Ville de Paris (1764) | Timeline

The Ville-de-Paris was a French warship, in service from 1764 to 1782. It was a first-rate ship of the line, carrying 90 to 104 cannons on three decks. It was released in the period of patriotic explosion that followed the defeats of the Seven Years War. It was also one of the rare three decks built under the reign of Louis XV, a time when, for financial reasons, French arsenals mainly launched two decks of 64 to 80 guns. She was actively involved in the American War of Independence. Captured by the British at the Battle of Saintes, she sank during the 1782 Central Atlantic Hurricane with the loss of all 500 hands but one.

May 29, 1757 - Rochefort, France - Ordered to Shipwright François-Guillaume Clairain des Lauriers as "Impétueux"

October(?) 1(?), 1757 - Rochefort - Keel laid down at the Rochefort Dockyard

January 1(?), 1762 - Rochefort - Renamed "Ville de Paris" in honor of the city that provided the funds for the building of the ship

January 19, 1764 - Rochefort - 90-gun Second-rate "Ville de Paris" is launched

May 1(?), 1764 - Rochefort - "Ville de Paris" is commissioned =(START)

July 8, 1778 - Brest - Vice-Admiral Comte d'Orvilliers sails from Brest with 32 ships-of-the-line, 7 frigates and 5 corvettes

July 23, 1778 - W. of Ouessant/Ushant - Keppel sights the french fleet west of Ushant and orders his ships-of-the-line to pursuit

July 27, 1778 - Off Ouessant/Ushant, Bay of Biscay - Battle of Ushant - Indecisive

January(?) 1(?), 1779 - Brest - Refitted as a 104-gun First rate

March 22, 1781 - Brest - Comte de Grasse departs for the Caribbean with 22 ships

April 28, 1781 - Martinique - The fleet arrives in Martinique

April 29, 1781 - Off Fort-de-France, Martinique - Battle of Fort-Royal - French tactical victory

May 24, 1781 - Tobago - De Grasse's fleet lands troops on the british-held island of Tobago (under command of General Marquis de Bouillé)

June(?) 15(?), 1781 - Martinique - De Grasse returns to Martinique

July 15(?), 1781 - Cap Français, Saint-Bomingue (Cap Haitien, N. of Haiti) - De Grasse arrives at Cap Français, via Martinique. He is met by a dispatch from the north american fleet (whose news prompt him to sail north to support the americans on the Chesapeake Bay)

August 3, 1781 - Cap Français - De Grasse sets sail from Saint-Domingue with his fleet and 3,000 embarked soldiers

September 1, 1781 - Chesapeake Bay, Virginia/Maryland - De Grasse arrives in Chesapeake Bay four days after Admiral Hood

September 5, 1781 - Off the Virginia Capes, Atlantic Ocean - Battle of Chesapeake - French Victory

September 11, 1781 - Chesapeake Bay - De Grasse returns to Chesapeake and finds Count de Barras squadron there

September 28, 1781 - Chesapeake Bay - The siege of Yorktown begins - the french fleet bombards the british positions

October 19, 1781 - Chesapeake Bay - Surrender of Yorktown

January 11, 1782 - Saint Kitts, Caribbean Sea - De Grasse reaches Saint Kitts (sailing from Martinique)

January 19, 1782 - Off Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Caribbean Sea - French forces land and besiege Basseterre

Battle of the Saintes

January 22, 1782 - While off Basseterre - Admiral Hood's 22 warships are sighted near Nevis intending to reinforce Saint Kitts

January 26, 1782 - Off Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Caribbean Sea - Battle of Saint Kitts - De Grasse attacks Hood's anchored fleet but is repulsed

February 13, 1782 - Nevis - De Grasse sails to Nevis to meet an arriving convoy of french victuallers

April 9, 1782 - Off Dominica, Caribbean Sea - The Battle of the Saintes begins

April 12, 1782 - Off Dominica - The Battle of the Saints ends - British victory - "Ville de Paris" is captured by Admiral Rodney. Only 3 officers and 100 men of the 950-man crew had not been killed or wounded =(changeflag)

Ville de Paris sinks off Newfoundland

April 29, 1782 - Port Royal, Jamaica - HMS Ville de Paris is towed by HMS Namur to Port Royal for repairs, arriving with Rodney's fleet and its prisoner, de Grasse

July 25, 1782 - Port Royal - Sails for England in a convoy of 94 ships

September 19, 1782 - Off Newfoundland - HMS Ville de Paris and other ships are hit by the 1782 Central Atlantic hurricane while heading to England. The ship sinks off Newfoundland with the loss of all 500 hands but one =(END)