Redoutable (74)
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Origin and History
This ship of the line was built by F. Coulomb in Toulon (France) in 1749. She was launched in 1752.
During the Seven Years' War, the ship was under the command of:
- 1756: captain de Marconville
The ship was burnt on August 19 1759.
Service during the War
In 1756, the ship participated to the amphibious expedition against Minorca. She was the flagship of the chef d'escadre M. de Glandevez. On May 20, she took part to the battle of Minorca against admiral Byng's squadron where a French fleet prevented him to bring reinforcement to Fort St. Philip de Mahon.
In 1759, the ship was part of the fleet assembled at Toulon under de la Clue which was destined to reinforce the main French fleet at Brest for the planned invasions of Great Britain. By mid May, de la Clue's squadron was almost ready for sea when a British squadron under the command of Boscawen, conducting operations in the Mediterranean, appeared off Toulon and blockaded the harbour. At the beginning of July, Boscawen was compelled to go to Gibraltar for provisions and repairs. On August 5, de la Clue set sail from Toulon to make a junction with de Conflans' fleet at Brest. On August 17, de la Clue's fleet (10 ships of the line, 2 50-gun ships and 3 frigates) passed the straits of Gibraltar where it was sighted by the Gibraltar (20). Alarmed, Boscawen set sail from Gibraltar to intercept de la Clue. During the night of August 17 to 18, 5 of de la Clue's ships lost sight of his flagship and steered for Cadiz. On August 18, the ship took part in the battle of Lagos. After an initial engagement, most of the French squadron managed to escape. On the morning of August 19, the ship anchored under the Portuguese batteries of Lagos. Vice-admiral Broderick's division went against her and the Modeste (64). After an action of about 30 minutes, it captured the Modeste (64). The Redoutable (74), having been abandoned and being found to be bulged, was burnt.
Characteristics
| Guns | 74
| ||||||
| Crew | approx. 650 men | ||||||
| Length | 163 feet (52.94 m) in French feet | ||||||
| Width | 43 feet (13.97 m) | ||||||
| Depth | 20 feet 10 in (6.50 m) | ||||||
| Displacement | 1,580 ton |
References
Anonymous, A Complete History of the Present War, from its Commencement in 1756, to the End of the Campaign, 1760, London, 1761
Fortescue J. W., A History of the British Army Vol. II, MacMillan, London, 1899, pp. 291-295
Pajol, Charles P. V., Les Guerres sous Louis XV, vol. VI, Paris, 1891, pp. 3-19
Unknown author, Répertoire des vaisseaux de ligne français 1682-1780
