french ship people gun ship line french_navy funded don des donation chamber commerce launched took naval operations american revolutionary war admiral squadron preston single ship action august taking supporting flagship paris battle took french revolution renamed took glorious june disabled furious duel surrendered losing hope rescued french ship hours british ships beginning rescue operations listed taking half crew sinking propaganda gave birth legend crew gone ship fighting surrender scottish historian repeated tale french revolution history yielding rear admiral witnessed events naval history circles legend lived folk tale inspiring numerous representations fictional account thousand leagues sea career french_navy lost ships seven years war casualties particularly high battle battle replace losses duke launched called don des french individuals organisations donate crown funds necessary build equip warship million raised ships including built named patrons funded chamber commerce ordered january built toulon design engineer named day following request patrons chamber commerce requested ship built determined harbour shallow launch gun ship order eventually confirmed toulon lack timber shipyards busy building delayed construction building directed engineer launched july completed quickly decorated sculptures carved completion reserve remain years february maintenance repairs hull found good shape keel centimetres maintenance completed days later commissioned captain outbreak american war independence caused relations france great_britain deteriorate diplomatic ties broken march admiral took command squadron thirteen ships line frigates toulon assigned fleet active service fleet set sail april crossed gibraltar arrived mouth july campaign french squadron arrived unopposed new_york july british forces amounted squadron smaller ships line frigates admiral lord howe order avoid battle numerous powerful french ships howe retreated protection strong defences new_york wished press attack pilots advised harbour shallow ships squadron spent weeks anchor blockading howe american government july departed newport join american revolutionaries arrived july anchored fleet outside harbour better coordinate attack revolutionary land forces anchored main channel fleet frigates blockaded blocked august french squadron sailed newport harbour coming sixth line begun troops following day howe squadron arrived new_york found anchored ships vulnerable attacks land batteries warships cancelled landing putting sea challenge howe battle howe force moved pursued french august french closed fleets preparation battle easter storm broke scattering fleets sustained damage rigging losing cut bulk french squadron day having erected jury rigging attacked gun ships hour parting rejoined french fleet august took september coming french line battle present encounters british fleets caribbean theatre american revolutionary war year july took sailing rear french fleet later year took siege savannah eighth line battle french fleet sustained damage siege savannah eventually returned europe returned toulon experiment campaign members crew died killed combat wrote report recommendations december found ship high hindered sailing running recommended improvements gun ports castles allowed guns quarterdeck forecastle furthermore substantial repairs rigging needed needed hull heated kill worms wrote appears shall exceptional sailor convinced satisfaction campaign repairs completed captain given command appointed ship squadron flag set sail patrol portugal joined division june november departed joint franco spanish fleet admiral bound brest arrived january campaign brest command passed squadron admiral young served aboard ensign march fleet sailed america reinforce forces arriving martinique april fleet met british forces admiral hood broke inconclusive long ranged artillery duel lasted british retreated day damage sustained sail july bound arrived july fleet joined frigate captain brought news status plans continental_army letters washington requested set sail new_york chesapeake_bay reinforcing fleet squadron admiral soldiers taken garrisons island decided sail september french british squadrons met van french squadron exchanged shots day gun captain early april took day battle sailing rear fleet french british ships trading shots minutes took position line battle later afternoon maintained position line ahead flagship paris supported struck colours point admiral ordered fleet follow fleet reached waves main corps arriving april arrived january took held 5th position line battle returned france point listed september decommissioned campaign october recommissioned december brest ship squadron negotiations peace england started january decommissioned february remained state repairs conducted french revolutionary war february decommissioned renamed probably response participation city revolts recommissioned march captain took command april sailed joined april squadron sailed reaching brest april having joined route arrival ships assigned squadron admiral glorious june fleet departed brest mission protecting convoy ships carrying food france beginning atlantic campaign june french squadron encountered british fleet engagement known glorious june french line battle flagship northumberland british fleet approached french line oblique manner leading individual engagements british ships attempted break points british flagship hms queen charlotte cut french line aft firing devastating broadside killed commander ship astern attempted prevent breaking accelerating close gap flagship left gap captain attempted exploit cut line assist accelerated closed gap turned fire engaged hms prevented cutting french line ahead turned tried cross aft seeing manoeuvre accelerated close new gap collided anchor rigging fired entire broadside point blank range unable fire main batteries ships close prevent french gunners ammunition guns contrast british gunners semi rigid rope handles instead wooden handles able maintain sustained fire holes fight went hours shattering rudder prevent separated fire opened large hole hull duel undamaged hms approached favourable position waiting separate open fire fired leaving foremast standing fell half hour later sustained damage soon inundated powder room denying means defence crew action closed attempting provide assistance proximity british sails endangered eventually sailed away seeing condition ship ordered flags hoisted half mast surrender distress surrender british ship managed men aboard possession left remaining crew attempt salvage ultimately ship pumps began sink timely arrival boats undamaged services cutter saved crew drowning ships taking nearly sailors lieutenant especially commended hazardous work clearly salvage worst wounded dead remained aboard possibly stayed aboard hope rescued french ship british avoid captivity alfred rescued men including captain abandoned ship left british boat taken served meal officers mess son french british officers heard racing gallery party witnessed sink remaining wounded aboard figures casualties precisely known approximately killed battle drowned sinking rescued british legacy sinking exploited political purposes france sailors said cried nation long live nation long live republic bow ship proportion french politicians added sailors sung defiance continued firing guns water reached ship eventually sink surrender entire crew disappeared claim return captured quickly released british captivity origin legend speech july sur des claimed refused surrender flag sailors died ship giving shout long live republic waving sorts flags ship disappeared lord howe denies account entirely claiming occurred position followed british sources originally included legend french revolution history prompting rear admiral lieutenant hms time eyewitness sinking publicly challenge tale set story eventually official report captain concluded devised changed account sinking subsequent editions reports events report captain written captivity june signed british custody report officer cousin found family archives later accounts written rear admiral witnessed event years earlier french drawings depicted flying recently ordered convention flown battle ensign lack brest able distribute flag ships probably flew white flag equal columns red white blue notion ship nailed flag surrendered claimed accounted reports explicitly states surrendered mention flag flown half mast distress surrounded british ships indicating requesting assistance enemy observes point nail flag james makes mentions union jack submission exact cause sinking subject dispute account describes sinking shots hull actually mentions holes lower hull noise like strong identify consistent james account directed shot split rudder shattered stern post making large hole counter water rushed great quantity case battered prompting report place feet rule direction thought touch shot holes attributes sinking crew failed close damaged lower later study conducted captain 1950s suggests water enter gun ports lower battery ripped collision shattered artillery fire crew failed temporary crew aggravated situation failing man pumps explaining took hours sink surrender sinking debated point patriotic shouts claimed accompanied singing shouts denied entirely mentioned french accounts report claim sailors shouted desperation unable reach british craft mention particular defiance intent mention flags position followed proposes variation knowing doomed sailors remaining display patriotic political dying provides alternative theory suggests person behaved manner stricken ship acting influence alcohol critical account dismissed idea captain said naval registry safety fact abandoned ship british boat leaving men disregard military customs standing order captains abandon ship account boat close actually dining mess moment sinking depicted rescue crew british ships large canvas battle lord howe action glorious june contemporary reactions france speech july nation specifically encouraged artists story poets like composed commemorate event wrote new words existing songs produced act opera following decree passed june sunk crew reaction prevented completion programme captain posthumously promoted august later exchanged captain captain september declared convention spite facts myth lived wrote account repeating version refused surrender invented story killed cut half cannon shot like reports indicate legend seriously accepted suggests near eyewitness french account amounted amazing vague faint admission probably false captain relates story probably purported survivor told legend good man nations live legends wrote wonders history remain depiction thousand leagues sea published reported incident revolutionary slant models models known model crafted prisoner war display 55th arsenal model realised master direction captain built plans hull ship sculptures drawings currently display marine
French ship Vengeur du Peuple