French Third Rate ship of the line 'Le Tonnant' (1743)

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Le Tonnant	1992
Nominal Guns	80	NNF-1715
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Marine Royale
Keel Laid Down	18.10.1740	NNF-1715
Named	12.6.1740	NNF-1715
Launched	17.11.1743	NNF-1715
First Commissioned	6.1744	NNF-1715
How acquired	Purpose built	NNF-1715
Shipyard	Toulon Dockyard - Toulon	NNF-1715
Designed by	François CoulombFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1702-1749	NNF-1715
Constructor	François CoulombFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1702-1749	NNF-1715
Category	Third Rate	NNF-1715
National Rate	Premier Rang	NNF-1715
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	NNF-1715
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	NNF-1715
Broken Up	11.1780	NNF-1715

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1715
Length of Gundeck168' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)54.5664 (179′ 0″ Imperial)
Length of Keel154' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)50.0192 (164′ 1″ Imperial)
Breadth46' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)14.9408 (49′ 0″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold23' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)7.4704 (24′ 6″ Imperial)
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentFWAS1626
Length of Gundeck168' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)54.5664 (179′ 0″ Imperial)
Length of Keel154' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)50.0192 (164′ 1″ Imperial)
Breadth46' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)14.9408 (49′ 0″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold22' 3"French Feet (Pied du Roi)7.1862 (23′ 6″ Imperial)
Draught Forward20' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)6.496 (21′ 3″ Imperial)
Draught Aft23' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)7.5245 (24′ 8″ Imperial)
Displacement3,400Ton
Burthen1,700Tonneaux

Armament

6.1744Broadside Weight = 900 French Livre (971.28 lbs 440.55 kg)NNF-1715
Lower Gun Deck30 French 36-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck32 French 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle18 French 8-Pounder

6.1744Broadside Weight = 882 French Livre (951.8544 lbs 431.739 kg)FWAS1626
Lower Gun Deck30 French 36-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck32 French 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 French 6-Pounder
Forecastle8 French 6-Pounder

1765Broadside Weight = 996 French Livre (1074.8832 lbs 487.542 kg)FWAS1626
Lower Gun Deck30 French 36-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck32 French 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 French 8-Pounder
Forecastle8 French 8-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
6.17447866 officers, 780 menNNF-1715

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
29.4.1759 - 21.1.1760Capitaine de Vaisseauref:6721773Capitaine de VaisseauFWIKI8.1778 - 3.1780Chef d'Escadreref:631

4 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1747 - 14.10.1747Chef d'EscadreBNF11757Chef d'Escadreref:6311759Contre-AmiralFWIKI2.4.1778 - 16.8.1779Chef d'Escadreref:1275

4 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1747Lieutenant de Vaisseau, major d'escadreref:6731747Lieutenant de Vaisseau, premier lieutenantref:6731747Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:631aft.1.4.1778 - 1780Lieutenant de Vaisseauref:673

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1743Enseigne de Vaisseauref:6311759Enseigne de Vaisseauref:673

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1743Brigadier, Garde de Marineref:6311747Garde de la Marineref:6731747 - 25.10.1747Garde de la Marine, Garde du Pavillon†ref:63110.1747 - 1748Garde de la Marineref:6734.1763 - 6.1763Garde de la Marineref:673

Service History

DateEventSource
14.10.17472nd Battle of Cape Finisterre
1755

Started a refit at Brest Dockyard

FWAS1626
8.1757Louisbourg Expedition
20.11.1759Battle of Quiberon Bay
1770

Started a refit at Toulon Dockyard

FWAS1626
14.12.1778Battle of St. Lucia
6.7.1779Battle of Grenada
4.1780

Condemned at Rochefort

NNF-1715

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BNF1Onesime-Joachim Troude, Digital Book

FWAS1626Stephen S. Roberts, Rif Winfield, Book

FWIKIVarious, Web Site

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:1275 Web Site

ref:631 Web Site

ref:672 Web Site

ref:673 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Cy on Thursday 18th of July 2019 08:10

Thanks Albert, looks like a typo and has been corrected

Posted by Albert Parker on Wednesday 17th of July 2019 20:25

The source cited gives the length of Tonnant's gun deck as 168 French feet = 54.5729 meters = 179'½" British; so does Winfield and Roberts, French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1626-1786.

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