Name Pluton Ordered June 1803 Launched 17 January 1805 Construction started 1805 Builder Toulon | Namesake Pluto Laid down August 1803 Completed March 1805 Weight 2,900 tons | |
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Pluton was a Téméraire class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Toulon. She was one of two prototypes for a derivative sub-class of the original design; this sub-class (somewhat smaller than the primary design) was specially intended for construction in some of the shipyards in states occupied by the French, where there was less depth of water than in the main French shipyards. Although the Pluton (and her sister, the Borée) were built at Toulon, all other vessels of this sub-class were built in these overseas yards, notably at Antwerp but also at Genoa, Trieste, Venice, Amsterdam, Flushing and Rotterdam.
The Pluton took part in the Battle of Trafalgar under Captain Julien Cosmao, and escaped to Cádiz with other ships. Two days later, on 23 October 1805, she was the flagship of the counter-attack from Cádiz, together with Indomptable, Neptune, Rayo and San Francisco de Asis. They managed to recapture the Santa Ana and Algésiras. To prevent their recapture, the British scuttled the Intrépide and Neptuno. Rayo and San Francisco de Asis were wrecked on their journey back.
She was captured by Spain in Cadiz in 1808 and commissioned in the Spanish Navy as Pluton. She was later renamed Montañes, and was eventually broken up in 1816.