The "seventy-four" was a type of two-decked sailing ship of the line

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...

 nominally carrying 74 guns. Originally developed by 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...

 in the mid-18th century, the design proved to be a good balance between firepower and sailing qualities, and was adopted by the British Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 (where the ships were classed as third rates), as well as other navies. Seventy-fours were a mainstay of the world's fleets into the early decades of the 19th century, when they were supplanted by improved construction techniques allowing larger vessels and by the introduction of steam power.

First 74-gun designs

The classic 74-gun ship was invented by the French as they rebuilt their navy during the early years of the reign of 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...

. The new ship type was a very large two-decker

Two-decker

A two-decker is a sail warship which carried her guns on two fully armed decks. Usually additional guns were carried on the upper works , but this was not a continuous battery, so were not counted....

 big enough to carry the largest common type of gun (36-pounders) on the lower gun deck, something only three-decker

Three-decker

A three-decker is a sail warship which carried her guns on three fully armed decks. Usually additional guns were carried on the upper works , but this was not a continuous battery and so did not count. Three-deckers were usually "ships of the line", i.e...

s had done earlier. This great firepower was combined with very good sailing qualities compared to both the taller three-deckers and the shorter old-style 70-gun two-deckers, making the 74 the perfect combination of the two. A downside to the 74 was that it was a relatively expensive ship to build and man compared to the older type of two-decker.

The 74-gun ship normally carried twenty-eight 32- or 36-pound guns on the lower gun deck, thirty 18-pounders on the upper gun deck, and sixteen 9-pounders on the upper works. A limited number of seventy-fours were built for 24-pounders instead of 18-pounders, but this was not common due to the increased cost and also tended to overload the hull. Crew size was around 500 to 750 men depending on circumstances and nationality, British ships tending to have smaller crews than comparable Continental ones. The waterline length of a seventy-four could be up to 180 feet.

Given the construction techniques of the day, the seventy-four approached the limits of what was possible. Such long hulls made from wood had a tendency to flex and sag over time, this could to a certain extent be countered by increased maintenance but this was of course costly. This limited the success of the even bigger two-deck 80-gun ships that were built in small numbers after the seventy-four had been introduced. Three-deckers did not have the same problem due to their additional deck giving more rigidity.

74s in the Royal Navy

The Royal Navy captured a number of the early French 74-gun ships during the War of the Austrian Succession

War of the Austrian Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession  – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...

 (for example, Invincible

HMS Invincible (1747)

The Invincible was a 74-gun French ship of the line, later a third-rate of the Royal Navy.During the early part of the 18th century British ship designers had made few significant advances in design, whereas French shipbuilding benefited from a remarkably creative period. At the time of the capture...

, captured at the first battle of Cape Finisterre

First battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)

The First Battle of Cape Finisterre saw 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière during the War of the Austrian Succession. The British captured 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour...

 in 1747) and 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...

 and were greatly impressed by them compared to their own smallish 70-gun ships. As a result they started building them in great numbers from about 1760, as did most other European navies. Navies that were restricted by shallow waters, such as the Dutch and Scandinavian navies, at least early on tended to avoid the 74-gun ship to a certain degree due to its size and draught, preferring smaller two-deckers instead. Even so, the seventy-four was a standard feature in all European navies around 1800. Only a handful of 74-gun ships were commissioned into the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

; the US Navy's early sea power concentrated on their powerfully-built frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

s.

The type fell into disuse after the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

, when improved building techniques made it possible to build even bigger two-deckers of 84 or even 90 guns without sacrificing hull rigidity.

The last seventy-four, the French Trafalgar veteran Duguay-Trouin

HMS Implacable (1805)

HMS Implacable was a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was originally the French Navy's Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800....

, was scuttled in 1949. Her stern ornamentation is on display at the National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...

, Greenwich. In addition, dozens of ship model

Ship model

Ship models or model ships are scale representations of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people....

s exist, produced as part of constructing the real ships, and thus believed accurate both externally and internally.

British

• Dublin-class ship of the line
  Dublin class ship of the line
  The Dublin class ships of the line were a class of seven 74-gun Third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.-Design:The Dublin class ships were the first 74-gun ships to be designed for the Royal Navy, and marked the beginning of a more dynamic era of naval design than that in the...
  
   (7 ships)
• Hercules-class ship of the line
  Hercules class ship of the line
  The Hercules class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.-Design:The Hercules class ships were a development on Slade's previous two designs: the , and the subsequent one-off ....
  
   (2 ships)
• Bellona-class ship of the line
  Bellona class ship of the line
  The Bellona-class ships of the line were a class of five 74-gun third rates, whose design for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade was approved on 31 January 1758. Three ships were ordered on 28 December 1757, with names being assigned on 1 February 1758...
  
   (5 ships)
• Arrogant-class ship of the line
  Arrogant class ship of the line
  The Arrogant-class ships of the line were a class of twelve 74-gun third rate ships designed by Sir Thomas Slade for the Royal Navy.-Design:...
  
   (12 ships)
• Canada-class ship of the line
  Canada class ship of the line
  The Canada class ships of the line were a series of four 74-gun third rates designed for the Royal Navy by William Bateley. The name ship of the class was launched in 1765.-Design:...
  
   (4 ships)
• Ramillies-class ship of the line
  Ramillies class ship of the line
  The Ramillies-class ships of the line were a class of nine 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.-Design:The draught for the Ramillies-class was very similar to that of the and subsequent , with the only real differences to be found in the shape of the underwater hull...
  
   (9 ships)
• Albion-class ship of the line (5 ships)
• Elizabeth-class ship of the line
  Elizabeth class ship of the line
  The Elizabeth-class ships of the line were a class of eight 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade....
  
   (8 ships)
• Royal Oak-class ship of the line
  Royal Oak class ship of the line
  The Royal Oak-class ships of the line were a class of six 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Williams. The Alfred class were an enlarged version of the Royal Oak class....
  
   (6 ships)
• Culloden-class ship of the line
  Culloden class ship of the line
  The Culloden-class ships of the line were a class of eight 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade. The Cullodens were the last class of 74 Slade designed before his death in 1771....
  
   (8 ships)
• Alfred-class ship of the line
  Alfred class ship of the line
  The Alfred-class ships of the line were a class of four 74-gun third rates for the Royal Navy by Sir John Williams. They were an enlarged version of the Royal Oak class.-Ships:...
  
   (4 ships)
• Ganges-class ship of the line
  Ganges class ship of the line
  The Ganges-class ships of the line were a class of six 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Edward Hunt.-Ships:The Ganges-class ships of the line were a class of six 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Edward Hunt.-Ships:The Ganges-class ships of the line were a...
  
   (6 ships)
• Courageux-class ship of the line
  Courageux class ship of the line
  The Courageux-class ships of the line were a class of six 74-gun third rates of the Royal Navy. Their design was a direct copy of the French ship Courageux, captured in 1761 by . This class of ship is sometimes referred to as the Leviathan-class. A further two ships of the class were built to a...
  
   (6 ships)
• Fame-class ship of the line
  Fame class ship of the line
  The Fame-class ships of the line were a class of four 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Henslow. After the name-ship of the class was ordered in October 1799, the design was slightly altered before the next three ships were ordered in February 1800...
  
   (4 ships)
• Repulse-class ship of the line
  Repulse class ship of the line
  The Repulse-class ships of the line were a class of eleven 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir William Rule. The first three ships to this design were ordered in 1800, with a second batch of five following in 1805...
  
   (8 ships)
• Swiftsure-class ship of the line
  Swiftsure class ship of the line
  The Swiftsure-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Henslow.-Ships:The Swiftsure-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Henslow.-Ships:The Swiftsure-class ships of the...
  
   (2 ships)
• Vengeur-class ship of the line
  Vengeur class ship of the line
  The Vengeur-class ships of the line were a class of forty 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy as a joint effort between the Surveyors of the Navy at the time...
  
   (40 ships)
• Black Prince-class ship of the line
  Black Prince class ship of the line
  The Black Prince-class ships of the line were a class of four 74-gun third rates built for the Royal Navy in the closing years of the Napoleonic War...
  
   (4 ships)
• Pompée-class ship of the line
  Pompée class ship of the line
  The Pompée-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates. They were built for the Royal Navy to the lines of the French ship , a Téméraire class ship of the line which had been captured by Britain in 1793.-Ships:...
  
   (2 ships)
• America-class ship of the line
  America class ship of the line
  The America-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates. They were built for the Royal Navy to the lines of the Téméraire-class French ship America, which had been captured in 1794 and renamed HMS Impetueux.-Ships:...
  
   (2 ships)

French

• Annibal-class ship of the line
  Annibal class ship of the line
  The Annibal class was a type of 74-gun ship of the French Navy. The type was one of the first achievements of Jacques-Noël Sané. Both ships were captured during the Third Battle of Ushant ....
  
   (2 ships)
• Téméraire-class ship of the line
  Téméraire class ship of the line
  The Téméraire class ships of the line was a class of 107 74-gun ships of the line built between 1782 and 1813 for the French navy. The type was and remains the most numerous class of capital ship ever built....
  
   (107 ships)
• César-class ship of the line
  César class ship of the line
  The César class was a type of three 74-gun ships of the line.* CésarThe César class was a type of three 74-gun ships of the line.* CésarThe César class was a type of three 74-gun ships of the line.* César...
  
   (3 ships)
• Séduisant-class ship of the line
  Séduisant class ship of the line
  The Séduisant class was a type of two 74-gun ships of the line.* SéduisantThe Séduisant class was a type of two 74-gun ships of the line.* SéduisantThe Séduisant class was a type of two 74-gun ships of the line....
  
   (2 ships)

See also

• Redoutable
  French ship Redoutable (1791)
  The Redoutable was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She is known for her duel with HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar and for killing Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson during the action.- Early career :...
  
  
• HMS Bellerophon
  HMS Bellerophon (1786)
  The first HMS Bellerophon of the Royal Navy was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched on 6 October 1786 at Frindsbury on the River Medway, near Chatham. She was built at the shipyard of Edward Greaves to the specifications of the Arrogant, designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1758, the lead ship...
  
  

Recommended reading

• Jean Boudriot, transl. David Roberts
  David Roberts
  -Politics:* David Roberts , mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. American Entrepreneur-Sports:* Dave Roberts , college football coach in the United States...
  
  , The Seventy-Four Gun Ship (Naval Institute Press, 1986) originally Le Vaisseau de 74 Canons, 1973. Four remarkable volumes document every aspect of the French 74, from shipyard construction techniques to handling under sail. Many large diagrams and drawings.