French ship Achille (1804)

Scale model on display at the Musée de la Marine in Paris
History
France
NameAchille
NamesakeAchilles
BuilderArsenal de Rochefort
Laid down5 November 1802
Launched17 November 1804
CompletedFebruary 1805
Commissioned28 January 1805
FateSunk, 21 October 1805
General characteristics
Class & typeTéméraire-class ship of the line
Displacement3,069 tonneaux
Tons burthen1,537 port tonneaux
Length55.87 m (183.3 ft) (172 pied)
Beam14.90 m (48 ft 11 in)
Draught7.26 m (23.8 ft) (22 pied)
PropulsionUp to 2,485 m2 (26,750 sq ft) of sails
Armament

Achille was a 74-gun Téméraire-class ship of the line built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 19th century. Completed in 1805, she played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars. The ship participated in the Trafalgar campaign that same year, including the Battle of Cape Finisterre in July and was destroyed during the Battle of Trafalgar in October when her magazine exploded. At least 190 members of her crew were rescued. The recovery of one woman from the ship was the inspiration for a painting in 1817.