page_title: French ship Bretagne (1766)
section_title: Anglo-French War (1778–1783)
hierarchical_section_title: French ship Bretagne (1766) / Career / Anglo-French War (1778–1783)
caption_attribution_description: Representation of Bretagne, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts
context_page_description: Bretagne was a large 110-gun three-decker French ship of the line, built at Brest, which became famous as the flagship of the Brest Fleet during the American War of Independence. She was funded by a don des vaisseaux grant by the Estates of Brittany. She was active in the European theatres of the Anglo-French War and of the French Revolutionary Wars, notably taking an important role in the Glorious First of June. Later, she took part in the Croisière du Grand Hiver and was broken up.
context_section_description: She took part in most of the engagements of the European theatre of the Anglo-French War, notably the Battle of Ushant in 1778, where she served as Orvilliers' flagship, with Parscau du Plessix as flag captain. She took part in the Armada of 1779, but an epidemic aboard forced her to return to Brest in September. In 1779, her armament was reinforced by adding 10 further 6-pounders to her quarterdeck, turning her into a 110-gun. On 2 September 1780, Bretagne left Brest for Cadiz, where she took part in the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
  Although she had good nautical qualities, Bretagne had a tendency to leak and hog, and from February to April 1781, she underwent a refit in Brest and notably received a copper sheathing. Bretagne then undertook an expedition under Captain Soulange in Guichen's squadron in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic from 22 June to early September.
  After spending three months in Brest, she sailed again on 12 December 1781. She sustained damage in foul weather, notably in a hurricane on 25 and 26 December. At her return to Brest, Bretagne was in need of serious repairs, and Guichen, to his chagrin, had to transfer his flag to Terrible. In 1782, her keel had hogged by 1'7" pied du roi. Bretagne was refitted in Brest from 2 March to July 1782, undergoing extensive repairs of her hull but losing her copper sheathing in the process.
  On 8 July 1782, Bretagne departed Brest under Captain Charles Picot de Dampierre to join the franco-Spanish combined fleet still besieging Gibraltar, arriving on 11 along with Invincible, Robuste, Protecteur, Actif, Zodiaque, Bien Aimé and Guerrier. Her cutter rescued men from the crew of the Spanish floating battery Talla Piedra on 13 September. Bretagne, under Dampierre, blockaded Gibraltar until 10 October, when a gale damaged her rigging, killing a helmsman and ripping anchors from the ship. On 13 October 1782, the fleet moved to intercept a British squadron, resulting in the Battle of Cape Spartel on 20 where Bretagne sustained 5 men wounded. Bretagne then returned to Cadiz harbour in preparation for an expedition to America under Admiral d'Estaing, but by then the Peace of Paris had been concluded and Bretagne returned to Brest.
  Bretagne was refitted in Brest in 1788 until the end of the year. The poop deck was removed to improve stability.
caption: Representation of Bretagne circa 1782, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
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