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 | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small}   France | |
| 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 |
|
Career
editShe 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 on board the Saint–Esprit; he would later become a rear admiral in Swedish service.[5]
Citations
editReferences
edit- Levot, Prosper (1866). Les gloires maritimes de la France: notices biographiques sur les plus célèbres marins (in French). Bertrand.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
- Kerguelen, Yves-Joseph (1796). Relation des combats et des évènements de la guerre maritime de 1778 entre la France et l'Angleterre (in French). Imprimerie de Patris.
- Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé. OCLC 836362484.