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« 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 |
|
