Diadème was the lead ship of the Diadème-class ship of the line 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Career

On 17 March 1757, along with the 64-gun FRENCH SHIP Éveillé, she captured HMS Greenwich (1747), commanded by Captain Robert Roddam, off Saint-Domingue. In 1761, she was under Breugnon. In 1780, under Picot de Dampierre, she was part of La Motte-Piquet's division, along with FRENCH SHIP Annibal, FRENCH SHIP Amphion and FRENCH SHIP Réfléchi. She took part in the naval operations in the American Revolutionary War under de Grasse, notably fighting at the Battle of the Chesapeake under Louis Augustin de Monteclerc. At the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April 1782 it was the gap between Diadème and the mastless HMS Glorieux which allowed HMS Formidable (1777) to break the French line. She was severely damaged by Formidable and withdrew from the battle. on 25 April she was one of the ships ordered to rally at Cap Francois on San Domingo with de Vaudreuil's fleet. On 29 September 1792, she was renamed Brutus. She was razéed down to a 42-gun frigate in May 1794, and cruised off Groix under Captain Baud-Vachères. She took part in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2 in June, taking the FRENCH SHIP Indomptable in tow.

Fate

Brutus was eventually broken up in 1797.

Citations