The Ville de Paris was a prominent French ship of the line, launched in 1764 with an initial armament of 90 guns. Constructed as part of the don des vaisseaux campaign, her construction was financed by the city of Paris, and she was originally laid down in 1757 as the Impétueux before being renamed in 1762. She was notable for being one of the first French three-deckers built since the 1720s, marking a significant development in French naval architecture. Her dimensions and specific physical characteristics are not detailed here, but her armament was initially 90 guns, reflecting her status as a formidable battleship. In 1779, after a refit, she was augmented with an additional 14 guns, bringing her total to 104, with some of her quarterdeck guns manned by individual sailors, enhancing her firepower. Ville de Paris saw active service during the American Revolutionary War, initially serving as the flagship of Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse. She participated in the Battle of Ushant in 1778 and later joined the fleet of Commander Duchaffault in 1779. By 1781, she was operating in the West Indies under De Grasse’s command, engaging in significant battles such as Fort Royal and the Chesapeake. Her role culminated as De Grasse’s flagship at the Battle of Saint Kitts in 1782. Her final engagement was the Battle of the Saintes on April 12, 1782, where she was decisively defeated and captured by the British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney. She was too damaged to escape, with her masts and rudder shot away, and was subsequently towed to Port Royal, Jamaica, for repairs. While being transported to England, she sank in September 1782 during a hurricane in the Central Atlantic, along with other ships, with the loss of nearly all hands—only one survivor, known as "Wilson of the Ville de Paris." The ship’s legacy persisted, as the Royal Navy later named a vessel HMS Ville de Paris in her honor, launched in 1795. Notably, two of her guns remain in Jamaica, now flanking the Rodney memorial in Spanish Town, serving as tangible remnants of her storied history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.