French ship Droits de l'Homme
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 Fight of the Droits de l'Homme, by Léopold Le Guen |
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| Career France |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Port-Liberté (now Lorient) |
| Laid down: | |
| Launched: | 10 Prairial de l'An II (29 May 1794) |
| Status: | beached |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | |
| Speed: | 10 knots |
| Complement: | 650 |
| Armament: | 74 guns Lower battery:28 36-pounders Upper battery: 24-pounders |
| Armour: | Timber |
The Droits de l'Homme ("Rights of Man") was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy during the French Revolution.
The Droits de l'Homme, under capitaine de vaisseau Raymond de Lacrosse, took part in the invasion attempt against Ireland, carrying 549 soldiers. On their way, the fleet was dispersed by tempests. The Droits de l'Homme arrived at Bantry Bay and cruised off the coast, capturing the brigs Cumberland and Calypso. She stayed there for eight days to ascertain that no French ship was in distress on the coast, and departed for Britanny.
On the 25 Nivôse dAn V (13 January 1797), off Penmarch, the Droits de l'Homme met the British frigates HMS Indefatigable (44), under Sir Edward Pellew, and HMS Amazon (36). The sea was rough, preventing the Droits de l'Homme from using her lower deck batteries and from boarding the British. Lacrosse was wounded; he gave command of the ship to his second officer, Prévost de Lacroix, and had his crew swear not to strike their colours.
After 13 hours of combat, running out of ammunition, the British broke contact when the Indefatigable sighted land ahead. The Indefatigable, despite having damage to her masts and rigging, managed to beat off the lee shore and escape Penmarch reefs; the Amazon ran aground and was destroyed near Plozévet, and her crew captured. The Droits de l'Homme, having lost her rudder, masts and anchors, ran aground off Plozévet.
Some of the crew was rescued by the ship's boats and fishing boats from nearby villages, but the rescue was interrupted for five days by the storm; 60 men died for lack of food and water. General Jean-Amable Humbert, who was commanding the soldiers aboard, narrowly escaped drowning, and between 250 and 390 men died in the wreck. Captain Lacrosse was last to leave the ship.
