History | |
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France | |
Name: | Robuste |
Namesake: | "Robust" |
Ordered: | 26 March 1805 |
Builder: | Toulon |
Laid down: | April 1805 |
Launched: | 30 October 1806 |
Fate: | Scuttled on 26 October 1809 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Bucentaure-class |
Type: | ship of the line |
Length: |
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Beam: | 15.27 m (50.10 ft) |
Depth of hold: | 7.63 m (25.03 ft) |
Propulsion: | Sail |
Sail plan: | 2,683 m2 (28,879.57 sq ft) |
Complement: | 866 |
Armament: |
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The Robuste was an 80-gun Bucentaure-class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Jacques-Noël Sané.
She was commissioned under Captain Louis-Antoine-Cyprien Infernet, and was later captained by Julien Cosmao.
From April 1809, she was the flagship of a squadron.
In late 1809, Vice-Admiral Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume was organising shipment of reinforcements to Barcelona. Robuste became the flagship of a squadron under Julien Cosmao, along with Donawerth, Génois, Borée and Lion, as well as the frigates Pauline and Pénélope, and a dozen of transports. The fleet departed Toulon on 24 April 1809, and returned on 1 May without incident.
In October, the squadron attempted another ferry, under Rear-Admiral François Baudin. On 21 October the French were detected by HMS Pomone, which reported to Lord Collingwood's squadron. Collingwood sent his three frigates as a vanguard and sailed with 15 ships of the line to intercept the French. On the morning of 23 October HMS Volontaire detected and reported the French squadron's position.