Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (1769)

The Spanish ship "Santísima Trinidad" (officially named "Santisima Trinidad y Nuestra Señora del Buen Fin") was a first-rate ship of the line of 120 guns, later increased to 140 guns on four decks. For many years she was the largest warship in the world.

Design & construction

She was built at Havana, Cuba, to a design by Irish naval architect Matthew Mullan and launched in 1769 as an 120-gun three-decker (some sources say 116 or 112 guns). She was considerably larger than her British contemporary "Victory" and somewhat bigger than the French "Bretagne".

There is no complete plan of the ship in existence, but there are of the 112-gun ship from 1765, which might be found the original dimensions of the ship : (the next dimension are in feet of Burgos (278,6 mm), and metres.)length = 213 2/3 (59,53), keel= 182 5/12 (50,82), beam= 57 3/4 (16,09), depth= 28 11/12 (8,06). "For exact figures, and those in the General characteristics frame, see: José Cayuela Fernandez - Trafalgar, hombres y naves entre dos épocas - Ariel 2004".

In 1795, her forecastle was joined to her quarterdeck to create a fourth deck containing a battery of eight pounder guns, giving her a total of 140 guns. Her armament seems to have been quickly reduced to 130 to 136 guns, but she still carried more guns than any other ship of her time. As the only ship with four gun decks, she was reputed to be the largest warship in the world, until surpassed in sheer size by the new type French 120-gun ships such as the "Océan" (1790) and "Orient (1791)".

The weight of the additional guns, so high above her waterline, made her sail poorly, leading to her nickname, "El Ponderoso". ["El Ponderoso", "the ponderous" is a pun on "el poderoso", "the mighty".] It was even suggested that she would best serve the country by being restricted to the defense of the Bay of Cádiz.

"Santísima Trinidad" remains famous as one of the few four-decker ships of the line ever built. The U.S. Navy constructed the four-deck, 136-gun USS|Pennsylvania|1837|2, and the Royal Navy planned but did not actually build the four-deck "Duke of Kent".

ervice

In July 1779, Spain declared war on Great Britain, joining France in support of the American colonists in the American War of Independence. "Santísima Trinidad" became the flagship of the Spanish fleet, taking part in the Franco-Spanish operations in the English Channel in the late summer of that year.

In 1780 she took part in the capture of an English convoy of 51 ships.

In 1782 she was incorporated into the Mediterranean Squadron, participating in the second siege of Gibraltar and she fought in the brief and indecisive Battle of Cape Spartel.

In 1795, she was modified by the addition of extra 8-pounder guns on a new deck between her forecastle and quarterdeck.

In 1797, she was the flagship of Teniente General José de Córdoba, the Spanish commander, at Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797, where she was badly damaged and nearly captured by the British fleet. She was first in action with the British ship "Captain" (74), commanded by Commodore Nelson, and "Culloden" (74). She was then attacked by the "Blenheim" (90), "Orion" (74), "Irresistible" (74) and "Excellent" (74). By now she was severely damaged, having lost all her masts and with half of her crew killed or wounded. She struck her colours, but the British failed to take possession and she was saved by the "Pelayo" (74) and "Principe de Asturias" (112). Several days later, "Santísima Trinidad" was spotted, still damaged, making her way back to Spain, and engaged by the frigate "Terpsichore" (32), but she escaped. She eventually returned to Cadiz for repairs.

Eight years later, commanded by Francisco Javier Uriarte and Rear Admiral Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, she took part in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21 1805, as part of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet. Her great size and position immediately ahead of the fleet flagship "Bucentaure" made her a target for the British fleet, and she came under concentrated attack by several ships. She lost her mast and eventually surrendered to the "Neptune", commanded by Captain Thomas Fremantle. She was taken in tow by the "Prince", but sank in a storm the day after the battle having been scuttled by her British captors.

Replicas

A full-size replica model [ [http://www.eltrinidad.es. barco restaurante-barco discoteca-santisimatrinidad-puerto malaga ] ] of the "Santísima Trinidad" can be seen and visited in the harbour of Málaga, in Spain.

A non-profit non-governmental Canadian association, the Friends of Santísima Trinidad [http://www.friendsofsantisimatrinidad.org/theproject.htm] , is assisting the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana, Cuba with the construction of a new 1:25 four-metre-long scale model of La Santísima Trinidad. Interior construction details will be exposed on one side of the vessel, and visitors will be able to use a computer interface and touch screen to take a virtual tour of the ship in Spanish, English, and French. The model will be displayed in the Naval Museum of La Habana, opened in June 2008 at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the oldest building in Cuba and the oldest stone fortress in the New World.

Not to be confused with

* Santísima Trinidad y Nuestra Señora del Buen Fin, a Manila Galleon, captured by the British in the Battle of Manila (1762).

ources & references

*John D. Harbron "Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy" (1988) ISBN 0870216953
*José Cayuela Fernandez - "Trafalgar, hombres y naves entre dos épocas" - Ariel (Barcelona) 2004 ISBN 84344676070(ref) "Amigos del Santisima Trinidad"

External links

* [http://santisima-trinidad.astillero.net More info with pictures of models]
* [http://www.royal-navy.org/adversary/content/view/4/4/]
* [http://www.eltrinidad.es Web of the new ship]
* [http://www.friendsofsantisimatrinidad.org Web of the Canadian non-profit association, pictures of the construction of the model, history facts and other events]