French ship Intrépide (1800)
| History | |
|---|---|
 France
| |
| Name: | Intrépide |
| Captured: | 21 October 1805 |
| Fate: | Scuttled on 23 October 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Armament: | 74 guns |
Intrépide was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the French navy. She was originally built at Ferrol, Spain in 1799 as the Spanish ship of the line Intrepido, and later was sold to France in 1800.
On 21 October 1805, Intrépide was one of the ships of Rear-Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley at the Battle of Trafalgar, under Captain Louis-Antoine Infernet.
Dumanoir commanded the six ship vanguard of the French fleet, with Scipion, Duguay-Trouin, Mont-Blanc, Intrépide and Neptune. Nelson's attacks left these ships downwind of the main confrontation and Dumanoir did not immediately obey Villeneuve's orders to return to the battle. When the ships did turn back, most of them only exchanged a few shots before retiring.
Infernet and his crew, wanting to join the fight, eventually disobeyed Dumanoir's orders and joined the battle, followed by the Spanish Neptuno (Captain Valdes). Intrépide fought against Leviathan, Africa, Agamemnon, Ajax, Orion and Conqueror, only to strike her colours at about 17:00, badly damaged with half of her crew dead.
The Intrépide was later scuttled on Admiral Collingwood's orders to avoid recapture by the counter-attack of the six ship French squadron led by Captain Julien Cosmao of Pluton, two days later.