French ship Hercule (1798)
| File:Fight of the Poursuivante mp3h9426.jpg Fight of the Poursuivante - 28th of June 1803, by Louis-Philippe Crépin (detail) The Hercule, serving in the Royal Navy, receives raking fire | |
| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Hercule |
| Namesake: | Hercules |
| Ordered: | 14 August 1793 |
| Builder: | Lorient shipyard |
| Launched: | 5 December 1797 |
| Captured: | 21 April 1798 |
| Career (UK) |  |
| Name: | HMS Hercule |
| Namesake: | Hercules |
| Acquired: | 21 March 1798 |
| Struck: | 1810 |
| Fate: | Broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Téméraire class ship of the line |
| Displacement: | 2900 tonnes |
| Length: | 55.87 metres (172 French feet) |
| Beam: | 14.90 metres (44' 6) |
| Draught: | 7,26 metres (22 French feet) |
| Propulsion: | Up to 2485 m² of sails |
| Complement: | 3 officers + 690 men |
| Armament: |
74 guns:
|
| Armour: | Timber |
The Hercule was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.
During her maiden journey, on 21 April 1798, and just 24 hours out of port, she was captured by the British ship HMS Mars after a violent fight, off Île de Sein near Brest. Hercule attempted to escape through the Passage du Raz, but the tide was running in the wrong direction, and she was forced to anchor, giving the British the chance to attack at close quarters. The two ships were of equal force, both seventy-fours, but Hercule was newly commissioned; after more than an hour and a half of bloody fighting at close quarters she struck her colours at 10.30 pm, having lost - by her own officers' estimate - 290 men killed and wounded. On Mars 31 men were killed and 60 wounded. Both captains, Alexander Hood and Louis L’Héritier, died in the fight.
The Hercule was recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Hercule.
On 28 June 1803, HMS Hercule encountered the French frigates Poursuivante and Mignonne. The Hercule attempted to capture the Poursuivante, but the frigate out-manoeuvred her and she received raking fire. The incident was immortalised in a painting by Louis-Philippe Crépin.
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