French ship Superbe (1784)
Scale model of Achille, sister ship of French ship Superbe (1784), on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris.
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| History | |
|---|---|
| France | |
| Name | Superbe |
| Namesake | "Superb" |
| Builder | Brest |
| Laid down | July 1782 |
| Launched | 11 November 1784 |
| In service | 1785 |
| Out of service | 1795 |
| Fate | Sunk on 30 January 1795 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Téméraire-class ship of the line |
| Displacement | 3,069 tonneaux |
| Tons burthen | 1,537 port tonneaux |
| Length | 55.87 m (183 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 14.46 m (47 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 7.15 m (23.5 ft) |
| Depth of hold | 7.15 m (23 ft 5 in) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Crew | 705 |
| Armament |
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Superbe was a 4th rank, 74-gun Téméraire-class ship of the line built for the French Navy during the 1780s. Completed in 1785, she played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars. The ship sank due to a leak near Brest in 1795 during the Croisière du Grand Hiver.
Description
The Téméraire-class ships had an length of 55.87 metres (183 ft 4 in), a beam of 14.46 metres (47 ft 5 in) and a depth of hold of 7.15 metres (23 ft 5 in). The ships displaced 3,069 tonneaux and had a mean draught of 7.15 metres (23 ft 5 in). They had a tonnage of 1,537 port tonneaux. Their crew numbered 705 officers and ratings during wartime. They were fitted with three masts and ship rigged.[1]
The muzzle-loading, smoothbore armament of the Téméraire class consisted of twenty-eight 36-pounder long guns on the lower gun deck, thirty 18-pounder long guns and thirty 18-pounder long guns on the upper gun deck. On the quarterdeck and forecastle were a total of a dozen 8-pounder long guns and 10 36-pounder carronades.[1]
Construction and career
Superbe was ordered in 1782 and was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest in July. The ship was named on 1 June and launched on 17 December. She was completed in July 1783.[1] In 1787, Superbe was the flagship of the Escadre d'évolution under Nieuil. She departed Brest in June for the training cruise and reached Lisbon, Portugal, before returning in August.[2] The ship was reactivated in March 1793 and her crew mutinied in September. Superbe took part in the Croisière du Grand Hiver, where she sank due to a leak on 30 January 1795.[3]
Citations
References
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1910). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours [Dictionary of French Warships from Colbert to Today]. Vol. 1: 1671-1870. Roche. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
- Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S. (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786-1861: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2