French ship Triomphant (1675)

The Triomphant was a ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. One of two sisterships designed and built by Laurent Hubac (the other was the Belliqueux). Started as Brave in Brest and launched on 20 June 1675, she was renamed Constant six days later, and completed in 1676; she was renamed Triomphant on 28 June 1678. She took part in the Battle of Beachy Head on July 10, 1690, and in the Battle of Barfleur on May 29, 1692.

Triomphant 1670-1680
History
France
NameTriomphant
BuilderBrest Dockyard
Laid downMay 1674
Launched20 June 1675
Completed1676
Renamedoriginally Brave, renamed Constant in 1675 and Triomphant in 1678
FateDestroyed by fire on 2 June 1692
General characteristics
Length143½ French feet[a]
Beam38 French feet
Draught19 French feet
Depth of hold18 French feet
Complement400, + 9 officers
Armament74 guns

Following the latter battle, she retreated in a battered condition to Cherbourg, along with two larger warships - the Soleil Royal and Admirable. There the three ships were attacked by English warships on 1 June 1692. This attack was beaten off, but on the following day the English employed fireships and the Admirable was set alight and burnt by the English fireship HMS Woolf.

Notes edit

  1. ^ The French (pre-metric) foot was 6.575% longer than the equivalent English foot.

References edit

  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. p. 223. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  • Nomenclature des Vaisseaux du Roi-Soleil de 1661 a 1715. Alain Demerliac (Editions Omega, Nice – various dates).
  • The Sun King's Vessels (2015) – Jean-Claude Lemineur; English translation by François Fougerat. Editions ANCRE. ISBN 978-2903179885
  • Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen (2017) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1626-1786: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4738-9351-1.