French ship Scipion (1813)

The Scipion was a 74-gun Téméraire-class ship of the line of the French Navy.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Scipion.
The Battle of Navarino; Scipion is shown in the centre, entangled with a fireship
History
France
Name: Scipion
Commissioned: 1813
Stricken: 1846
General characteristics
Class and type: Téméraire class ship of the line
Displacement:
  • 2966 tonnes
  • 5260 tonnes fully loaded
Length: 55.87 metres (183.3 ft) (172 pied)
Beam: 14.90 metres (48 ft 11 in)
Draught: 7.26 metres (23.8 ft) (22 pied)
Propulsion: Up to 2,485 m2 (26,750 sq ft) of sails
Armament:
Armour: Timber

She was commissioned in 1813, captained by Louis François Richard Barthélémy de Saizieu. She was refitted in 1823.[1]

On 30 September 1827, she collided with Provence, which sustained serious damage and had to return to Toulon for repairs.[2]

On 20 October 1827, she took part in the Battle of Navarino, under Pierre Bernard Milius, sailing behind the Sirène in the line. At the outbreak of the battle, Scipion narrowly escaped destruction by a fireship which became jammed under her bowsprit; her fore sails caught fire and the fire spread into the upper gun-deck, but was eventually put out by the crew. Trident succeeded in attaching a tow-line to the fireship and, with the assistance of HMS Dartmouth and two other British boats, pulling it clear. Sirène, Trident and Scipion then proceeded to silence the batteries of the fort of Navarino.

She was eventually struck in 1846.

References and sources
  1. La flotte française en 1841, Louis Reybaud
  2. La marine de Napoléon III Archived 2013-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
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