French ship Robuste (1758)

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

Robuste was an 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard.^[2]

Detail of Edward Moran's First Recognition of the American Flag by a Foreign Government
History
France
Name	Robuste
Namesake	"Robust"
Ordered	10 September 1755[1]
Builder	Lorient[1]
Laid down	September 1757[1]
Launched	2 September 1758[1]
Fate	Retired in 1783
General characteristics
Class & type	74-gun ship of the line
Type	ship of the line
Displacement	3000 tonneaux
Tons burthen	1600 port tonneaux
Length	56.8 metres
Beam	14.4 metres
Depth of hold	7 metres
Propulsion	Sail
Complement	866
Armament	80 guns 28 × 36-pounders 30 × 18-pounders 16 × 8-pounders

Career

Initially intended as a 64-gun ship, Robuste was built in the Lorient shipyard of the French East India Company. She was launched on 2 September 1758, and admitted to active service in April 1759.^[1]

On 18 November 1759, she collided with frigate Hébé.^[1]

In June 1777, she was under Lamotte-Picquet, and received the visit of Emperor Joseph II.^[1]

On 14 February 1778, Robuste fired a nine-gun salute for USS Ranger, marking the first time a foreign warship recognised the US flag.^[3]

Robuste took part in the campaign in 1779 and 1780^[1] as De Grasse's flagship.^[4] She was notably at the Battle of Grenada.^[5]

In 1780, she was under Chateauvert.^[6]

In July 1782, under Nieuil, she was part of the Franco-Spanish fleet under Córdova.^[7] She took part in the Battle of Cape Spartel on 20 October 1782.^[8] The same year, she was at Brest under Croiset de Retz.^[9]

She was eventually struck in 1783, and broken up in Brest the next year.^[1]