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French ship Languedoc (1766)
Encyclopedia
The Languedoc was a ship of the line
of the French Navy
and flagship
of Admiral d'Estaing
. She was offered to King Louis XV
by the Languedoc
, as part of a national effort to rebuild the navy after the Seven Years' War
. She was designed by the naval architect Joseph Coulomb.
In 1776, France decided to intervene in the American War of Independence. Admiral d'Estaing
was ordered to bring the fleet to the Americas. He set his flag on the Languedoc, after her upgrade to 90 guns. His 12-ship fleet set sail on the 13 April 1778. The Languedoc reached New York
on the 5 July 1778. On the 10th of August, the French fleet encountered the English fleets of Admirals Howe
and Byron
. A tempest broke out, and the Languedoc lost her rigging and steering. The 50-gun Renown
raked her, but she was saved by the timely arrival of a French squadron led by Suffren
.
The Languedoc took part in the Battle of St. Lucia
, an abortive attempt to recapture St Lucia from the British in December 1778. The Languedoc then took part in the conquest of Grenada
, in April 1779.
The Languedoc returned to France, where she was refitted. In 1781, she set sail in the fleet of Admiral de Grasse
, under captain d'Argelos. She took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake
.
At the Battle of the Saintes
, the Languedoc was following the flagship Ville de Paris
. The French fleet was parted in two, and the Languedoc eventually fled the battle, leaving Grasse to be captured. The Languedoc then joined with La Pérouse
, and reached Brest on the 28 June 1783. Argelos was tried for his conduct at the Saintes and found innocent, Grasse being found ultimately responsible.
The Languedoc was refitted and upgraded by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané
. On the 5 September 1792, she set sail under Admiral de Latouche Tréville
. She took part in the capaign off Italy, and was badly damaged in the tempests of December. On the 7 February, she took part in the landing of troops in Sardinia
.
She sailed back to Toulon
and undertook extensive repairs. Toulon fell to the hands of the English and was retaken by the French. The Languedoc, being deemed unusable, was not destroyed when the English left the city. She was renamed Antifédéraliste at the height of Robespierre's power, and renamed again to Victoire at the Thermidorian Reaction
.
As Victoire, under captain Savary, she took part in the campaign off Italy, where she confronted Nelson
's squadron. She served off Canada in 1796, returned to France, and was deemed too old to take part in the landing in Ireland.
She was used as a floating barracks off Venice, where she is thought to have been scuttled.
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Admiral d'Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
. She was offered to King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
by the Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, as part of a national effort to rebuild the navy after the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. She was designed by the naval architect Joseph Coulomb.
In 1776, France decided to intervene in the American War of Independence. Admiral d'Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
was ordered to bring the fleet to the Americas. He set his flag on the Languedoc, after her upgrade to 90 guns. His 12-ship fleet set sail on the 13 April 1778. The Languedoc reached New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on the 5 July 1778. On the 10th of August, the French fleet encountered the English fleets of Admirals Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
and Byron
John Byron
Vice Admiral The Hon. John Byron, RN was a Royal Navy officer. He was known as Foul-weather Jack because of his frequent bad luck with weather.-Early career:...
. A tempest broke out, and the Languedoc lost her rigging and steering. The 50-gun Renown
HMS Renown (1774)
HMS Renown was a 50-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy.On 13 August 1778, she attacked the 90-gun Languedoc, which had been dismasted the day before in a storm, and raked her.She was eventually broken up in 1794....
raked her, but she was saved by the timely arrival of a French squadron led by Suffren
Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren , French admiral, was the third son of the marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence which claimed to have emigrated from Lucca in the 14th century...
.
The Languedoc took part in the Battle of St. Lucia
Battle of St. Lucia
The Battle of St. Lucia or the Battle of the Cul de Sac was a naval battle fought off the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies during the American War of Independence on 15 December 1778, between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Background:...
, an abortive attempt to recapture St Lucia from the British in December 1778. The Languedoc then took part in the conquest of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, in April 1779.
The Languedoc returned to France, where she was refitted. In 1781, she set sail in the fleet of Admiral de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
, under captain d'Argelos. She took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
.
At the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
, the Languedoc was following the flagship Ville de Paris
French ship Ville de Paris (1764)
The Ville de Paris was a large three-decker French ship of the line that became famous as the flagship of the Comte de Grasse during the American Revolutionary War....
. The French fleet was parted in two, and the Languedoc eventually fled the battle, leaving Grasse to be captured. The Languedoc then joined with La Pérouse
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
, and reached Brest on the 28 June 1783. Argelos was tried for his conduct at the Saintes and found innocent, Grasse being found ultimately responsible.
The Languedoc was refitted and upgraded by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané
Jacques-Noël Sané
Jacques-Noël Sané was a French naval engineer, one of the most successful shipbuilders of the Age of Sail.Sané studied under Duhamel du Monceau...
. On the 5 September 1792, she set sail under Admiral de Latouche Tréville
Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville
Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville was a French admiral and a hero of the American Revolutionary War and of the Napoleonic wars.-Early life:...
. She took part in the capaign off Italy, and was badly damaged in the tempests of December. On the 7 February, she took part in the landing of troops in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
.
She sailed back to Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
and undertook extensive repairs. Toulon fell to the hands of the English and was retaken by the French. The Languedoc, being deemed unusable, was not destroyed when the English left the city. She was renamed Antifédéraliste at the height of Robespierre's power, and renamed again to Victoire at the Thermidorian Reaction
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt in the French Revolution against the excesses of the Reign of Terror. It was triggered by a vote of the Committee of Public Safety to execute Maximilien Robespierre, Antoine Louis Léon de Saint-Just de Richebourg and several other leading members of the Terror...
.
As Victoire, under captain Savary, she took part in the campaign off Italy, where she confronted Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
's squadron. She served off Canada in 1796, returned to France, and was deemed too old to take part in the landing in Ireland.
She was used as a floating barracks off Venice, where she is thought to have been scuttled.