French ship Océan (1790)

"Océan" was a 118-gun first-rate three-decker ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.

She was ordered as "États de Bourgogne" and was launched at Brest in 1790. Like many French ships of the line during the Revolutionary period, she was renamed several times, becoming "Côte d'Or" in January 1793, "Montagne" in October 1793, and finally "Océan" in 1795. She served until 1855.

A large model at the 1/16th scale can be seen at the Musée de la Marine in Paris.

Career

As the largest ship of the line in the Brest fleet, the ship spent much of her early career as the fleet flagship.

As "Montagne", the ship was the flagship of Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse in the Combat de Prairial (known in English literature as the Glorious First of June) in 1794. She was badly damaged by the HMS "Royal Sovereign", losing 313 men and receiving 233 round shots in her hull.

On 17 May 1795, she was renamed "Peuple"; a month later, on the 23 of June she fought in the Battle of Groix as Villaret's flagship. Returning to Lorient three days later, she was (officially, since 30 of May the name "Océan" was used) renamed to "Océan".

She was refitted in Brest in 1797.

In 1801, she once again served as Villaret's flagship, ferrying troops of Leclerc's expedition to Saint-Domingue.

She was decommissioned on 2 August 1850, and used as a floating artillery battery from May 1851.

ee also