Namesake "Royal Sun" Commissioned April 1750 Beam 15.6 m (51 ft) Launched 30 June 1749 Weight 3,800 tons Builder Brest | Laid down March 1748 Homeport Brest Construction started March 1748 Length 59 m Displacement 3.8 million kg | |
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Fate Scuttled on 21 November 1759 | ||
The Soleil-Royal was a ship in the French Navy, the third ship of that name. She was the first 80-gun two-decker to use the 24-pounder long gun on her second battery, giving her a considerable firepower for the time and allowing her to challenge three-deckers. Her name Soleil-Royal, honouring the French crown and usually reserved for the largest units of the Navy, testifies of the change of focus from large three-deckers onto strong two-deckers.
She was Brienne's flagship at the battle of Quiberon Bay, where she ran aground and was burnt to prevent her capture. Her cannons were recovered by the Royal Navy and transported to Plymouth for reuse in British vessels.
References
French ship Soleil-Royal (1749) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA