by Sam Willis
Hayen (20)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1793, Copenhagen Size 1128 tons (Danish) Armament 20x18 Complement 175 Complement in the action unknown, under Jochum N. Muller Casualties 7 killed, 6 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Floating battery. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Hiaelperen (22)
Built and launched 1787, Bodenhoffs Plads Size 852 tons (Danish) Armament 16x36, 2x12, 4x150 [sic] mortars Complement 238 Complement in the action 269 under Peter C. Lillienskjold Casualties 3 died of wounds, 3 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Frigate in good condition. Sources ADM 43/48; Pope.
Holsteen (60)
Dispatch folio 123 Name in RN service Holstein to 1805, then perhaps to Nassau Built and launched 1772, Nyholm Size 2020 tons (Danish); 1394 74/94 tons BOM Armament 24x24, 24x12, 12x8 Armament in RN service GD 26x24, UD 24x18, QD 12x24cr Complement 475 Complement in the action 400 under Jacob Arenfeldt Complement in RN service 491 Casualties 12 killed, 4 died of wounds, 49 wounded Purchased for £16,035 10s 5d Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Brought to Sheerness, by May 1801; then Chatham, 16 October 1802 Fate Hospital ship until she reached England; purchased, May 1801; commissioned, 1805, and served in the North Sea and at Copenhagen, 1807; prison ship at Chatham, 1810–14; sold there, 3 November 1814. Notes Blockship. Renamed to Nassau only in Lyon. Sources ADM 43/48; ADM 106/2227; James; Lyon; Pope; Tracy; Winfield.
Indfødsretten (64)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1776, Nyholm Size 2032 tons (Danish) Armament 26x24, 26x12, 12x8 Complement 368 Complement in the action 394 under Albert de Thura Casualties 21 killed, 6 died of wounds, 35 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Blockship. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Jylland (54)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1760, Nyholm Size 2358 tons (Danish) Armament mostly 24 Complement 425 Complement in the action 371 under Eric O. Brandt Casualties 28 killed, 7 died of wounds, 36 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Blockship. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Prøvesteenen (58)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1767, Nyholm Size 3208 tons (Danish) Armament 30x36, 28x24 Complement 382 Complement in the action 529 under Lorentz F. Lassen Casualties 40 killed, 8 died of wounds, 27 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Surrendered and burnt. Notes Blockship with two gun decks. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Rendsborg (22)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1786, Bodenhoffs Plads Size 504 tons (Danish) Armament 22x24 Complement 211 Complement in the action 221 under Christian T. Egede Casualties 28 killed, 43 wounded, 7 missing Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Driven on the shoals and burnt. Notes Blockship. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Sælland (74)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1787, Nyholm Size 2630 tons (Danish) Armament 30x24, 30x18, 14x8 Complement 640 Complement in the action 553 under Frederik C. L. Harboe Casualties 39 killed, 17 died of wounds, 108 wounded, 20 missing Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Unrigged two-decked ship. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Søhesten (20)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1795, Bodenhoffs Plads Armament 20x24 Complement 190 Complement in the action 126 under Bernhart U. Middelboe Casualties 12 killed, 7 died of wounds, 14 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt. Notes Floating battery. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Sværdfisken (18)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1764, Gammelholm Size 466 tons (Danish) Armament 18x24 Complement 190 Complement in the action 176 under Soren S. Sommerfeldt Casualties 18 killed, 4 died of wounds, 15 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Burnt Notes Floating battery. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Wagrien (52)
Dispatch folio 123 Built and launched 1773, Nyholm Size 2020 tons (Danish) Armament 52x24 Complement 273 Complement in the action 261 under Friderich C. Risbrich Casualties 21 killed, 7 died of wounds, 35 wounded Bounty awarded £30,393 15s 0d for the whole fleet Fate Surrendered and burnt. Notes Blockship. Sources ADM 43/48; James; Pope; Tracy.
Trafalgar, 21 October 1805 and Cosmao-Kerjulien’s sortie, 23 October 1805
Achille (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Taken by Prince Built and launched 5 November 1802 to February 1805, Rochefort; launched 17 or 18 November 1804 Size 1505 / not given / 3004 tonnes; 1929 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 12x8 + 4x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x18, QD 12x8, FC 6x8, poop 4 or 6x36 brass howitzers (or 74 guns: x36, x18, x12) Complement 16 officers, 690 men Complement in the action 766 men under Louis Gabrielle Denieport or 755 (490 naval, 215 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 480 (Roche) or 516 (Demerliac) or 621 (testimony of the survivors) killed Bounty awarded £3,873 1s 9d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate After five or six hours in action she caught fire and exploded, with 158 survivors (Adkin, Demerliac and Roche) or 145 (testimony of the survivors) or about 100 (Gardiner) saved by the boats of the Prince and others. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Roche.
Aigle (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Taken by Defiance Built and launched December 1794 to February 1801, Rochefort; launched 6 July 1800 Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes; 1929 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 4x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 6x8 (or 74 guns: x36, x18, x8) Complement 17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 729 men under Pierre Paulin Gourreges (495 naval, 215 infantry, 45 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 400 killed and wounded Bounty awarded £3,686 0s 1d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Driven onto the rocks off Puerto Santa Maria on 25 October, with 50–100 sailors on board. The wreck was sold for 5,825 piastres. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Goodwin; Roche.
Algésiras (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Algeziras Nationality French Taken by Tonnant Built and launched 20 July or August 1801 to 27 August or September 1804, Lorient; launched 8 July 1804 Size 1480 / not given / 2900 tonnes; 1896 22/94 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 4x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr Complement 17 officers, 706 men Complement in the action 755 under Laurent Le Tourneur (490 naval, 215 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 77 killed, 142/3 wounded Fate The prize crew released the French crew in the night of 22/23 October to save the ship and she was brought to Cadiz, the prize crew becoming prisoners; 14 June 1808 taken by the Spanish and renamed Algeciras; accidentally holed below the waterline while being careened at Cadiz, 1826. Sources Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Roche.
Argonauta (80)
Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Argonaute Nationality Spanish Taken by Belleisle Built and launched 1798, Ferrol Armament 30x24, 32x18, 14x8, 4x8, poop 4x18cr Armament in the action LD 30x32, UD 32x18, QD 8x12, FC 2x12, and 8x32cr (or 92 guns: x36, x18, x12, inc. 14cr x24 and x32) Complement 802 Complement in the action 745 men under Antonio de Pareja or 798 (458 naval, 279 infantry, 61 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 100 killed, 200 wounded Bounty awarded £3,766 18s 1d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Scuttled between 28 and 30 October by the Ajax. Notes Not to be confused with the French Argonaute, which escaped. De Pareja commanded the Perla at St Vincent. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; James; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron.
Bahama (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Taken by Colossus Built and launched 1784, Havana Size 1786 75/94 tons BOM (surveyed for purchase as 1772 15/94) Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x18cr (or 74 guns: x24, x18, x8) Armament in RN service LD 28x32, UD 30x18, QD 6x12 + 2x32cr, FC 2x12 + 2x32cr Complement 510 Complement in the action 650 men under Dionisio Alcala Galiano Complement in RN service 640 Casualties 75 killed, 67 wounded (Adkin), or 100 killed, 150 wounded (Harbron), or 400 killed and wounded (Gardiner) Purchased for £11,077 5s 0d (including copper sheathing and nails at £1,503 and anchors and iron ballast at £634 5s 0d) Bounty awarded £3,286 11s 3d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Brought to Portsmouth, then Chatham, 12 June 1806 Fate Towed to Gibraltar by the Orion; purchased, August 1806, but repairs estimated at £35,000 and not fitted for sea by the RN; hulked at Chatham as a prison ship, April 1807; paid off, October 1814 and broken up there, December 1814. Notes Also known as San Cristobal. Galiano had commanded the Desaibierta for Malaspina’s circumnavigation. Sources ADM 2/310; ADM 43/53; ADM 106/2239; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron; Winfield.
Berwick (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Taken by Achilles Built and launched May 1769 to 19 May 1778, Portsmouth; launched 18 April 1774 Size c. 1400 / 2700 / c. 2700 tonnes; 1622 56/94 tons BOM Armament 28x32, 28x16, 18x9 Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x24, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr (or 74 guns: x32, x16, x9) Complement 16 officers, 650/690 men Complement in the action 728 men (including 391 soldiers) under Jean Gilles Filhol-Camas or 755 (495 naval, 215 infantry, 45 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 51 killed, c. 200 wounded Bounty awarded £3,680 19s 0d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Towed by Britannia but cast off, 23 October, and wrecked off San Lucar, 27 October, when her prisoners cut her cables; 61 were saved by boats of the Donegal but about 200 died. Notes Originally captured by a French squadron off Cape Corse, 7 March 1795. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; James; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Roche; Winfield.
Bucentaure (80)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Taken by Conqueror Built and launched 22 November 1802 to January 1804, Toulon; launched 13 or 14 July 1803 Size c. 1800 / 2000 / 3750 tonnes Armament 30x36, 32x24, 18x12 + 6x36 obusiers Armament in the action LD 30x36, UD 32x24, QD 12x8, FC 6x8, poop 6x36 howitzers Complement 17 officers, 849 men Complement in the action 853 men under Jean-Jacques Magendie or 888 (580 naval, 248 infantry, 60 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 197 killed, 85 wounded (Demerliac), or 209 or 400 killed and wounded (Gardiner, Roche); around 500 survivors were rescued by the Indomptable but many died in her wreck Bounty awarded £4,312 19s 7d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Retaken from the prize crew but ‘driven on shore and wrecked near the Tower of Cadiz’, 23 October. Notes Demerliac records that the final toll after the wreck of the Indomptable was 274 dead including 209 in the action. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Roche.
Fougueux (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Feugeux Nationality French Taken by Temeraire Built and launched October 1782, Lorient; dismantled February and March 1783; rebuilt November 1784 to end 1785; launched 21 July 1785 Size 1537 / 1550 / 2996 tonnes; 1886 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 6x8, poop 4x36cr (or 74 guns: x36, x18, x8 and 4x36cr) Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 682 men under Louis-Alexis Baudouin or 755 (495 naval, 215 infantry, 45 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 546 killed and wounded; 560 or 562 killed in total after she sank (including 30 men from the Temeraire), with 120 survivors Bounty awarded £3,448 7s 3d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Wrecked on the reefs of Santi-Pietri, 22 October. Notes The oldest French ship at Trafalgar, and the first prize to be lost. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Roche.
Indomptable (84)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Built and launched September 1788 to February 1791, Brest; launched 20 December 1790 Size 2000–2034 / 2000 / 3868 tonnes Armament (from 1800) 30x36, 32x24, 18x12 + 4x36 obusiers + 6x1 perriers Armament in the action LD 30x36, UD 32x24, QD 12x12, FC 12x12, poop 6x36cr Complement 17 officers, 866 men Complement in the action 800 men under Jean-Joseph Hubert or 887 (580 naval, 247 infantry, 60 marine artillery) (Adkin) Bounty awarded £4,045 0s 0d by Treasury order; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Escaped the battle but sortied on 23 October and sank off Rota on 24 October with the loss of around 1,000 men (from her crew and from the Bucentaure); about 180 survivors. Notes Not usually considered a prize but included here because the Admiralty paid head money for her. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Roche.
Intrépide (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Intrepide Nationality French Taken by Orion Built and launched 1788–90, Ferrol, as Intrepido; transferred to the French under the Treaty of San Ildefonso Size c. 1450 / not given / 2784 tonnes Armament 28x24, 30x18, 16x8 Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x18, QD 12x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x36cr (or 74 guns: x24, x18, x8) Complement c. 17 officers, 700 men Complement in the action 637 men under Louis Antoine Cyprian Infernet or 745 (480 naval, 215 infantry, 50 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 200 (Demerliac) or 242 (Adkin) or 306 (Gardiner) killed and wounded Bounty awarded £3,220 16s 7d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Burnt and sunk, 24 October, by the Britannia. Infernet was unharmed in the action; he was taken prisoner, exchanged six months later and decorated with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. Notes Struck her colours with eight feet of water in the hold. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; James; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron; Roche.
Monarca (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Name in dispatches Minorca Nationality Spanish Taken by Bellerophon Built and launched 1794, Ferrol Armament 28x24, 30x18, 14x8, 4x8 Armament in the action LD 28x24, UD 30x24, QD 14x8, FC 4x8, poop 4x18cr (or 74 guns: x24) Complement 510 Complement in the action 640 men under Teodoro de Argumosa or 667 (370 naval, 243 infantry, 54 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 100 killed, 150 wounded Bounty awarded £3,236 0s 0d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Ran onshore at Arena Gordos with 170 Spanish on board, 25 October. Notes She first struck to the Tonnant but drifted away and re-hoisted her colours. Also appears in the Admiralty records as Monorca. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron.
Neptuno (80)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Taken by Minotaur and Spartiate Built and launched 1795, Ferrol Size 1753 tons BOM Armament 28x24, 30x18, 14x8, 4x8 Armament in the action LD 30x32, UD 32x18, QD 8x12, FC 2x12, and 18cr (or 84 guns) Complement 642 Complement in the action 800 men under Cayetano Valdes y Flores Bazan (445 naval, 285 infantry, 70 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 12 killed, 47 wounded (Harbron), 42 killed, 47 wounded (Gardiner); 37 killed and 47 wounded when she struck (Valdes) Bounty awarded £4,045 0s 0d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Retaken by sortie, 23 October; wrecked in Cadiz Bay, and burnt, 31 October. Notes Not to be confused with the French Neptune. Valdes commanded the Pelayo (74) at St Vincent. The Neptuno was the last t
o surrender. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron.
Rayo (100)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality Spanish Taken by Donegal Built and launched 1749, Havana, as the San Pedro (80) Armament (as 80): 30x36, 30x28, 20x8; (as 100): 30x36, 32x18, 10x18, 16x8, 6x8, 6x18cr Armament in the action LD 30x36, UD 32x18, spar deck 10x18, QD 16x8, FC 6x8, poop 6x18cr (or 94 guns: x36, x24, x8, x6) Complement (as 80): 670: (as 100): 830 Complement in the action 812 men under Enrique MacDonnell (407 naval, 362 infantry, 61 marine artillery) (Adkin), 812 at the time of her capture Casualties 1 killed, 11 wounded (Harbron); 18 casualties (Gardiner) Bounty awarded £4,105 13s 6d; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Escaped the battle but sortied on 23 October; captured on the 24th; wrecked on the 26th near San Lucar, and burnt 31 October. Notes Rebuilt as a 100-gun ship, 1803. The oldest ship at Trafalgar, and the only First Rate in the van division. Testimony to the prize court: ‘sailed from Cadiz on the nineteenth day of October . . . were engaged by a British fleet [and] after an engagement of nearly six hours they restor’d and got into Cadiz; that the twenty third day of October they were again ordered out to assist some of the ships of the Combined Fleet that were dismasted, in the execution of which, they were attacked’ and taken on the 24th by the Donegal, which had been sent to Gibraltar for water and so missed Trafalgar. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin; Harbron.
Redoubtable (74)
Dispatch folio 248 Nationality French Taken by Victory and Temeraire Built and launched January 1790 to December 1792, Brest; launched 31 May 1791 as Suffren Size 1537 / 1550 / 3069 tonnes; 1929 tons BOM Armament 28x36, 30x18, 16x8 + 6x36 obusiers + 6x1 perriers Armament in the action LD 28x36, UD 30x18, QD 14x8, FC 6x8, poop 4x36cr (or 86 guns: x36, x18, x8 inc. 14 carronades) Complement 13–17 officers, 690/706 men Complement in the action 643 men under Jean-Jacques Etienne Lucas (403 naval, 200 infantry, 40 marine artillery) (Adkin) Casualties 490 killed, 81 wounded (Demerliac) or 474 killed, 70 wounded (Gardiner); Lucas reported 300 killed and 222 seriously wounded Bounty awarded £3,257 3s 4d by Treasury order; and £300,000 ‘for the use of the officers and seamen who had been engaged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar’ Fate Badly damaged in the battle and on 22 October in tow of the Swiftsure; 119 men were saved by her boats between 5 and 5.15pm, before high seas prevented further rescue, and she sank about 10pm; 192 drowned including 18 men from the Swiftsure. Survivors were found on three rafts on 23 October; 169 (in total) escaped including 134 wounded, the greatest loss of any Trafalgar ship. Notes Name changed to Redoutable in May 1794. Lucas was exchanged in 1806 and awarded the Gold Cross of the Legion of Honour. Sources ADM 43/53; Hansard, 23 May 1806 vol. 7 c349; Adkin; Demerliac; Gardiner, The Campaign of Trafalgar; Goodwin.