The Tonnant was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, serving as the lead vessel in the Tonnant Class, which included her sister ship, Saint Philippe. Built at Toulon Dockyard, she was ordered in late 1692 and launched in September 1693, with her construction overseen by François Coulomb, who designed her as an enlarged version of the 1691 Sceptre design. The ship was a three-decker vessel without forecastle, characterized by her considerable size and armament. Initially, the Tonnant was armed with 90 guns, distributed across three decks: twenty-eight 36-pounders on the lower deck, thirty 18-pounders on the middle deck, twenty-six 12-pounders on the upper deck, and six 6-pounders on the quarterdeck. Around 1706, her armament was increased by adding a fifteenth pair of 12-pounders on the upper deck, raising her total to 92 guns. The vessel underwent a rebuild at Toulon between November 1701 and January 1702, reflecting ongoing efforts to maintain her combat effectiveness. She participated notably in the Battle of Vélez-Málaga on 24 August 1703, a significant engagement during the War of Spanish Succession. During the siege of Toulon in July 1707, she and her sister ship were undergoing refit and avoided scuttling orders that affected most other French ships; instead, they were used as floating batteries to counter British attacks. The Tonnant's service concluded when she was condemned at Toulon on 7 April 1710. Subsequently, she was ordered to be sold and dismantled on 28 May 1710. Her design and service history exemplify the typical characteristics and strategic roles of French first-rate ships of her era, contributing to naval engagements during a period of intense maritime conflict.

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