The Redoutable (centre) fighting the Temeraire (left) and HMS Victory (right), by Louis-Philippe Crépin |
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| Career (France) | |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez |
| Builder: | Brest Naval Dockyard |
| Laid down: | January 1790 |
| Launched: | 31 May 1791 as Suffren |
| Renamed: | to Redoutable on 20 May 1794 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 22 October 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Téméraire class ship of the line |
| Displacement: | 1 630 tonnes |
| Length: | 52 m |
| Beam: | 14 m |
| Draught: | 7 m |
| Complement: | 3 officers + 690 men |
| Armament: |
74 guns:
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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.
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Redoutable was laid down at Brest in January 1790, and launched as the Suffren on 31 May 1791. She was completed there in December 1792. Her crew took part in the mutiny of the vessels attached to the squadron of Vice-Admiral Morard de Galles.
She was subsequently renamed Redoutable on 20 May 1794. In March 1802, the Redoutable was the flagship of a squadron of two ships of the line and four frigates under Admiral Bouvet sent to reinforce Guadeloupe in 1802 and Santo Domingo in 1803.
She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, reaching Bantry Bay, where she accidentally collided with the Résolue, destroying her bowsprit, foremast, mainmast and mizzen.
At the Battle of Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805, Redoutable was commanded by capitaine de vaisseau Lucas, and came immediately after the flagship Bucentaure in the French line. She was kept so close to the Bucentaure, to protect her stern, that she forced HMS Victory to run afoul of her, dropping alongside, and eventually striking to her.
Her crew fiercely engaged the Victory, causing considerable damage. The crew and soldiers of the Redoutable maintained a heavy fire on the quarterdeck with hand-grenades and small arms, and a French marksman mortally wounded Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson from the mizzen fighting top. Lucas later reported:
a violent small arm exchange ensued (...); our fire became so superior that within fifteen minutes, we had silenced that of Victory; (...) her castles were covered with dead and wounded, and admiral Nelson was killed by our gunfire. Almost at once, the castles of the ennemy ship were evacuated and Victory completely ceased fighting us; but boarding her proved difficult because (...) of her highed third battery. I ordered the suspension of the great yard be cut and that it be carried as to serve as a bridge.[1]
The French crew were about to board the Victory when HMS Temeraire intervened, firing on the exposed French crew at point blank range. At 1.55 pm, the Redoutable, with Captain Lucas severely wounded, and only 99 men still fit out of 643 (300 dead and 222 severely wounded), was essentially defenceless. The Fougueux attempted to come to her aid but came afoul of HMS Temeraire. After it was ascertained that she was too damaged to survive after the battle, the Redoutable, leaking water and without hope of being rescued, struck her colours. The Victory had sustained 160 casualties, and the Temeraire, 120. The Redoutable was captured by the British, and foundered during the storm of the next day. Lucas reported:
On the 30th, at 5PM, she was forced to ask for assistance; there was only time to save the captain; the men who were not wounded, as at 7PM, her aft collapsed and she foundered. 50 wounded were saved as they floated on debris of the ship.[2]
After his release from capture Captain Lucas was personally awarded the 'Gold Cross of the Legion of Honor' by Napoleon for his courageous effort during the battle.[3]