French ship Charlemagne (1807)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Charlemagne.

Charlemagne was a 4th rank, 74-gun petite Téméraire-class ship of the line built for the French Navy during the first decade of the 19th century. Completed in 1808, she played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars.

Launch of Charlemagne before Napoléon.
History
France
Name	Charlemagne
Namesake	Charlemagne
Ordered	4 January 1803
Builder	Antwerp
Laid down	May 1804
Launched	8 April 1807
Stricken	30 August 1814
Fate	Ceded to the Netherlands, broken up 1823
General characteristics
Class & type	petit Téméraire-class ship of the line
Displacement	2,781 tonneaux
Tons burthen	1,381 port tonneaux
Length	53.97 m (177 ft 1 in)
Beam	14.29 m (46 ft 11 in)
Draught	6.72 m (22.0 ft)
Depth of hold	6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Crew	705
Armament	74 guns: Lower gun deck: 28 × 36 pdr guns Upper gun deck: 30 × 18 pdr guns Forecastle and Quarterdeck: 12 × 8 pdr guns & 14 × 36 pdr carronades

Background and description

Charlemagne was one of the petit modèle of the Téméraire class that was specially intended for construction in some of the shipyards in countries occupied by the French, where there was less depth of water than in the main French shipyards.^[1] The ships had a length of 53.97 metres (177 ft 1 in), a beam of 14.29 metres (46 ft 11 in) and a depth of hold of 6.9 metres (22 ft 8 in). The ships displaced 2,781 tonneaux and had a mean draught of 6.72 metres (22 ft 1 in). They had a tonnage of 1,381 port tonneaux. Their crew numbered 705 officers and ratings during wartime. They were fitted with three masts and ship rigged.^[2]

The muzzle-loading, smoothbore armament of the Téméraire class consisted of twenty-eight 36-pounder long guns on the lower gun deck and thirty 18-pounder long guns on the upper gun deck. The petit modèle ships ordered in 1803–1804 were intended to mount sixteen 8-pounder long guns on their forecastle and quarterdeck, plus four 36-pounder obusiers on the poop deck (dunette). Later ships were intended to have fourteen 8-pounders and ten 36-pounder carronades without any obusiers, but the numbers of 8-pounders and carronades actually varied between a total of 20 to 26 weapons. Charlemagne had a dozen 8-pounders and 14 carronades.^[2]

Construction and career

Charlemagne was ordered on 24 April 1804 and was laid down the following month in Antwerp. The ship was launched on 8 April 1807. She was commissioned the following day and completed in March 1808.^[2] Charlemagne was stationed in Vlissingen under Commander Dupotet, in the squadron of Vice-Amiral Missiessy. She participated in the defence of Antwerp against the amphibious raid led by Chatham, and again during the Siege of Antwerp in 1814.^[3]

After the Bourbon Restoration, on 30 August 1814, Charlemagne was transferred to the Dutch Navy, as per the Treaty of Paris. The Dutch brought her into service as Nassau.^[3]