French ship Redoutable (1791)

The "Redoutable" was a ship of the line of the French Navy. She is known for her duel with HMS "Victory" during the Battle of Trafalgar.

One of the 89 Seventy-fours completed of the "Téméraire" class (another ten were started but never completed) designed by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané (the largest number of battleships ever built to one design), the "Redoutable" was laid down at Brest in January 1790, and launched as the "Suffren" on 31 May 1791. She was completed there in December 1792. Her crew took part in the mutiny of the vessels attached to the squadron of Vice-Admiral Morard de Galles.

She was subsequently renamed "Redoutable" on 20 May 1794. In March 1802, the "Redoutable" was the flagship of a squadron of two ships of the line and four frigates under Admiral Bouvet sent to reinforce Guadeloupe in 1802 and Santo Domingo in 1803.

She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, reaching Bantry Bay, where she accidentally collided with the "Résolue", destroying her bowsprit, mizzen, upper main mast and artimon.

At the Battle of Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805, she was commanded by "capitaine de vaisseau" Lucas, and came immediately after the flagship "Bucentaure" in the French line. She was kept so close to the "Bucentaure", to protect her stern, that she forced HMS "Victory" to run afoul of her, dropping alongside, and eventually striking to her.

Her crew fiercely engaged the "Victory", causing considerable damage. The crew and soldiers of the "Redoutable" maintained a heavy fire on the quarterdeck with hand-grenades and small arms, and a French marksman mortally wounded Admiral Horatio Nelson from the mizzen fighting top.

The French crew were about to board the "Victory" when HMS "Temeraire" intervened, firing on the exposed French crew at point blank range. At 1.55 pm, the "Redoutable", with Captain Lucas severely wounded, and only 99 men still fit out of 643, was essentially defenceless. The "Fougueux" attempted to come to her aid but came afoul of HMS "Temeraire". After it was ascertained that she was too damaged to survive after the battle, the "Redoutable" struck her colours.

The "Victory" had 160 casualties, and the "Temeraire", 120. The "Redoutable" sank the next day.

External links

* [http://www.wtj.com/archives/lucas_01.htm The "Redoutable" at Trafalgar] , report of captain Lucas