition of 1805.[4] She was stricken from the navy list on 26 January 1839, decommissioned on 11 April and subsequently broken up.[2]
Citations
[edit]- ^ Winfield & Roberts, pp. 44–46
- ^ a b c Winfield & Roberts, p. 46
- ^ Marley, David F. (11 February 2008). Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the Western Hemisphere, 2nd Edition [2 volumes]: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the Western Hemisphere. ISBN 9781598841015.
- ^ Roche, p. 293
References
[edit]- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
- Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S. (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786-1861: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2