Origin and History
This ship of the line was built by Nicolas Leveque at Lorient and launched in 1753. She belonged to the Compagnie des Indes, not to the Marine Royale.
On December 30 1753, the ship was armed at Lorient for a voyage to China which lasted until July 30 1755.
During the Seven Years' War, the ship was under the command of:
- in 1754: captain Servan Gouyon de Saint-Loyal
- from December 31 1756: captain Jacques Kerlero de Rosbo
- from September 1 1759: captain Marie-Joseph des Essarts
- from January 19 1762: captain Nicolas Grout de Bellesme
The ship was stricken off of the fleet in 1771.
Service during the War
On December 31 1756, the ship was armed at Lorient.
On May 3 1757, the ship left Lorient for the East Indies.
On January 27 1758, the ship was part of d'Aché's squadron which sailed from Île de France and made for the coast of Coromandel in India, transporting reinforcements under the command of Lally. Owing to the monsoon, it was much delayed. On April 28, the squadron arrived at daybreak into the roadstead of Fort St. David. The French squadron cut off the escape of the Bridgewater (24) and Triton (24) which were lying there, and which, to save them from capture, were run ashore and burnt. On April 29, while Lally was disembarking his troops at Pondicherry (actual Puducherry), the ship was part of d'Aché's squadron who fought at the combat of Cuddalore where she lost her rudder and was also obliged to fall out. On August 3 1758, when Pocock made another attempt to dislodge the French squadron from Pondicherry, the ship took part to the combat of Negapatam but was soon driven out of the line.
On July 23 1759, the ship was disarmed at Isle de France and re-armed on September 1 to take part to d'Estaing's expedition. On September 30, she captured the Mammoudy in the Persian Gulf. On October 8, she captured the Merry near Mascate.
On April 21 1761, the ship was disarmed at Isle de France after d'Estaing's expedition.
To do: details of the campaigns from 1759 to 1762
|Length at gundeck||n/a|
|Displacement||1000 tons (907 metric tons)|
Blasco, Manuel, Ship of the Compagnie des Indes, 3 Decks Wiki
Service historique de la Défense, Les mouvements au long cours des navires de la deuxième Compagnie française des Indes orientales
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.