French ship Ça Ira
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 Fight of the Ça Ira off Noli on the 14 March 1795 |
|
| Career France |    |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Arsenal of Brest |
| Laid down: | 1781 |
| Launched: | |
| Christened: | 1781 as La Couronne |
| Renamed: | Renamed Ça-Ira in 1792 |
| Captured: | Captured by the Royal Navy on the 14 March 1795 |
| Reinstated: | rebuilt in 1784 in Toulon |
| Status: | Destroyed in an accidental fire |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 63 m |
| Beam: | 16,50 m |
| Draught: | Unknown |
| Speed: | |
| Complement: | 950 |
| Armament: | 80 guns |
The Couronne was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. In 1792, she was renamed Ça Ira, in reference to the revolutionary anthem Ah! ça ira.
On the 13 March 1795, the Ça Ira, under Captain Coudé was part of a French squadron of 13 ships, under contre-amiral Martin. Off Alassio, the French met a 15-ship English fleet under Lord Hotham. Outnumbered, they tried to avoid combat, but while manoeuvering, the Ça Ira collided with the Victoire and damaged her rigging; she found herself upwind and was soon attacked by the English fleet, forcing the French squadron and engage in combat.
The Ça Ira was attacked by the frigate HMS Inconstante under Captian Thomas Fremantle and the HMS Agamemnon under captain Horatio Nelson, repelling them but sustaining heavy damage. The French gunners prooved particularly clumsy, failing to hit the Agamemnon while she managed to outmanoeuver and rack the Ça Ira from the aft. The French frigate Vestale and the ship Censeur came to rescue, fighting the whole English vanguard.
The next day, the Ça Ira and Censeur were lagging behind the French squadron, and the English advanced to capture them. Admiral Martin tried to intervene, but failed due to unfavourable wind and incompetent gunners. The Ça Ira and Censeur tried to fight, but due to a false manoeuver, the Ça Ira collided with the Censeur; her rigging fell on the Censeur, stranding both ships. The Agamemnon boarded the Ça Ira and captured her.
The Ça Ira was recommissioned in the Royal Navy. Nelson was offered her command, but deemed her too badly damaged, and she was used as a hulk floating hospital in Saint-Florent.
On the 11 April 1796, she was destroyed in an accidental fire. The wounded aboard were evacuated, and she was towed off the harbour to prevent fire from sparking to the rest of the ships of to the town. She sank 500 metres off the beach.
In 1988, a map signalling the wreck was discovered in the Bibliothèque Nationale, and undersea archeological survey has taken place since.
[edit] External links
- (French) [1]
- Ca-Ira, vaisseau français de 80 canons 1781-1796 by pierre Villié and martine Acerra Book review in INA Quarterly (Institut of Nautical Archaeology)
- (French) La bataille du cap Noli
