French ship Indivisible

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Alexandre.

Indivisible was a Tonnant-class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Capture of HMS Swiftsure by Indivisible and Dix-Août
History
France
Name	Indivisible
Builder	Brest
Laid down	May 1793
Launched	8 July 1799
Completed	October 1799
Renamed	Alexandre on 5 February 1803
Captured	On 6 February 1806 by the Royal Navy
United Kingdom
Name	Alexandre
Acquired	Captured on 6 February 1806
Reclassified	Powder hulk in 1808
Fate	Sold for breaking up on 16 May 1822
General characteristics
Class and type	80-gun Tonnant-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	2,231 49⁄94 bm
Length	195 ft 2 in (59.49 m) (gundeck) 158 ft 8 in (48.36 m) (keel)
Beam	51 ft 4.5 in (15.659 m)
Depth of hold	23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	590
Armament	French service: 30 × 36-pounder long guns 32 × 24-pounder long guns 18 × 12-pounder long guns 4 × obusiers de vaisseau British service: Lower deck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Upper deck: 28 × 18-pounder guns Quarterdeck: 4 × 12-pounder guns + 10 × 32-pounder carronades Forecastle: 2 × 12-pounder gun + 10 × 32-pounder carronades Roundhouse: 6 × 18-pounder carronades

Career

Originally named the Indivisible in 1793, she was commissioned in Toulon on 23 September 1800. On 18 March 1800, Captain Louis-Marie Le Gouardun took command, which he retained until 9 March 1801.

On 5 February 1803, she was renamed Alexandre, and recommissioned in Brest under Captain Leveyer.

In December, under Captain Garreau, she was part of Corentin Urbain Leissègues's squadron bound for San Domingo. She took part in the subsequent Battle of San Domingo, where she was badly damaged by the fire of HMS Superb, which left her adrift, her rigging shot off and her rudder destroyed. She was taken by HMS Spencer.

From 1808, the Royal Navy used her as a gunpowder hulk in Plymouth. Indivisible was eventually broken up in 1822.

References

• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours, 1671–1870. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
• Quintin, Danielle; Quintin, Bernard (2003). Dictionnaire des capitaines de Vaisseau de Napoléon (in French). S.P.M. ISBN 2-901952-42-9. OCLC 165892922.
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.