The ''Saint-Esprit'' (" Holy Ghost") was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.Roche, p.394 She was funded by a

don des vaisseaux The ''don des vaisseaux'' (lit. "gift of ships of the line") was a subscription effort launched by Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul and secretary of State to the Navy in 1761 as an effort to rebuild the French naval power, diminis ...

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 The Armada of 1779 was a combined Franco-Spanish naval enterprise intended to divert British military assets, primarily of the Royal Navy, from other war theatres by invading the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. ...

. In 1781, on 29 April, she took part in the

Battle of Fort Royal The Battle of Fort Royal was a naval battle fought off Fort Royal, Martinique in the West Indies during the Anglo-French War on 29 April 1781, between fleets of the British Royal Navy and the French Navy. After an engagement lasting four hours, th ...

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 The ''Croisière du Grand Hiver'' (French "Campaign of the Great Winter") was a French attempt to organise a winter naval campaign in the wake of the Glorious First of June. Context The Glorious First of June had ended on a strategic success f ...

. Most of her crew were rescued by ''Trente-et-un Mai''.Levot, p.207

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Esprit Ships of the line of the French Navy Saint-Esprit-class ships of the line Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay 1765 ships Maritime incidents in 1795 Don des vaisseaux