French ship Redoutable (1795) facts for kids
The Redoutable (centre) fighting the Temeraire (left) and
HMS Victory (right), by Louis-Philippe Crépin |
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Quick facts for kids History |
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  France |
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| Namesake | Suffren de Saint Tropez |
| Builder | Brest Naval Dockyard |
| Laid down | 15 January 1789 |
| Launched | 31 May 1791 as Suffren |
| Christened | 24 March 1789 |
| Completed | December 1792 |
| Renamed | to Redoutable on 20 May 1795 |
| Honours and awards |
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| Fate | Sunk, 22 October 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Téméraire-class ship of the line |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 55.87 metres (183 ft 4 in) (172 pied) |
| Beam | 14.90 metres (48 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 7.26 metres (23 ft 10 in) (22 pied) |
| Propulsion | Up to 2,485 m2 (26,750 sq ft) of sails |
| Armament |
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The Redoutable was a powerful French warship. It was a Téméraire-class, meaning it was a large sailing warship with 74 guns. These ships were the main fighting vessels of their time. The Redoutable played a big part in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
One of its most famous moments was during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Redoutable fought bravely against the famous British ship HMS Victory. During this battle, the commander of the British fleet, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, was killed while fighting the Redoutable. The Redoutable itself was badly damaged and sank in a big storm the day after the battle.
Contents
Building and Early Life of the Ship
The Redoutable was first started in January 1789 in Brest, France. It was launched as Suffren on May 31, 1791. The ship was named after a brave French admiral, Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez. He was a hero from the American Revolutionary War. The ship was finished and ready for action by December 1792.
A New Name for the Ship
In 1793, the crew of the Suffren took part in some revolts called the Quibéron mutinies. Because of this, the ship's name was changed. On May 20, 1795, it became the Redoutable. On the same day, it also got the new French Republic flag, which was the red, white, and blue tricolour.
Serving in the French Fleet
The Redoutable was an important part of the French fleet based in Brest. It took part in several battles and missions.
Winter Cruise and Other Battles
In December 1794, the Redoutable joined a difficult winter cruise called the Croisière du Grand Hiver. The weather was very bad. The ship broke its ropes when leaving port but managed to get to open sea. However, it was damaged and had to return to Brest.
In June 1795, the Redoutable fought in the Battle of Groix. It had trouble sailing well during this battle. Another French ship, the frigate Virginie, even had to pull it along. The Redoutable fought hard, but many French ships were captured by the British.
Journey to Ireland
In December 1796, the Redoutable was part of a large French fleet that tried to invade Ireland. This mission was called the Expédition d'Irlande. The Redoutable was one of the first French ships to reach Bantry Bay in Ireland.
However, during a storm, it accidentally crashed into another French ship, the frigate Résolue. Both ships were badly damaged. The Résolue lost most of its masts. The Redoutable also suffered damage and had to return to Brest for repairs.
Service in the Caribbean Sea
In 1802, the Redoutable sailed to the Caribbean. It was the main ship of a group sent to help French forces in Guadeloupe. In 1803, it also took part in the Saint-Domingue expedition. This mission involved carrying troops to places like Guadeloupe and Haiti.
The Famous Battle of Trafalgar
The Redoutable became famous for its role in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. It was commanded by Captain Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas.
Facing the Victory
During the battle, the Redoutable was sailing behind the French flagship, Bucentaure. When the ships in front of it fell behind, the Redoutable quickly moved forward. It wanted to protect the Bucentaure from the British flagship, Victory, commanded by Admiral Nelson.
The Redoutable fired its cannons at the Victory's sails and ropes. It tried to stop the Victory from breaking through the French line of ships. Even though it caused damage, the Victory kept coming. The two huge ships crashed into each other.
The Fight with Nelson's Ship
A fierce battle then began between the Redoutable and the Victory. The French crew on the Redoutable had been specially trained for close-quarters fighting. They used muskets and hand grenades. Their fire was so strong that it silenced the Victory's deck.
During this intense fight, Admiral Nelson was shot and badly wounded on the Victory's deck. Captain Lucas of the Redoutable later said that Nelson was killed by their gunfire. The French crew prepared to board the Victory.
The Arrival of the Temeraire
Just as the French sailors were about to jump onto the Victory, another British ship arrived. This was HMS Temeraire. The Temeraire fired its cannons at the Redoutable from very close range. This blast of grapeshot (small metal balls fired from cannons) killed or badly wounded about 200 of the Redoutable's crew.
Captain Lucas and his first officer were also wounded but kept fighting. The Redoutable then had to fight both the Victory and the Temeraire. Soon, another British ship, HMS Tonnant, joined the attack. The Redoutable was now being shot at by three larger ships.
The End of the Redoutable
The Redoutable lost most of its cannons. Some of its own guns even burst. The Temeraire asked the Redoutable to give up, but Captain Lucas refused.
By 1:55 PM, the Redoutable was almost completely destroyed. Out of 643 men, only 99 were still able to fight. Around 300 were dead, and 222 were badly wounded. Captain Lucas knew his ship could not survive. He worried it would sink before his wounded men could be saved. So, at 2:30 PM, he gave the order to strike the colours. This means they lowered their flag to surrender.
The Redoutable was severely damaged. It had a huge hole in its back, its steering rudder was shot off, and its hull was pierced in many places.
After the Battle
The British ships were also very damaged, so it took them a while to take control of the Redoutable. Captain Lucas had to ask for urgent help to pump water out of his sinking ship. Most of the Redoutable's pumps were destroyed.
The Redoutable was pulled away from the Temeraire around 7 PM that evening. It was then towed by another British ship, HMS Swiftsure. The next day, the Redoutable sent out distress signals. The Swiftsure sent boats to rescue the remaining crew.
The Redoutable finally sank around 7 PM on October 22, 1805. It took 196 men down with it. About 50 wounded men were saved by clinging to floating pieces of the ship.
The Victory had 160 casualties, and the Temeraire had 120. From the Redoutable's crew, 169 were taken onto the Swiftsure. The wounded were sent to a Spanish port, and 35 men were taken as prisoners to England.
Captain Lucas was treated with respect in England. After he was released, Napoleon himself gave him a special award, the Legion of Honour, for his bravery in the battle.
Images for kids
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Redoutable (second from left) overtakes Neptune (far left), rushing to cover the aft of Bucentaure (far right) from Nelson's Victory (centre).
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Redoutable simultaneously engaged by Victory and Temeraire
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Redoutable during the late stages of the battle, dismasted and attacked by two larger ships.
