Tonnant class ship of the line
Encyclopedia
The Tonnant Class was a class of eight 80-gun ships of the line
designed in 1787 by Jacques-Noël Sané
. From 1802 a new group (the Bucentaure class
) was begun of slightly modified design, of which more than 24 were begun.
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...
designed in 1787 by 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...
. From 1802 a new group (the Bucentaure class
Bucentaure class ship of the line
The Bucentaure class was a class of 80-gun French ships of the line built to a design by Jacques-Noël Sané from 1802 onwards, of which at least 29 were ordered but only 21 ships were launched...
) was begun of slightly modified design, of which more than 24 were begun.
Tonnant Class (8 ships)
- Tonnant
- Builder: Toulon
- Begun: December 1787
- Launched: 24 October 1789
- Completed September 1790
- Fate: Captured 2 August 1798, added to Royal Navy as HMS Tonnant, broken up 1821
- IndomptableFrench ship Indomptable (1789)Indomptable was an 80-gun ship of the line in the French Navy.She took part in the Glorious First of June on 29 May 1794, engaging the English Barfleur and Orion simultaneously, after which the Indomptable, having lost her masts, was towed to Brest by the Brutus .In 1795, she served in the...
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: September 1788
- Launched: 20 December 1790
- Completed: February 1791
- Fate: Ran aground after the Battle of TrafalgarBattle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
October 1805
- Sans Pareil
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: October 1790
- Launched: 8 June 1793
- Completed: September 1793
- Fate: Captured 1 June 1794 by the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe 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...
, broken up October 1842
- FormidableFrench ship Formidable (1795)Formidable was an 80-gun Tonnant class ship of the line of the French navy, laid down as Figuires and renamed in 1795. She was launched at Toulon in 1795. She participated in the Battle of Algeciras, the Battle of Cape Finisterre and several other actions before the British captured her at the...
- Builder: Toulon
- Begun: August 1794
- Launched: 17 March 1795
- Completed: October 1795
- Fate: Captured 3 November 1805 during Battle of Cape OrtegalBattle of Cape OrtegalThe Battle of Cape Ortegal was the final action of the Trafalgar Campaign, and was fought between a squadron of the Royal Navy and a remnant of the fleet that had been destroyed several weeks earlier at the Battle of Trafalgar...
, renamed HMS Brave, broken up
- Guillaume Tell
- Builder: Toulon
- Begun: September 1794
- Launched: 21 October 1795
- Completed: July 1796
- Fate:Captured 30 March 1800
- Franklin
- Builder: Toulon
- Begun: November 1794
- Launched: 25 June 1797
- Completed: March 1798
- Fate: Captured 2 August 1798 in the battle of the NileBattle of the NileThe Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
, renamed HMS Canopus, broken up October 1887
- IndivisibleFrench ship Indivisible (1799)Indivisible was a Tonnant class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Originally named the Indivisible in 1793, she was commissioned in Toulon on 23 September 1800. On 5 February 1803, she was renamed Alexandre, and recommissioned in Brest under captain Leveyer.In December, under captain...
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: May 1793
- Launched: 8 July 1799
- Completed: October 1799
- Fate: Renamed Alexandre 1802, captured by Britain 1805, broken up 1822
- FoudroyantFrench ship Foudroyant (1800)The Foudroyant was a Tonnant class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She was started in Rochefort from 1793, and renamed to Dix-huit fructidor in 1798 in honour of the Coup of 18 fructidor an V , as she was still on keel...
- Builder: Rochefort
- Ordered: December 1793
- Launched: 18 May 1799
- Completed: August 1800
- Fate: Broken up 1834