''Fendant'' was a

74-gun The "seventy-four" was a type of two- decked sailing ship of the line, which nominally carried 74 guns. It was developed by the French navy in the 1740s, replacing earlier classes of 60- and 62-gun ships, as a larger complement to the recently de ...

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

. Designed by

Antoine Groignard Antoine Groignard (4 February 1727 – 26 July 1799), was a French naval constructor who developed standard designs for French war ships, and built and improved the dry docks at the French naval bases in Toulon and Brest. Family Groignard was so ...

, she was the first ship to be built under a roof cover. She served in Suffren's campaign against the British in India during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and was wrecked in 1783 near

Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...

Career

Started in May 1772 on a design by

, construction of ''Fendant'' proceeded slowly, due to shortages in

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

in Rochefort. In November 1771, a permanent roof was erected over her stacks, as well as that of , making the first ships to be completed in a covered dock. ''Fendant'' was commissioned in December 1776 under Captain

Louis de Rigaud de Vaudreuil Louis de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (Revel, 17 October 1728 – 1810) was a French Navy officer. He served in the War of American Independence. Biography Rigaud de Vaudreuil was born a younger son of Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis of Vaudreuil, Loui ...

. She took part in the Battle of Ushant, where she sustained five killed and 27 wounded. ''Fendant'' served in the Anglo-French War, notably taking part in the

Battle of Grenada The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. A British fleet led by Admiral John Byron (the grandfath ...

. In July 1781, she fought in the Invasion of Minorca before being sent to the Indian Ocean in November to reinforce Suffren's squadron. Arrived there in March 1782, ''Fendant'' took part in the Battle of Cuddalore on 20 June 1783 as the flagship of

Antoine de Thomassin de Peynier Louis Antoine de Thomassin de Peynier, known as Antoine de Thomassin, comte de Peynier (27 September 1731 – 11 October 1809) was an officer of the French Royal Navy and a colonial administrator of the Kingdom of France. Biography Early ye ...

Captain of the Fleet Fleet captain (US) is a historic military title that was bestowed upon a naval officer who served as chief of staff to a flag officer. In the UK, a captain of the fleet could be appointed to assist an admiral when the admiral had ten or more shi ...

under Read-Admiral Suffren, with

Armand de Saint-Félix Armand de Saint-Félix (20 September 1737 – 13 August 1819) was a French Navy officer. Biography Saint-Félix joined the Navy in 1755. he served on the 16-gun ''Calypso'', where he took part in the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759. ...

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a " captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "Firs ...

. Later the year, ''Fendant'' ran aground near

and became a total loss.

Legacy

A model of ''Fendant'' is on display at the Musée de la Marine in Rochefort.

Citations

References

* * Ships of the line of the French Navy Shipwrecks in the Bay of Bengal Maritime incidents in 1783 1776 ships {{France-line-ship-stub