Santisima

## General Description

The Santisima(full name being ***Nuestra Senora de la Santisima Trinidad***) is a first rate ship of the line in Naval Action with 138 guns, making her the most heavily armed ship of the line in the game and the she is the only ship with four gun decks(her weather deck acts as fourth gun deck)

## Armament

On her lower deck the Santisima carries 42pd, followed by 24pd on the middle deck gun. The upper gun deck can mount 12pd cannon and 9pd on the top deck. Whilst caliber wise that might be lower that the Victory(Topdeck 12pd compared to 9pd respectively), its more than compensated by the increased quantity. She is also armed with with 2 12pd chasers on her bow, as well as 4 68pd carronades in the stern.

## Characteristics

The Santisima being the largest ship in the game also has the maneuverability to match, she is not as maneuverable as the Victory. However, her speed is slightly higher than the Victory. She makes up for the worse maneuverability through her extra guns, 138 compared to 106. Interestingly enough the Santisima has 100 worse structure than the Victory on the sides however 100 structure at the high structure ratings that these ships of the line have is insignificant and just like with turn rate, the extra guns on the Santisima means her damage output outweighs the fact that she can take less damage by quite a significant amount.

## History

***Nuestra Senora de la Santisima Trinidad*** was a Spanish first-rate ship of the line of 112 guns, which was increased in 1795–96 to 130 guns by closing in the spar deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle, and around 1802 to 140 guns, thus creating what was in effect a continuous fourth gundeck although the extra guns added were actually relatively small. She was the heaviest-armed ship in the world when rebuilt, and bore the most guns of any ship of the line outfitted in the Age of Sail.

In July 1779, Spain declared war on Great Britain, joining France in support of the American colonists in the American War of Independence. *Santísima Trinidad* became the flagship of the Spanish fleet, taking part in the Franco-Spanish operations in the English Channel in the late summer of that year.

In August 1780 she took part in the capture of 55 ships from a British convoy of 63, escorted by the ship of the line HMS *Ramillies* and three frigates. In 1782 she was incorporated into the Mediterranean Squadron, participating in the second siege of Gibraltar and she fought in the brief and indecisive Battle of Cape Spartel. In 1795, she was modified by the addition of extra 8-pounder guns on a new deck between herforecastle and quarterdeck.

*Infante don Pelayo* going to rescue*Santisima Trinidad* at Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797

In 1797, she was the flagship of Teniente General José de Córdoba y Ramos, the Spanish commander, at Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797, where she was badly damaged and nearly captured by the British fleet. She was first in action with the British ship *Captain* (74), commanded by Commodore Nelson, and *Culloden* (74). She was then attacked by the *Blenheim* (90), *Orion* (74), *Irresistible* (74) and*Excellent* (74). By now she was severely damaged, having lost all her masts and with half of her crew killed or wounded. She struck her colours, but the British failed to take possession and she was saved by the *Infante don Pelayo* (74) and *Príncipe de Asturias* (112). Several days later, *Santísima Trinidad* was spotted, still damaged, making her way back to Spain, and engaged by the 32-gun frigate HMS *Terpsichore*under Captain Richard Bowen, but she escaped. She eventually returned to Cadiz for repairs.

Eight years later, commanded by Francisco Javier Uriarte and the flagship of Rear Admiral Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, she took part in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, as part of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet. Due to her great bulk, her helm was unresponsive in the light winds of the day, contributing to her ineffective service in the combined fleet's cause. Her great size and position immediately ahead of the fleet flagship *Bucentaure* made her a target for the British fleet, and she came under concentrated attack by several ships. She lost her mast and eventually surrendered to the *Neptune*, a 98-gun second rate commanded by Captain Thomas Fremantle. She was taken in tow by the 98-gun second rate *Prince*, but sank in a storm the day after the battle, having been scuttled by her British captors.

It's believed that her wreck was found by coincidence during testing of a new sidescan sonar of the Spanish Navy, in 2009

## How to get Crafting recipe

You can get the crafting recipe of the Santisima as random drops from crafting the Victory, Bellona, Pavel or breaking up Santisimas, however breaking up Santisimas is not recommended as she is an expensive ship to produce.