The Saint-Esprit ("Holy Ghost") was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.[1] She was funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the Order of the Holy Spirit, and named in its honour.
![]() The Saint-Esprit in action. (Detail of an English painting of 1784) | |
History | |
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Name | Saint-Esprit[1] |
Namesake | Order of the Holy Spirit |
Ordered | 11 January 1762[1] |
Builder | Arsenal of Brest[1] |
Laid down | May 1762[1] |
Launched | 12 October 1765[1] |
Christened | 20 January 1762 [1] |
Commissioned | 1766[1] |
Decommissioned | 26 January 1795[1] |
Renamed | Scipion in April 1794[1] |
Fate | Wrecked off Brest on 26 January 1795[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Saint-Esprit class ship of the line |
Displacement | 1754 tonnes[1] |
Length | 59.8 m (196 ft)[1] |
Beam | 14.9 m (49 ft)[1] |
Draught | 7.5 m (25 ft)[1] |
Complement | 970 |
Armament |
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Career
She took part in the Battle of Ushant under La Motte-Picquet, and to the Armada of 1779.[1]
In 1781, on 29 April, she took part in the Battle of Fort Royal under Chabert-Cogolin.[2][3]
She was renamed Scipion in April 1794, and took part in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2 under Huguet, where she was totally dismasted.[1] She was wrecked on 30 January 1795, during the Croisière du Grand Hiver.[1] Most of her crew were rescued by Trente-et-un Mai.[1][4]
As a young man, Swedish naval officer Johan Herman Schützercrantz served onboard the Saint–Esprit; he would later become a rear admiral in Swedish service.[5]
Citations
References
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