Bucentaure

Type

Ship of the Line

Period

19th Century

Nation

France

Overview: Bucentaure was an 80/86-gun French ship of the line and the lead ship of the Bucentaure class, designed by naval architect Jacques-Noël Sané. She is best known as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, commander-in-chief of the Combined Franco-Spanish Fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Specifications: According to Wikipedia's technical data, she displaced 3,868 tonneaux, measured about 59.26 m (194 ft 5 in) on the gundeck with a 14 m (45 ft 11 in) beam and 6 m (19 ft 8 in) draught, and carried a complement of 840. Her armament comprised 86 guns: 30 x 36-pounders, 32 x 24-pounders, 18 x 12-pounders, and 6 x 36-pounder howitzers. Service History: Laid down at the Arsenal de Toulon in 1802 and launched in July 1803, she entered service in 1804 and was first the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche-Tréville, who died aboard her in August 1804, before becoming Villeneuve's flagship. At Trafalgar, commanded by Captain Jean-Jacques Magendie, she held a central position in the Franco-Spanish line; HMS Victory broke the line just astern of her and raked her stern at close range, and one especially devastating shot from a carronade loaded with a roundshot and 500 musket balls swept away much of her stern structure. She lost 197 killed and 85 wounded, including Magendie, before surrendering to Captain James Atcherly of HMS Conqueror after roughly three hours of close engagement. Notable Facts: The ship was named after the Venetian ceremonial state barge Bucintoro (Bucentaur), which Napoleon had destroyed after the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, and she reportedly carried a figurehead depicting the mythical bucentaur creature. After capture she was taken in tow by Conqueror, but a storm and a failed recapture attempt by her prize crew led to her running aground on rocks near the Santa Catalina fort at Cádiz on 23 October 1805, where she was wrecked with heavy loss of life among the prize crew and prisoners.