French ship Ça Ira (1781)

Model of Couronne, on display at the Château de Brest.
History
France
Name:	Ça-Ira
Builder:	Arsenal of Brest
Laid down:	May 1781
Launched:	August 1781
Christened:	1781 as La Couronne
Renamed:	Renamed Ça-Ira in 1792
Captured:	Captured by the Royal Navy on 14 March 1795
General characteristics
Class and type:	Saint-Esprit class ship of the line
Displacement:	1754 tonnes
Length:	59.8 m (196 ft)
Beam:	14.9 m (49 ft)
Draught:	7.5 m (25 ft)
Complement:	970
Armament:	80 guns: 30 × 36-pounder long guns 32 × 24-pounder long guns 18 × 18-pounder long guns

The Couronne was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Couronne was built at Brest, having been started in May 1781 and launched in August that year. She probably was built from the salvaged remains of her predecessor, Couronne, which had been accidentally burnt at the dockyard in April 1781. She had a refit at Toulon in 1784.

In 1792 she was renamed Ça Ira, in reference to the revolutionary anthem Ah! ça ira.

On 14 March 1795, she took part in the Battle of Genoa under Captain Coudé, in which a French squadron, under Admiral Pierre Martin, was pursued off Alassio by a superior British fleet consisting of 15 ships of the line under Lord Hotham. During the chase, around 9:00, Ça Ira ran afoul of Victoire, losing her fore and main topmasts and falling back of the French squadron. The frigate HMS Inconstant under Captain Thomas Fremantle caught up and engaged Ça Ira; Vestale came to help, fired distant broadsides at Inconstant and took Ça Ira in tow.Ça Ira began a heavy fire on Inconstant which forced her to retreat. At 10:45, HMS Agamemnon under Captain Horatio Nelson caught up and opened fire, shortly aided by HMS Captain; the artillery duel continued for four hours until French ships came to support Ça Ira, compelling Agamemnon to retreat.

During the night, Vestale was relieved by the 74-gun Censeur in towing the now dismasted Ça Ira. In the morning, the British fleet had come in windward; HMS Captain caught up and engaged the two French ships, which battered her for 1 hour and 15 minutes, leaving her severely damaged, in distress, and eventually to be towed away from the action. HMS Bedford came to reinforce Captain, and had her rigging also severely damaged. The British fire had also reduced Ça Ira and Censeur to an almost helpless state. The main of the French fleet attempted to come to the rescue of her rear again and seize the opportunity of the battered state of the British vanguard, but the lack of wind, incompetent French gunnery, and opposition by HMS Illustrious and HMS Courageux prevented any effective action. Only the Duquesne intervened, and had to retreat after she sustained damage and casualties [1]. Ça Ira and Censeur tried to fight but due to a false manoeuvre Ça Ira collided with Censeur; her rigging fell on Censeur, stranding both ships. As a favourable wind built up, the French squadron retreated, leaving Censeur and Ça Ira without hope of rescue. Men from Agamemnon boarded Ça Ira and captured her. Reduced to hulks, the French ships eventually struck. They were taken into Spezia Bay.