La Bretagne, French Tall Ship

La Bretagne was one of 17 ships of the line ordered in 1762 by the Duc de Chioseul as part of his campaign to raise funds from the French cities and provences for the French Navy.  She was built in Brest and completed in 1766.  She was a large 110-gun 3-decker and became famous as the flagship of the Brest fleet during the American War of Independence.  She fought at the Battle of Ushant as the flagship for Comte d'Orvilliers.

During the French Revolution she was renamed Révolutionneire.  In May 1794 she fought in the skirmishes before the Battle of the Glorious First of June, driving off pursuing British ships by fropping to the rear of the fleet.  While in action against five or six 74-gun ships she was badly damaged, losing all her masts.  She was only saved from capture due to confusion among the enemy.

La Bretagne was towed to Rocheforte by the battleship Audacieux, accompanied by the corvette Unité.  Too damaged for repair, she was broken up between January and May of 1796.