In the Hour of Victory

by Sam Willis

  San Agustín (74/80)

  Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Taken by Leviathan Built and launched 1768, Guarnizo, near Santander Armament 28x24, 30x18, 14x8, 4x8 Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x18cr (or 80 guns: x36, x30, x18, x8) Complement 642 Complement in the action 620 men under Felipe Jado Cajigal or 711 (413 naval, 243 infantry, 55 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 150 killed, 200 wounded (Harbron), or 180 killed, 200 wounded (Gardiner), or 184 killed, 201 wounded (Adkin) Bounty awarded £3,134 17s 6d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate ‘Set on fire and burnt’ by the Leviathan and Orion on 30 October. Notes Struck her colours after being boarded by the Leviathan three times. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron.

  San Francisco de Asis (74)

  Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Built and launched 1767, Guarnizo, near Santander Size 1740 tons BOM Armament 28x24, 30x18, 14x8, 4x8 Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x18cr Complement 510 Complement in the action 657 under Luis Antonio de Flores (370 naval, 234 infantry, 53 marine artillery) (Adkin); estimated for head money as 700 Casualties 5 killed, 12 wounded Bounty awarded £3,236 0s 0d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Sortied and sank off Rota, 23 October; the crew got on shore. Notes Not usually considered a prize but included here because the Admiralty paid head money for her. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Goodwin; Harbron.

  San Ildefonso (74)

  Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Name in RN service Ildefonso Taken by Defence Built and launched 1784; launched 22 January 1785, Cartagena Size 1815.5 tonnes (2756.83m3); 1751 62/94 tons BOM (surveyed for purchase as 1751 50/94) Armament 28x24, 30x18,16x8, 2x4 pedreros Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x24, QD 10x30 and 6x24 obusiers, FC 2x4 pedreros (or 74 guns: x24 inc. 10x30 and 6x24 howitzers, and 6x8) Armament in RN service GD 28x32, UD 30x18, QD 6x12 + 8x32cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32 Complement 505 Complement in the action 724 men under Jose Ramon de Vargas y Varaez or 716 (420 naval, 244 infantry, 52 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 34 killed, 148 wounded Purchased for £10,486 15s 8d (including £1,728 12s 11d for stores) Bounty awarded £3,660 14s 6d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Brought to Portsmouth Fate Considered by the Spanish to be a very fine sailer; purchased, August 1806, but repairs were estimated at £41,003 and she was not fitted for sea by the RN; fitted at Portsmouth as a victualler, March to June 1808; provision depot ship at Spithead, 1812–14; in Ordinary at Portsmouth, July 1814; broken up there, July 1816. Notes When surveyed in England she was estimated to be fourteen years old. Also recorded as Il Defonso. Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2239; ADM 106/2239; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Harbron; Lyon; Winfield.

  San Juan Nepomuceno (74)

  Dispatch folio 248 Name in RN service San Juan Nationality Spanish Taken by Dreadnought Built and launched 1766, Guarnizo, near Santander Size 1740 tons BOM Armament 28x24, 30x18, 14x8 Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x18cr (or 70 guns, x36, x18, x8, and 12 carronades, x36 and x24) Armament in RN service LD 28x32, UD 30x18, QD 6x12 + 2x12cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32cr Complement 510 Complement in the action 650 men under Cosme Damian Churruca or 693 (431 naval, 212 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Complement in RN service 640 (34 as sheer hulk) Casualties 100 killed, 150 wounded (Harbron), 300 (Gardiner) Purchased for £13,797 11s 1d Bounty awarded £3,286 11s 3d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Base ship at Gibraltar, 1805–8, then prison ship; flagship, 1813–14; sold, January 1816. Notes Provisionally renamed Berwick after her capture. Purchased, October 1806 to serve as a sheer hulk at Gibraltar in place of the Guerrier. Also listed in Admiralty records as St John de Nepomuceno, St John Nepomuceno. Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Harbron; Lyon; Winfield.

  Santa Ana (112)

  Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Taken by Royal Sovereign Built and launched 1783; launched 29 September 1784, Ferrol Size 2200 tons (Spanish); 2208 tonnes (3504.70m3) Armament 30x36, 32x24, 30x12, 18x8 Armament in the action LD 30x36, MD 32x24, UD 32x12, QD 10x8, FC 10x48 and 2x32 and 6x24 howitzers, poop 4x4 howitzers Complement 848 men, 40 officers (peacetime) Complement in the action 1,053 under Jose Gardoqui, or 1,189 (720 naval, 383 infantry, 86 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 59 killed, 169 wounded (Harbron), or 97 killed, 141 wounded (Gardiner and Adkin); 97 dead and 141 wounded by 30 October Bounty awarded None; but £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Retaken by sortie, 23 October, and escaped to Cadiz; convoyed to Havana with the Principe de Asturias by HMS Implacable (ex-Duguay Trouin), September to November 1810; sank there, 1817; sold there, 1820 but not recovered by 1834. Notes Present at all the actions of the Spanish navy. Name ship of her class of seven (including the Salvador del Mundo), often considered the finest three-deckers of the eighteenth century. Gardoqui commanded her again in 1809–10. Sources Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron; Hierro.

  Santísima Trinidad (136)

  Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Santissima Trinidad Nationality Spanish Taken by Prince Built and launched August 1767; launched 2 March 1769, Havana Size launch, 4902 tonnes (7443.69m3); in 1796, 2475 tonnes (3758m3) Armament in the action LD 34x36, MD 34x24, UD 34x18, QD 18x8, waist 6x4cr, FC 10x24cr (or 126 guns: x36, x24, x12, x8, inc. 16 carronades) Complement 1,071 and 25 servants Complement in the action 1,015 men under Francisco Javier de Uriarte y Borja or 1,048 (604 naval, 382 infantry, 62 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 205 killed, 103 wounded Bounty awarded £5,132 1s 10d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Foundered, 24 October, about twenty-five miles south of Cadiz; many of her crew were rescued by boats from the Neptune, Ajax and Prince but many of the wounded (around 30 in British sources, around 80 in Spanish) died with her. Notes Built as a 120-gun three-decked ship but converted to a four-decked 136-gun ship at Cadiz, 1797, the only four-decked ship then in existence. She may have struck her colours to the Excellent, Blenheim, Orion, and Irresistible at St Vincent, but was rescued by four Spanish ships. Borja died at eighty-nine in 1842, the longest lived of the Spanish Trafalgar captains. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Harbron; Hierro.

  Swiftsure (74)

  Dispatch folio 248 Name in RN service Irresistible Nationality French Taken by Colossus Built and launched May 1784 to May 1787, Deptford; launched 4 April 1787 Size c. 1400 / not given / 2700 tonnes; 1621 23/94 tons BOM (surveyed for purchase as 1636 27/94) Armament 28x32, 28x16.5 [sic], 20x9 + 2cr and 6cr English, calibre not stated Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr (or 74 guns: x32, x18, x8) Complement 16 officers, 650/690 men Complement in the action 690 men under Charles l’Hopitallier-Villemadrin or 755 (495 naval, 215 infantry, 45 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 68 killed, 123 wounded (Demerliac, Adkin); 250 (Gardiner) Purchased for £12,466 14s 5d (including £1,481 for copper and nails and £1,168 for anchors and iron ballast) Bounty awarded £3,488 16s 3d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Brought to Portsmouth Fate Purchased, August 1806, but repair estimated at £30,000 and not fitted for sea by the RN; prison ship at Chatham, March 1808 to 1813; broken up there, January 1816. Notes Originally captured by the French in the Mediterranean, 24 June 1801; when retaken named Irresistible, there being a Swiftsure in service. Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/22
39; ADM 106/2239; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Winfield.

  Sir Richard Strachan’s action, 4 November 1805

  Duguay Trouin (74)

  Dispatch folio 274 Name in dispatches Du guay Trouin Name in RN service Implacable then Foudroyant Taken by Caesar Built and launched 15 November 1794 to November 1800, Rochefort; launched 24 March 1800 Size 1505 / 1550 / 3004 tonnes; 1896 22/94 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 6x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr (at Trafalgar) Armament in RN service LD 30x32, UD 30x18, QD 2x12 + 12x32cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32cr Complement 16 officers, 690 men Complement in the action 550 men under Claude Touffet or 755 (490 naval, 215 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Complement in RN service 640 Casualties 150 killed and wounded in the action (+ 12 killed and 24 wounded at Trafalgar) Purchased for £34,059 2s 4.d (including furniture and stores at £740 12s 6d) Bounty awarded £2,780 18s 9d Brought to Plymouth, 10 November 1805 Fate Purchased, April 1806; in commission from 1808 and served in the Baltic; 1810, flagship of Rear-Admiral Keats in the Mediterranean; paid off, 1812, and in Ordinary, 1815–39; recommissioned, 1839, and served off Syria, 1840; in Ordinary, 1840–55; training ship in the Hamoaze, 1855–1908; 1912 to Falmouth for preservation; renamed Foudroyant, 1943; paid off, January 1947, and finally scuttled in the Channel off Selsey Bill with British and French ensigns flying, 2 December 1949. Notes A 1949 film of her end is at www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=27323 Sources ADM 2/309; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2238; Adkin; Demerliac; Goodwin; Roche; Winfield.

  Formidable (80)

  Dispatch folio 274 Name in RN service Brave Taken by Hero Built and launched August 1794 to October 1795, Toulon; launched 17 March 1795 as Figuieres Size 2034 / 2000 / 3868 tonnes, 2248 55/94 tons BOM Armament (from 1803) 30x36, 32x24, 28x12 + 4x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 30x36, UD 32x24, QD 12x12, FC 6x12, poop 6x36cr (at Trafalgar) Armament in RN service LD 32x32, UD 30x18, QD 2x12 + 14x32cr, FC 2x12 + 3x32cr Complement 17 officers, 866 men Complement in the action 810 men under Jean-Marie Letellier (for Trafalgar, 840: 550 naval, 235 infantry, 55 marine artillery) (Adkin) Complement in RN service 690 Casualties 200 killed and wounded (+ 22 killed and 45 wounded at Trafalgar) Purchased for £19,708 13s 7.d (without furniture and stores) Bounty awarded £4,095 11s 3d Brought to Plymouth, 11 November 1805 Fate Purchased, April 1806; prison ship at Plymouth, January 1808 to 1813; powder hulk, 1814; broken up there, April 1816. Notes Named Formidable from November 1794, then Figuieres, then from May 1795 Formidable. A report by her second in command gave a return of 1,090 rounds fired (either at Trafalgar or in both actions), 430 x 36, 620 x 24, 40 x 12. Sources ADM 2/309; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2238; Adkin; Demerliac; Goodwin; Roche; Winfield.

  Mont Blanc (74)

  Dispatch folio 274 Name in RN service Mont Blanc Taken by Courageux Built and launched July 1789 to March 1793, Rochefort; launched 13 August 1791 Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes; 1886 44/94 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 6x36 obusiers + 8 perriers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr Armament in RN service LD 30x32; UD 30x18; QD 2x12 + 12x32cr; FC 2x12 + 2x32cr Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 786 men under Guillaume-Jean-Noel de Lavillegris or 755 (495 naval, 215 infantry, 45 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 180 killed and wounded (+ 20 killed and 24 wounded at Trafalgar) Purchased for £10,649 15s 6d (including furniture and stores at £480 13s 5d) Bounty awarded £3,974 4s 3d Brought to Plymouth, 10 November 1805 Fate Purchased, April 1806; not fitted for sea by the RN; powder hulk at Plymouth, 1811–15; sold, for £5,510, 8 March 1819. Notes Named Pyrrhus; January 1793, renamed Mont Blanc; April 1794, renamed Trente et un Mai; April 1795, renamed Républicain; January or February 1796, renamed Mont Blanc. Struck her colours with seven feet of water in the hold. Sources ADM 2/309; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2238; Demerliac; Roche; Winfield.

  Scipion (74)

  Dispatch folio 274 Taken by Courageux Built and launched September 1798 to September 1801, Lorient-Caudan; launched 29 March 1800 Size 1505 / 1550 / 3004 tonnes; 1887 39/94 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 4x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr Armament in RN service LD 30x32, UD 30x18, QD 2x12 + 12x32cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32cr Complement 16 officers, 690 men Complement in the action 700 men under Charles Berenger or 755 (490 naval, 215 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 200 killed and wounded (+ (or inc.) 17 killed and 22 wounded at Trafalgar) Purchased for £25,986 5s 0d (including furniture and stores at £220 4s 8d) Bounty awarded £3,539 7s 6d Brought to Plymouth, 10 November 1805 Fate Purchased, April 1806; commissioned, July 1809; 1810 flagship of Rear-Admiral Stopford; in the East Indies, and at the capture of Java, September 1811; Mediterranean, 1812; in Ordinary at Portsmouth, 1814; broken up there, January 1819. Sources ADM 2/309; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2238; Demerliac; Goodwin; Roche; Winfield.

  San Domingo, 6 February 1806

  Alexandre (80)

  Dispatch folio 285 Name in RN service Alexandre or L’Alexandre Taken by Spencer Built and launched May 1793 to October 1799, Brest; launched 8 July 1799 as Indivisible Size 2000–2034 / 2000 / 3868 tonnes; 2231 49/94 tons BOM; surveyed at Jamaica as 2255 54/94 tons Armament (from 1803): 30x36, 32x24, 18x12 + 14x36 obusiers Armament in RN service GD 28x32, UD 28x18, QD 4x12 + 10x32cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32cr, RH 6x18 Complement 17 officers, 849 men Complement in the action 820 men under Pierre-Elie Garreau Casualties 300 killed and wounded Purchased for £23,136 11s 7d (including £1,700 for copper sheathing, £34 for the stumps of the lower masts, and £2,992 12s 4d for stores) Bounty awarded £4,146 2s 6d Brought to Port Royal, Jamaica, 12 February, then Plymouth, 11 May 1806 Fate Purchased, January 1807; repairs estimated at £35,000 and not fitted for sea by the RN; hulked, 1808, at Plymouth as a powder ship; sold there for £4,600, May 1822. Notes Name changed to Alexandre, February 1803. Registered in the RN from 24 February (see Brave). Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2240; James; Demerliac; Lyon; Roche; Winfield.

  Brave (74)

  Dispatch folio 285 Name in dispatches Braave Name in RN service Le Brave Taken by Donegal Built and launched August 1793 to July 1795, Lorient; launched 2 July 1795 as Cassard Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes; 1890 tons BOM est. (Winfield); surveyed at Jamaica as 1828 8/94 tons. Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 4x36 obusiers + 6 perriers Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 660 men under Louis-Marie Coude Casualties 260 killed and wounded Purchased for £25,147 7s 6.d (including £65 0s 0d for fishes for masts and boats and £2,231 6s 3d for stores) Bounty awarded £3,337 2s 6d Brought to Port Royal, Jamaica Fate Foundered near the Azores on her way to Britain, 12 April 1806 (all survived). Notes Name in April 1795 was Dix Août, changed in February 1803 to Brave. Also in the Admiralty records as Braave. Duckworth put the Brave, Alexandre, and Jupiter into commission without authority but they were retrospectively registered by an instruction of 13 June 1806, the Brave from 21 February. Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2240; James; Demerliac; Roche.

  Diomède (74)

  Dispatch folio 285 Name in dispatches Diomede Taken by Agamemnon Built and launched September or October 1794 to February 1800, Lorient-Caudan; launched 1 August 1799 as Union Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 4x36 obusiers Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 620 men under Jean-Baptiste Henry Casualties 250 killed and wounded Bounty awarded £3,134 17s 6d Fate Ran herself aground; the British took 51 prisoners then burnt the wreck. Notes Name changed to Diomede, February 1803. Sources ADM 43/53; James; Demerliac; Roche.

  Imperial (118)

  Dispatch folio 285 Taken by Canopus Built and launched October 1793 to February 1804, Brest; launched 1 October 1803 Size 2929 / 5095 / 5140 tonnes Armament 32x36, 34x24, 34x12, 18x8 + 6x36 obusiers (Demerliac), 34x36, 32x24, 34x18, 18x12 (Roche) Complement 21 officers, 1,109 men Complement in the action 1,500 men under Julien-Gabriel Bigot Casualties c. 500 killed and wounded Bounty awarded £7,584 7s
6d Fate Ran herself aground; burnt and ‘totally destroy’d’ by the Canopus, 8 February. Notes Begun as the Peuple, renamed Vengeur, July 1794; renamed Imperial, February or March 1805. Listed by the British as 136 guns. Her complement in the action given in the court documents probably included the soldiers she carried to reinforce General Ferrand at Santo-Domingo. Sources ADM 43/53; James; Demerliac; Roche.

  Jupiter (74)

  Dispatch folio 285 Name in RN service Le Jupitre and Maida Taken by Donegal and Atlas Built and launched February 1794 to May 1796, Lorient-Caudan; launched 28 September 1795 as Viala Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes; 1899 tons BOM (surveyed for purchase as 1898 80/94 tons, and surveyed at Jamaica as 1911 11/94 tons) Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 6x36 obusiers + 6 perriers Armament in RN service GD 30x24, UD 30x24, QD 2x24 + 12x24cr, FC 2x24 + 2x24cr Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 660 men under Gaspard Laignol Casualties 200 killed and wounded Purchased for £13,075 0s 1d (including £616 2s 0d for masts and yards, and £3,914 1s 6d for stores) Bounty awarded £3,337 2s 6d Brought to Portsmouth, 6 May 1806 Fate Purchased, January 1807; repairs estimated at at least £40,000; served in the Copenhagen expedition of 1807; in Ordinary at Portsmouth, March 1808; sold for £4,700, August 1814. Notes Name changed to Voltaire, December 1795; Constitution, February 1803. Registered in the RN as Le Jupitre [sic] from 24 February 1806 (see Brave). Sources: ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2239; ADM 106/2240; James; Demerliac; Lyon; Winfield.