HMS Invincible (1747)

"L'Invincible" was a 74-gun French ship of the line, later a third-rate of the Royal Navy.

During the early part of the 18th century British ship designers had made few significant advances in design, whereas French shipbuilding benefited from a remarkably creative period. At the time of the capture of "L'Invincible", there was not one 74-gun ship in the Royal Navy. By 1805 at the battle of Trafalgar, three quarters of British ships of the line were of this singular design and the 74-gun ship had become the backbone of all major navies of the world.

"L'Invincible" was one of the first trio of a new and longer type of 74-gun ships. Until 1738, French 74s had been little more than 154 (French) feet in gundeck length, carrying just thirteen pairs of 36-pdr guns on the lower deck, fourteen pairs of 18-pdr guns on the upper deck and eight pairs of 8-pdr guns on the quarterdeck and forecastle, with the balance of the 74 guns made up of four small 4-pdr guns on the poop.

This was changed by Francois Coulomb's design for "Le Terrible", launched in 1739 at Toulon. The gundeck length was stretched to 164 (French) feet, and the four small guns on the poop were eliminated, replaced by new gunports for an additional pair of 36-pdr guns on the lower deck and an extra pair of 18-pdr guns on the upper deck. This new gun establishment became the standard for all subsequent French 74s. The next two ships, "L'Invincible" designed by Pierre Morineau and "Le Magnanime" designed by Blaise Geslain, were begun in early 1741 at Toulon and were each even longer than "Le Terrible".

At the First Battle of Cape Finisterre (14 May 1747) during the War of the Austrian Succession, "L'Invincible" was escorting a convoy of merchant ships when she was sighted by the British channel fleet of 16 ships of the line, which gave chase. "L'Invincible" attacked the British ships to give the convoy a chance to escape, and alone engaged six British warships. In the end with most of her crew dead or wounded she struck her colours. Gracious in defeat, the French Commander, Saint-Georges, handed his sword to Admiral George Anson.

HMS "Invincible" sank in February 1758 when she hit a sandbank in the East Solent. The wreck site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act on 30 September 1980. In 1996 "Amer Ved" grounded at the wrecksite, although it is not clear whether or not this resulted in damage to the remains.

References

*Lavery, Brian (2003) "The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850." Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.