The ''Juste'' ("Juste") was a
74-gun 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 tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
of the
French Navy, built on plans by engineer Geslin. She took part in the
Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759 during the
Seven Years' War and was lost at the mouth of the
Loire after the battle while trying to rejoin
Saint Nazaire.
Career
''Juste'' was laid down in 1724 and launched in September 1725, joining the active service the next year. She was overhauled in Brest from 1741, where she sustained light damage on 25 December of the following year, when a fire started in the wood workshop propagated to her. She was again
hove down in Brest in 1744, and overhauled in Rochefort in 1751.
On 14 November 1759, under Captain François de Saint Aloüarn,
she was part of a 20-ship and 5-frigate strong squadron under Marshal
de Conflans that was to attempt a landing in Cornwall for the
planned French Invasion of Britain. The French fleet was intercepted by the English ships under
Admiral Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, Order of the Bath, KB, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (21 February 1705 – 17 October 1781), of Scarthingwell Hall in the parish of Towton, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of ...
on 20 November.
In the ensuing
Battle of Quiberon Bay, ''Juste'' was in the rear-guard of the French fleet, taking the fourth position in the line of the srd Division.
''Juste'' was engaged by up to four English ship and was severely battered, with a number of leaks and her rudder shattered; by 20:00, she was unable to fight, her captain mortally wounded and her first officer killed, and limped back to Penchâteau Point to effect summary repairs.
She then attempted to proceed to
Saint Nazaire at low tide, and ran aground in the mouth of the Loire, at Chemoulin Point,
a few miles before reaching safety. Her crew threw all cargo overboard to lighten the ship and prevent her from breaking, even cutting her masts, but to no avail: ''Juste'' settled on the bottom and her crew abandoned the ship. She then broke and sank within the next three hours.
About 150 of her crew survived.
Legacy
The wreck of ''Juste'' was re-discovered in December 1968 during widening work of the entry channel of the Loire.
[Notice of Piriac exhibition, transcribed at :File:Le Juste - Canons.jpg.]
One
18-pounder long gun
The 18-pounder long gun was an intermediary calibre piece of naval artillery mounted on warships of the Age of Sail. They were used as main guns on the most typical frigates of the early 19th century, on the second deck of third-rate ships of the ...
of ''Juste'' was salvaged and is now on display at
La Roche-Bernard
La Roche-Bernard (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of La Roche-Bernard are called in French ''Rochois'' for men and ''Rochoises'' for women.
Forming a part of ''Petites cités de carac ...
.
Two others are on display in front of
Arzal
Arzal (; br, Arzhal) is a commune in the Morbihan department in the Brittany region in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Arzal are called ''Arzalais''.
See also
*Communes of the Morbihan department
The following is a list of t ...
city hall.
File:Le Juste - Canons.jpg, Guns of Arzal, there on temporary display at Piriac-sur-Mer
File:La Roche Bernard, the old canon that looks out over the estuary.jpg, Guns of La Roche-Bernard
Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juste (1725)
Ships of the line of the French Navy
1720s ships
Maritime incidents in 1759
