French ship Hercule (1778)

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

Hercule was a Scipion-class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort.

Scipion (third from right), Hercule's sister ship, raking HMS London during the action of 18 October 1782
History
France
Name	Hercule
Launched	5 October 1778
Honours & awards	Participated in: Battle of the Chesapeake Battle of the Saintes
Fate	Broken up 1799
General characteristics
Class & type	Scipion class
Tons burthen	1500 tonnes
Length	53.8 m (176 ft 6 in)
Beam	14.1 m (46 ft 3 in)
Draught	7.3 m (24 ft)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	74 to 78 guns of various weights of shot

In 1781, under Captain Turpin du Breuil, Hercule was in the Blue squadron of the fleet under François Joseph Paul de Grasse.^[1][2] She took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September 1781,^[3] and in the subsequent Siege of Yorktown.

It was commanded by Captain Jean Isaac Chadeau de la Clocheterie in the Battle of the Saintes.

Hercule was razéed in 1794. In May 1795, she was renamed to Hydre.

She was eventually broken up in 1799.