French ship Pluton (1778)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Pluton.

Watercolour portrait of Pluton, by François Roux, commissioned by Willaumez.
History
France
Name	Pluton [1]
Launched	5 November 1778
Commissioned	1778 [1]
Decommissioned	1805 [1]
Honours and awards	Participated in: Battle of Martinique (1780) Battle of Fort Royal (1781) Battle of Chesapeake (1781) Battle of Saint Kitts (1782) Battle of the Saintes (1782)
Fate	Broken up
Notes	Renamed Dugommier (1797) [1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Scipion class
Tons burthen	1500 tonnes
Length	53.8 m (176 ft 6 in)
Beam	14.1 m (46 ft 3 in)
Draught	7.3 m (24 ft)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	74 to 78 guns of various weights of shot

Pluton was a Scipion-class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort.

Career

Pluton took part in the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780, under La Marthonie. ^[2] Albert de Rions took command, and captained her at the Battle of Martinique on 29 April 1781, ^[3] at the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September 1781, ^[4] at St. Kitts on 24–25 January 1782, ^[5] and at the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April. ^{[6] [1]}

She was renamed Dugommier in 1797 and seems to have seen little further active service. She was broken up in 1805. ^[1]

Citations

1. Roche (2005), p. 355, volume 1.
2. Troude (1867), p. 71.
3. Troude (1867), p. 101.
4. Troude (1867), p. 107.
5. Troude (1867), p. 115.
6. Troude (1867), p. 140.

References

• Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1905). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion. OCLC   763372623.
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. pp. 372–373. ISBN   978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC   165892922.
• Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé. OCLC   836362484.