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History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom of Great Britain
NameHMS Berwick
Ordered12 December 1768
BuilderPortsmouth Dockyard
Laid downMay 1769
Launched18 April 1775
Honours and
awards
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Participated in:
Captured7 March 1795, by the French
History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameBerwick
Acquired7 March 1795
Honours and
awards
list error: mixed text and list (help)
Participated in:
Captured21 October 1805, by Royal Navy
FateWrecked, 22 October 1805, in the storm following the Battle of Trafalgar
General characteristics
Class and typeElizabeth-class ship of the line
Tons burthen1,623 tons (1,649 tonnes)
Length168 ft 6 in (51.36 m) (gundeck)
Beam46 ft (14 m)
Depth of hold19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull rigged ship
Armamentlist error: mixed text and list (help)
74 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 14 × 9 pdrs
  • Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs

The HMS Berwick was a 3rd rate 74-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 18 April 1775.

She was captured by three French frigates on the 7 March 1795 off Corsica in the Mediterranean. She was towed to Toulon, refitted and commissioned into the French navy as Berwick.

In September 1795, she sailed from Toulon for Newfoundland as part of a squadron of six ships of the line under Rear-Admiral De Richery. In October 1795, De Richery's squadron fell in with the British Smyrna convoy, taking 30 of 31 ships and retaking the 74 gun Censeur,. The squadron then put into Cadiz, where it remained refitting for the remainder of the year.

On 4 August 1796, De Richery finally set sail from Cádiz for North America with his seven of the line. His squadron was escorted out into the Atlantic by the Spanish Admiral Don Juan de Lángara with 20 ships of the line. In September, De Richery destroyed the British Newfoundland fishing fleet.

In November, Berwick returned to Rochefort with four of the other ships from De Richery's squadron, before sailing on to Brest.

By 1803, Berwick was back in the Mediterranean at Toulon.

In March 1805, she sailed for the West Indies as part of a fleet of 11 French ships of the line under Vice-Admiral Villeneuve. Off Cadiz, the fleet was joined by the Aigle, 74, and six Spanish ships of the line under Vice-Admiral Gravina. When the fleet reached the West Indies, Villeneuve sent Commodore Cosmao-Kerjulien with the Pluton and the Berwick to attack the British position on Diamond Rock, which surrendered on 2 June.

When Villeneuve heard that Nelson had followed him to the West Indies, he sailed for Europe. The fleet was intercepted off Cape Finisterre by Sir Robert Calder with 15 of the line, After a violent artillery exchange, the fleets were separated in the fog. Exhausted after six months at sea, the fleet anchored in Ferrol before sailing to Cádiz to rest and refit. With his command under question and planning to meet the British fleet to gain a decisive victory, Villeneuve left Cádiz and met the British fleet near Cape Trafalgar.

On 21 October 1805, Berwick fought at the Battle of Trafalgar, where she was re-captured by the British. She sank near San-Lucar in the tempest the following day.

See also

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References

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  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berwick}} [[Category:French Navy ships of the line]] [[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]