French ship Formidable (1751)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Formidable and HMS Formidable.

Formidable was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1751.

Plan of HMS Formidable (1759)
History
France
Name	Formidable
Launched	June 1751
Captured	20 November 1759, by Royal Navy
Notes	Participated in: Battle of Quiberon Bay
Great Britain
Name	Formidable
Acquired	20 November 1759
Fate	Broken up, 1768
General characteristics
Class and type	80-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	2002 tons
Length	188 ft (57 m) (gundeck)
Beam	49 ft 2.75 in (15.0051 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft 4.5 in (6.515 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	80 guns of various weights of shot

an image of French ship Formidable (1751)

Career

In 1754, Formidable was under Duchaffault, part of a squadron under Mac Nemara.

She fought at the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759, where she served as the flagship of Saint André du Vergé. HMS Resolution captured her at the battle and the Admiralty commissioned her in the Royal Navy as the Third Rate HMS Formidable.

Fate

Formidable was broken up in 1768.

In popular culture

The Formidable appears as a legendary ship fought in the 2014 video game Assassin's Creed: Rogue at the Battle of Quiberon Bay. In contrast to the game, the ship was sunk by the protagonist Shay Cormac with his ship, the Morrigan, instead of being captured by the Royal Navy. Like all men-of-war in the game, the ship is a 116-gun first rate ship of the line, contrary to its real world counterpart.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Taillemite, Étienne (2002). Dictionnaire des Marins français. Tallandier. ISBN 2-84734-008-4. OCLC 606770323.