3rd rate 80 (3m).
L/B/D:
194.2 bp × 51.8 × 23.2 (59.2m × 15.8m × 7.1m). Tons:
2,281 bm. Hull:
wood. Comp.:
700. Arm.:
32 × 32pdr, 34 × 18pdr, 18 × 32pdr carr. Built:
Toulon, France; 1792.
Launched in the first year of the French Republic, Tonnant ("Thundering") was commissioned as part of the Mediterranean fleet of Vice Admiral Comte Martin. Her first engagement was against Vice Admiral William Hotham's fleet off Genoa on March 14, 1795. Three years later, during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign, she flew the flag of Commodore A. A. du Petit-Thouars at the Battle of the Nile on August 1, 1798. Directly astern of the flagship
L'Orient, though completely dismasted, she was captured only after a protracted struggle, exemplified by the conduct of her captain, who, despite the loss of both arms and a leg, continued to exhort his crew until he died from loss of blood.
One of six French ships captured that day, Tonnant was taken into the Royal Navy and in 1803 became flagship of Commodore Sir Edward Pellew. In March 1805 she was detached from the Channel Squadron off Brest for blockade duty at El Ferrol, Spain. Vice Admiral Lord Nelson assumed command of her squadron in September, and at the Battle of Trafalgar, Tonnant sailed in the lee squadron led by Admiral Cornwallis's
Royal Sovereign. Going to the relief of HMS Mars, she engaged the Spanish Monarca and San Juan Nepomuceno and the French Fougueux and Pluton (all 74 guns). Captain Charles Tyler ran his ship into Algesiras (74), whose crew attempted to board Tonnant. They were repulsed, and at 1430 the French ship struck her colors. Tonnant's casualties numbered 76 killed and wounded.
Assigned to the Channel Fleet from 1806 to 1809 under Rear Admiral Eliab Harvey (captain of Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar), she later sailed on blockade off Cadiz. During the War of 1812, she was in Rear Admiral George Cockburn's squadron at the capture of Washington, D.C. In December, she was with Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane's squadron during the attack on New Orleans. She ended her career on the Irish station based at Cork from 1815 to 1818. Three years later she was broken up at Plymouth.
Longridge, Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. Mackenzie, Trafalgar Roll. Schom, Trafalgar.
