The War Times Journal Home Page
 

ADMIRALTY
FIGHTING SAIL WARFARE: 1750 - 1815

 
French Navy Ship Values
 

« France
The French Navy of this time went through several periods of improvement and decay. Following the Seven Years War, there was a renaissance in ship building technology, tactical studies and their application to the fleet. This was also a time when large French fleets could wander freely as they developed their handling skills. By the time of the American Revolution, British fleets found themselves partially outclassed, and the efficiency of the French fleet was a contributing factor in the general victory. French admirals however, continued to show a lack of the killer instinct needed to inflict devastating defeats on their enemies. The French Revolution changed things dramatically, with many experienced officers gone and a constantly shrinking pool of qualified seamen to draw upon, the navy's ranks were decimated and it took more than a decade to recover.

By the time of Trafalgar Napoleon had reassembled a surprising number of experienced and trained crews, but not nearly enough to compensate for the huge losses of the previous decade of upheaval. Nevertheless, the Fleet continued to be expanded after Trafalgar (France afterall, was still considered at the peak of military achievement at the time) and by 1810 it had enough ships to have become a threat again. One British observer commented that no sooner was Trafalgar over than France drew upon the newly tapped resources of the continent, and from the forests to the ports a new fleet sprang into existence. During the 10 years after Trafalgar, the blockading ships of the Royal Navy watched anxiously as this new French fleet came into being and threatened to again outnumber them. By 1811 experienced French naval officers were becoming more aggressive, launching successful sorties in the Mediteranean – including the indomptable Captain Lucas of Trafalgar fame, who lived on to fight (and train) another day. The naval war was not all the pushover later sensationlized in fiction.

French Navy ships may use wide angle broadside arcs for the N (Napoleonic) period only.

Rating Name Gun Dice Hulll Size Speed Notes Era
118 Océan, Orient, Commerce de Marseille, Majestueux, Impérial, Austerlitz, Wagram, Royal-Louis, Montebello, Héros, Souverain, Trocadéro, Friedland, Ville-de-Paris. 609 Stout 3 Heavy Slow Later 249+2 for N era FR, N
110 Terrible, Majestueux 609 Stout 3 Heavy Slow Later 509+3 for FR era AWI, FR
80 Bucentaure, Neptune, Robuste, Ville de Varsovie, Donawerth, Eylau, Friedland, Sceptre, Tilsitt, Auguste, Pacificateur , Illustre, Diadem, Conquérant, Zélandais. 209+1 Regular 2 Heavy Fast   N
80 Tonnant, Indomptable, Sans Pareil, Formidable, Guillaume Tell, Franklin, Indivisible, Foudroyant. 309 Regular 2 Heavy Fast FR, N
74 Vétéran, Cassard. 208 Weak 2 Heavy Fast   N
74 Téméraire, Audacieux, Superbe, Achille, Généreux, Commerce de Bordeaux, Ferme, Fougueux, Patriote, Commerce de Marseille, Borée, Orion, Léopard, Entreprenant, Impétueux, América, Apollon, Duquesne, Duguay-Trouin, Tourville, Aquilon, Jupiter, Éole, Vengeur, Jean Bart, Polonais, Tonnerre. 244 Regular 2 Heavy Fast Later 144+2 for N era FR, N
40 Hortense, Hermione, Pomone, Manche, Caroline, Pauline, Corona.
Pallas, Elbe, Amélie Clorinde, Renommée, Élisa, Favorita, Astrée, Fidèle, Adrienne, Nymphe, Iphigénie, Méduse, Pregel, Ariane, Médée, Andromaque, Ijssel, Carolina, Princesse de Bologne, Gloire, Meuse, Terpsichore, Érigone, Aréthuse, Jahde, Trave, Weser, Melpomène, Rubis, Ems, Atalante, Cérès, Piave, Dryade, Sultane, Étoile, Rancune, Amphitrite.
140+2 Weak 1 Light Fast N


 
  Copyright © 1996-2010 by The War Times Journal at www.wtj.com. All rights reserved.
All games shown here may be freely downloaded for personal use only. Not for resale or any other commercial venture not authorized by The War Times Journal.