Brillant (64)
Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Navies >> French Navy >> Brillant (64)
Origin and History
The ship was built for the Compagnie des Indes by Jacques-Luc Coulomb at Lorient from April 1756, launched on September 25, 1757 and first commissioned in March 1758. The ship was bought by the Marine Royale in November 1758.
During the Seven Years' War, the ship was under the command of:
- in November 1759: Captain Keremar Boischateau
The ship was condemned at Brest in November 1770 and broken up in 1773.
Service during the War
On April 27 1758, the ship sailed for Québec. She returned to France on November 17 1758.
At the beginning of 1759, the ship captured a 14-guns and a 12-guns privateers. In April, she captured the “Basque” a 22-guns privateer. In November, in preparation for the planned invasion of England, the ship set sail for Quiberon Bay with the Brest Fleet. On November 20, she took part in the Battle of Quiberon. After the defeat, on November 21 and 22, by taking advantage of the flood tide and of what wind there was under the land, the ship along with 6 other ships of the line and 4 frigates, which were near the mouth of the Vilaine, got into the river.
In 1761, the ship captured a 6-guns privateer. On December 23, the ship was part of a French squadron of 7 sail of the line and 4 frigates, under M. de Courbon-Blénac, transporting 3,000 troop, which escaped from Brest, owing to Commodore Spry having been driven from his station off that port. This squadron then sailed to relieve the French West India Islands.
Characteristics
| Guns | 64
| ||||||
| Crew | 11 officers, 480 crew | ||||||
| Length at gundeck | 156 ft in French feet (50.67 m) | ||||||
| Width | 41 ft (13.32 m) | ||||||
| Depth | 19 ft 8 in (6.20 m) | ||||||
| Displacement | 1,100 tons |
References
Harrison, Simon and Manuel Blasco: Three Decks - Warships in the Age of Sail
N.B.: the section Service during the War is derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
