French ship Royal Louis (1692)

The Royal Louis was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, designed and constructed by François Coulomb. She replaced an earlier ship of the same name.

Contemporary model of the Royal Louis, on display at the Musée de la Marine
History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NamesakeLouis XIV of France
BuilderFrançois Coulomb, Toulon Dockyard
Laid down9 April 1692
Launched22 September 1692
CompletedMay 1693
Out of service1723
Stricken1723
FateBroken up 1727
General characteristics
Class and typeFirst Rank ship of the line
Tonnage2600
Displacement3928 French tons[a]
Length174 French feet[b]
Beam48 French feet (15.59 m)
Draught21 - 26 French feet (6.82 - 8.45 m)
Depth of hold23 French feet (7.47 m)
Complement1,050 in wartime; 990 in peacetime
Armament
Armourtimber

Following completion in 1693, the 48-pounder guns on her lower deck were replaced by 36-pounders. She initially had 6-pounder guns, later replaced by 8-pounders, and 4-pounders, replaced by 6-pounders.

Brest Dockyard noted in 1715 that she was usable only in summertime and her upperworks were beginning to rot. She was condemned in 1723 at Brest and broken up there in 1727.

Notes

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  1. ^ The French pre-metric ton was 0.9635% of the English ton.
  2. ^ The French pre-metric foot was 6.575% longer than the English foot.

References

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  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. p. 223. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  • Nomenclature des Vaisseaux du Roi-Soleil de 1661 a 1715. Alain Demerliac (Editions Omega, Nice – various dates).
  • The Sun King's Vessels (2015) – Jean-Claude Lemineur; English translation by François Fougerat. Editions ANCRE. ISBN 978-2903179885
  • Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen (2017) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1626-1786: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4738-9351-1.