French ship Royal Louis (1780)
Ship of the line of the French Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Louis was a 110-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was designed and built at Brest Dockyard by Léon-Michel Guignace.
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Républicain grounded during the Croisière du Grand Hiver | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small}  France | |
| Name | Royal Louis |
| Namesake | Louis of France |
| Builder | Brest Dockyard[1] |
| Laid down | 8 March 1779[1] |
| Launched | 20 March 1780[1] |
| Completed | June 1780[1] |
| Commissioned | June 1780[1] |
| Renamed | Républicain (29 September 1792)[1] |
| Fate | Wrecked, 24 December 1794 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | 106-gun ship of the line |
| Displacement | 4835tonneaux |
| Tons burthen | 2400 port tonneaux |
| Length | 60.4 metres[1] |
| Beam | 16.2 metres[1] |
| Draught | 8.6 metres[1] |
| Depth of hold | 24½ French feet |
| Complement | 1,150[1] |
| Armament | |
Career
In 1780, Royal Louis was under Louis-André Beaussier de Chateauvert.[2] She took part in the Battle of Cape Spartel on 20 October 1782 under Antoine Hilarion de Beausset, with Jean-René de Verdun de La Crenne as flag captain, although she did not engage.[3]
She was renamed Républicain in September 1792. Under this name, she took part in the Glorious First of June, being the last ship of the French rear. She was attacked, totally dismasted, and struck her colours; however, the British failed to take possession of the ship, which returned to Rochefort.[1]
On 24 December 1794, she took part in the Croisière du Grand Hiver. As the fleet exited Brest harbour, she ran aground with the loss of 10 men. Her crew abandoned ship, and the wreck was destroyed in a tempest a few days later.[1]
Républicain, details of Vue du port de Brest by Jean-François Hue
Naive drawing of Républicain sinking
