French ship Languedoc (1766)
The Languedoc, dismasted by the storm the night of the 12th, attacked by HMS Renown the afternoon of 13 August 1778
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| History | |
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.svg){kind=small}   France
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| Namesake: | Languedoc |
| Builder: | Arsenal of Toulon |
| Laid down: | 1764 |
| Launched: | 15 May 1766 |
| In service: | 17 January 1778 |
| Renamed: |
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| Fate: | Scuttled in Venice |
| 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: | 670 |
| Armament: |
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The Languedoc was a ship of the line of the French Navy and flagship of Admiral d'Estaing. She was offered to King Louis XV by the Languedoc, as part of the Don des vaisseaux, a national effort to rebuild the navy after the Seven Years' War. She was designed by the naval architect Joseph Coulomb, and funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the Estates of Languedoc.
Ordered in Toulon, Languedoc took several years to complete due to a lack of timber in the shipyard, already busy building Zélé and Bourgogne, and with the orders of Marseillois and Provence in queue.
In 1776, France decided to intervene in the American War of Independence. Admiral d'Estaing was ordered to bring the fleet to the Americas. He set his flag on the Languedoc, after her upgrade to 90 guns. His 12-ship fleet set sail on the 18 April 1778. The fleet reached New York on 8 July 1778, and Languedoc landed the French chargé d'affaires.
On the 10th of August, the French fleet encountered the English fleets of Admirals Howe and Byron. A tempest broke out, and the Languedoc lost her rigging and steering. The 50-gun Renown raked her, but she was saved by the timely arrival of a French squadron led by Suffren.
The Languedoc took part in the Battle of St. Lucia, an abortive attempt to recapture St Lucia from the British in December 1778. The Languedoc then took part in the conquest of Grenada, in July 1779.
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