French ship Saint-Esprit explained

The Saint-Esprit ("Holy Ghost") was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.^[1] She was funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the Order of the Holy Spirit, and named in its honour.

Career

She took part in the Battle of Ushant under La Motte-Picquet, and to the Armada of 1779.

In 1781, on 29 April, she took part in the Battle of Fort Royal under Chabert-Cogolin.

She was renamed Scipion in April 1794, and took part in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2 under Huguet, where she was totally dismasted. She was wrecked on 30 January 1795, during the Croisière du Grand Hiver. Most of her crew were rescued by Trente-et-un Mai.^[2]

As a young man, Swedish naval officer Johan Herman Schützercrantz served onboard the Saint–Esprit; he would later become a rear admiral in Swedish service.^[3]

References

• Book: Levot, Prosper. Prosper Levot

. Les gloires maritimes de la France: notices biographiques sur les plus célèbres marins. Prosper Levot. 1866. Bertrand. French.

• Book: Roche, Jean-Michel. 2005. Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. 978-2-9525917-0-6. 165892922. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. 1.
• Book: Kerguelen, Yves-Joseph. Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec

. Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec. 1796. Relation des combats et des évènements de la guerre maritime de 1778 entre la France et l'Angleterre. Imprimerie de Patris. French.

• Book: Troude, Onésime-Joachim . Onésime-Joachim Troude

. Onésime-Joachim Troude . 1867 . Challamel ainé. Batailles navales de la France. French . 2 . 836362484.

Notes and References

1. Roche, p.394
2. Levot, p.207
3. Book: Benson, Adolph B.. Sweden and the American Revolution. 1926. Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. New Haven . 1414856625. 117.