Spanish ship Real Carlos (1787)
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2023) |
Museo Naval de Madrid .
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| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Spain | |
| Name | Real Carlos |
| Builder | Havanna |
| Launched | 4 November 1787 |
| Fate | Burned and exploded 13 July 1801 |
| Notes |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Santa Ana-class ship of the line |
| Tonnage | 2,112 tonnes |
| Length | 56.14 m |
| Beam | 15.5 m |
| Draught | 7.37 m |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 801 |
| Armament |
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| Armour | None |
Real Carlos was a 112-gun three-decker
Romero Landa.[1]
One of the eight very large ships of the line of the Santa Ana class, also known as los Meregildos, Real Carlos served in the Spanish Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars and was destroyed with heavy loss of life during the Second Battle of Algeciras.
Construction
The Santa Ana class was built for the Spanish fleet in the 1780s and 1790s as heavy ships of the line, the equivalent of
Príncipe de Asturias.[1]
Three of the class were captured or destroyed during the French Revolutionary Wars.
History
In 1793 the Real Carlos was under the command of Baltasar Sesma y Zaylorda as the flagship of Admiral Francisco de Borja. Borja led an expedition to Sardinia, capturing the islands of San Pietro Island for Spain and Sant'Antioco for France.
On 8 April 1799, Real Carlos was flagship of the
Ferrol Expedition
.
By July 1801, Real Carlos was at
Straits of Gibraltar when a British squadron attacked them at the Second Battle of Algeciras. During the confused night action which followed, HMS Superb
cut through the rearguard and between Real Carlos and San Hermenegildo. The Spanish ships opened fire, striking one another, as a fire spread across Real Carlos's decks. In the darkness the two huge Spanish ships collided, fire spreading out of control until both exploded in a fireball that could be seen from shore. More than 1,700 men were killed in the blast, one of the greatest losses of life at sea to that time. The heavy Spanish casualties incurred by the defeat contributed to a breakdown of the Franco-Spanish alliance.
References
- ^ Ministerio de Defensa (España). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
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