Fleet Ledger

Naval wars from the age of sail to the present day

Ships
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Bienfaisant

HMS Bienfaisant

Survived

French Navy, then Royal Navy

TypeShip of the line
RateThird rate
Guns64 guns
WarAmerican War of Independence

Service

1754–1758Bienfaisant
France
from 1758Bienfaisant

Captured at Louisbourg

Britain

64-gun ship, at Ushant in 1778, the Moonlight Battle, the Dogger Bank and Cape Spartel. Built for the French Navy and captured by boats of the British fleet in the harbour at Louisbourg in 1758. At the Moonlight Battle she took the surrender of Lángara's flagship. Broken up in 1814.

Engraving made by Canot after a painting by Richard Paton. Burning of the French ship Prudent (74 guns) and capture Bienfaisant (64 guns), during the siege of Louisbourg in 1758. Photo: Canot, P. C. graveur, d'après une peinture de Richard Paton, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Armament and specifications

Armament

  • 64 guns of various weights of shot
Launched13 October 1754
Length153 ft 9 in (46.9 m) (gundeck)

As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.

Career

Launched

13 October 1754

Joined the Royal Navy

1758 · Captured at Louisbourg

First Battle of Ushant
Survived

27 July 1778

Battle of Cape St Vincent (the Moonlight Battle)
Survived

16–17 January 1780

Took Fénix's surrender

Battle of the Dogger Bank
Damaged

5 August 1781

Battle of Cape Spartel
Survived

20 October 1782

Fate

Survived

Broken up, 1814