French ship Robuste (1758)

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

Detail of Edward Moran's First Recognition of the American Flag by a Foreign Government
History
France
Name	Robuste
Namesake	"Robust"
Ordered	10 September 1755 [1]
Builder	Lorient [1]
Laid down	September 1757 [1]
Launched	2 September 1758 [1]
Fate	Retired in 1783
General characteristics
Class & type	74-gun ship of the line
Type	ship of the line
Displacement	3000 tonneaux
Tons burthen	1600 port tonneaux
Length	56.8 metres
Beam	14.4 metres
Depth of hold	7 metres
Propulsion	Sail
Complement	866
Armament	80 guns 28 × 36-pounders 30 × 18-pounders 16 × 8-pounders

Robuste was an 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard. ^[2]

Career

Initially intended as a 64-gun ship, Robuste was built in the Lorient shipyard of the French East India Company. She was launched on 2 September 1758, and admitted to active service in April 1759. ^[1]

On 18 November 1759, she collided with frigate Hébé. ^[1]

In June 1777, she was under Lamotte-Picquet, and received the visit of Emperor Joseph II. ^[1]

On 14 February 1778, Robuste fired a nine-gun salute for USS Ranger, marking the first time a foreign warship recognised the US flag. ^[3]

Robuste took part in the campaign in 1779 and 1780 ^[1] as De Grasse's flagship. ^[4] She was notably at the Battle of Grenada. ^[5]

In 1780, she was under Chateauvert. ^[6]

In July 1782, under Nieuil, she was part of the Franco-Spanish fleet under Córdova. ^[7] She took part in the Battle of Cape Spartel on 20 October 1782. ^[8] The same year, she was at Brest under Croiset de Retz. ^[9]

She was eventually struck in 1783, and broken up in Brest the next year. ^[1]

Citations

1. Roche (2005), p. 384.
2. Binet (1911). "La construction du vaisseau de 100 canons "La Bretagne"". Annales de Bretagne et des pays de l'Ouest. 27–2: 218. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
3. "Centre d'études stratégiques de la Marine - CESM". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
4. Archives nationales (2011), p. 258.
5. Troude (1867), p. 39.
6. Taillemite (1982), p. 28.
7. Troude (1867), p. 133.
8. Contenson (1934), p. 235.
9. Archives nationales (2011), p. 319.

References

• Contenson, Ludovic (1934). La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d'Amérique (1778-1783). Paris: éditions Auguste Picard. OCLC   7842336.
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN   978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC   165892922. (1671-1870)
• Taillemite, Étienne (1982). Dictionnaire des Marins français. Paris: Éditions maritimes et d'Outre-Mer. ISBN   9782707000316. OCLC   239744936.
• Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.

External links

• Archives nationales (2011). "Fonds Marine, sous-série B/4: Campagnes, 1571-1785" (PDF). Retrieved 29 April 2020.