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Soleil Royal History: the French Warship of King Louis XIV in the 17th Century

Posted on March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by admin

It is, for sure, one of the largest and most powerful warships of the Baroque. Without a doubt, it is also the most beautiful decorated of the boats of the time, it was sublime. We are talking about the French warship that was part of the Navy of King Louis XIV during the 17th century. We are writing this post to learn about the history of the Soleil Royal, the Gallic ship of the line with 104 guns arranged in a battery on three levels, flagship of Admiral Tourville. The emblem of the ‘Soleil’ had been chosen by the French monarch as his personal symbol.

The history of the Soleil Royal begins with its construction in Brest (France) between 1668 and 1670. Who was in charge of carrying it out? The engineer Laurent Hubac, who takes two years to finish. It is launched in 1669, but unfortunately it lays unused in the port of Brest for years. At first, Soleil Royal does not enters into combat at all.

As we have already mentioned, its decoration is spectacular. The person in charge of this is Antoine Coysevox, a sculptor who creates all the decorations on the ship, including those on the gun embrasures. This plastic artist from the court of Louis XIV is also responsible for the impressive and still existing ornaments of the Palace of Versailles.

Print of the Soleil Royal from the Louvre Museum. — BERAIN Jean I, Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts graphiques, INV 23718, Recto.

SOLEIL ROYAL HISTORY: NINE YEARS’ WAR

The history of the Soleil Royal continues, does not stop. Subsequently, the Soleil Royal is commissioned with 112 guns and 1,200 men on board when the Nine Years’ War in 1688. Also, called War of the Great Alliance, War of the Palatinate and War of the League of Augsburg.

The King decides at first to send all his ships prepared to sail and for battle. However, seeing himself in inferior conditions, he also orders to send the useful ships, even if they are moored to the dock, as is the case of our Soleil Royal. So this vessel departs from the port of Brest on June 22, 1690.

Then, Tourville commands the French ship, a highly respected officer in the Navy. The Soleil Royal remains waiting for a favorable wind to go to the Isle of Wight. There, the English fleet remains anchored after sending two French ships on a reconnaissance mission. On July 10, 1690, the Battle of Béveziers (Beachy Head) broke out with the surprise factor of the French attacking the Anglo-Saxons. After its victory, France seizes control of the English Channel.

The role in history of the Soleil Royal is fundamental as the flagship of the Escadre du Ponant (Squadron of the West) leading the French naval formation on the squad center. It is said that it is a good sailboat, it sails optimally, and its firepower is lethal.

THE FRENCH WARSHIP AT THE BATTLE OF BARFLEUR

Once its naval warfare began, the Soleil Royal became a French war emblem. Now with 104 guns, the French ship leaves the port of Brest on May 12, 1692 leading a fleet with 44 more ships. It may seem that there are many. However, on May 29, the French ships encountered the incredible Anglo-Dutch naval force. 97 powerful warships await the French in the Battle of Barfleur.

The crossfire starts! The Soleil Royal and its companions, being vastly outnumbered, decide to attack the enemies. After an arduous fight, it is forced to flee because of the serious damage suffered. Its crew is depleted by half and can barely sail. For this reason, the Soleil Royal and the ships Triomphant and Admirable are forced to anchor in Cherbourg to be repaired. They cannot reach the port of Brest, further away than the one mentioned.

END OF THE SOLEIL ROYAL AT THE BATTLE OF CHERBOURG

The history of the Soleil Royal ends at the Battle of Cherbourg. While docked at the Pointe du Hommet, the French warship is attacked by 17 ships which it repels with its artillery fire. The problem is that the stern of the ship catches fire and spreads the rest on the ship of the line.

With the help of the population of Cherbourg, only one survivor can be rescued from the around 883 – or even more – crew. The end of the history of the Soleil Royal, it remains near the arsenal of the port. Of course, its legacy continues throughout the seas and world naval history. A detailed 1:40 scale model from 1839 of the hull and sculptures of the Soleil Royal is currently on display at the Musée National de la Marine in Paris.

For our part, from Artesanía Latina, we are pleased to bring you this beautiful and faithful miniature replica in wood at 1:72 scale of the Soleil Royal (22904) that you can build with your own hands. For more in-depth information, there is another post on our blog that talks exclusively about the model. If you are an expert modeller and need a challenge at your level and with such beauty… Our Soleil Royal model is for you!

Naval & Aviation History

Santa Ana Vessel History (I): The Pioneer Colossus of European Warships of Its Class

Posted on October 20, 2022October 28, 2022 by admin

We are lucky and our elite modelers friends too. You already know that we have manufactured a new edition of a very famous Spanish ship of the line: the so-called ‘Trafalgar 1805’. Let’s get to know, then, the relevant history of Santa Ana vessel in order to have a better perspective of what this great ship was like before assembling its splendid model ship in wood at 1:84 scale.

HISTORY OF SANTA ANA VESSEL: DIMENSIONS

The Santa Ana was a Spanish ship of the line equipped with 112 cannons that was part of the glorious Spanish Armada. Of course, in the Battle of Trafalgar it was armed with 104 cannons and 32 howitzers, but… What were its measures? It had a length of 213.4 feet and a beam of 58 feet, in addition to a total weight of more than two tons. To build it, the plans of the Navy engineer José Romero Fernández de Landa were taken as an example. This, in turn, was based on how another ship of the line was created: the Purísima Concepción. In this case, the one who would direct the construction of the Santa Ana would be Miguel de la Puente, using the aforementioned guidelines, with the engineers Sánchez Bort and Tomás Muñoz.

The beautiful Santa Ana sailboat was erected as one of the pioneering ships with three decks called ‘Meregildos’. In this very special group of ships, there were also another seven that were born later as Príncipe de Asturias, Mejicano, Reina María Luisa, Conde de Regla, Salvador del Mundo, Real Carlos and San Hermenegildo. All were built based on the Santa Ana by Royal Order of 1786.

HISTORY OF SANTA ANA VESSEL: FEATURES

Its characteristics? Huge decks, great maneuverability, a strong military muscle thanks to its numerous cannons and a great resistance capacity against the attacks of the sea and enemies. It carried three masts with square sails and two or three artillery decks. It even had lightning rods and metal chains! If one fell, the system channeled the electrical discharge to the sea.

The history of the Santa Ana vessel shows it as one of the best. He created a new way of fighting in those times that would be essential for the Navy. The different ships lined up one behind the other to create an artillery front that fired at the same time. Although the Santa Ana was launched in 1784, even years later it still underwent some improvements.

The Santa Ana and her naval brothers became the best warships on the European continent. It was a ‘sea monster’. Their crew? 745 sailors on its three decks, as a warship. When a conflict broke out, it was increased to 1,050. And, in the Battle of Trafalgar, it was up to 1,102. Of course, the largest of the ships of the line would finally be Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad, called ‘El Escorial de los Mares’.

INITIAL MARITIME JOURNEYS OF THE SHIP OF THE LINE

The history of the Santa Ana vessel begins in 1785 with Commander Félix de Tejada at the helm to make its first voyage, its first test. The maritime route began in El Ferrol and ended in Cádiz. He realizes that, even though it is very resistant in the worst navigation conditions, certain improvements must be made to the rigging and he opens the third La Carraca breakwater a year later.

In July 1797, the ship of the line Santa Ana begins to forge its legend. Admiral Jervis and Rear Admiral Nelson of the British Royal Navy attempt to storm Cádiz. And that is where sixteen gunboats are positioned between Rota, La Caleta (gate of Seville) and Sancti Petri, and an additional fifteen at the mouth of the port. Thus, they support the warship and reject the English under the orders of José de Mazarredo. Of course, the blockade and the British presence is repeated more times.

In February 1798, the Santa Ana resumed its maritime voyage with Mazarredo’s squadron. Twenty-two ships, five frigates and three brigantines to pursue the British fleet, made up of only 9 ships and several frigates. This withdrew towards San Vicente, while the Spanish squadron, failing to catch up with them, entered Cádiz again on the 13th. Jervis appeared four days later with twenty-two ships and six frigates to resume the blockade.

HISTORY OF SANTA ANA VESSEL: FIRST SETBACKS

Commander Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros took command in July 1799, aided by Lieutenant General Grandallana, campaigning in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Cadiz. However, anecdotally, he was stranded shortly after starting his journey towards Brest together with the French fleet.

What happens then? That the Spanish warship is forced to return to the port of the Andalusian city to disarm and repair itself. A great setback for Spain for which Hidalgo de Cisneros is tried in court martial, although he is totally acquitted at the end of the process. Just before the Battle of Trafalgar, in which we will deepen in the next post, the history of the ship Santa Ana joins the captaincy of Alcalá Galiano between 1803 and 1804.

In the meantime, you can read more about the Santa Ana Line Ship Wooden Model (22905-N) and you can order it at this other link. Be amazed by its beauty and go ahead and build it!

Read the second part of the post…

Naval & Aviation History

History of HMB Endeavour: The British Ship with which James Cook discovered Australia, Now in a Fabulous Modeling Kit

Posted on July 21, 2022February 23, 2023 by admin

If there was a fundamental ship for Humanity, in addition to the caravels of the Discovery of America, that was the British research ship HMB Endeavour of the 18th century. With this, Captain James Cook discovered Australia and made it easier to know where Tahiti, New Zealand and many other islands were located. Thanks to its existence, new animal and plant species were also discovered. Likewise, it allowed the calculation with great precision of the position in longitude by means of mathematical formulas. So the contribution of James Cook’s voyages to navigation, seamanship and geographical exploration are undoubtedly of historical importance. It is an ideal time for us to immerse ourselves, then, a little more in the history of HMB Endeavour. Precisely, a few months ago the location and existence of the wreck was confirmed, as can be read in this interesting article from Australian Geographic.

HMB Endeavour was 32 meters long, 8.9 meters wide and 3.4 meters deep. Her rigging was of the frigate type. Speaking of its armament, it had 22 guns: 10 4-pounders and 12 swivel. Regarding the sail, it had 897 square meters. This allowed it to reach speeds of 7 to 8 knots (13 to 15 km per hour).

HISTORY OF HMB ENDEAVOUR: PIONEER OF THE MODERN OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH SHIP

More than two and a half centuries ago, an English coal ship originally called the Earl of Pembroke (1764) emerged as the forerunner of the oceanographic research ship of our times. The HMB Endeavour and its own history are essential, they marked an era and a change in knowledge. It all started with the efforts of British Royal Navy Captain James Cook -at the time a lieutenant-. Mount your first major expedition to the South Sea. Being able to go to Tahiti, discovered a year earlier, to install an astronomical observatory to observe the transit of Venus in 1769. The goal? Measure the size of the Solar System.

The history of HMB Endeavour as an exploration ship begins in Plymouth (England) in August 1768 with 94 people and supplies for a year and a half. Being a coal ship, even having been converted into a research vessel, it had enormous holds that were modified in order to store provisions. As they were used up, those spaces were occupied by instruments, plants and animals that they found during their journey. The organization of its crew was spectacular: sailors for naval operations, officers and infantrymen for shipboard discipline and external attacks, and scientists and artists to study and reflect on milestones.

On April 10th, 1769, HMB Endeavour reached Tahiti after passing through Madeira, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Horn. Unfortunately, exact measurements could not be obtained with the transit of Venus since the planet had a very diffuse profile. At least, yes, the astronomer Charles Green was able to appreciate and record it. The challenge was only achieved one hundred years later thanks to photography. In July, Cook opened a secret letter from the Navy Department urging him to find Australia.

HISTORY OF HMB ENDEAVOUR: THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA

For half a year, the HMB Endeavour circled New Zealand and realized that it was not a continent but islands. In 1770 Cook claimed them as British after mapping almost four thousand kilometers of coastline in three months.

It was precisely in April of that same year when it ran into the east coast of Australia, which it bordered towards the north until in June it ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef Coral. In this sense, he managed to free the ship, although with damage to the hull that was attempted to be repaired. After setting foot on land again, they continued west but this time he learned his lesson. A auxiliary boat led the expedition to measure the depth.

The history of HMB Endeavour continued heading west until October, the month in which it arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia. There he took advantage of three months to repair the ship, however, many lives of the crew were lost due to malaria. At Christmas, he headed home and on July 12, 1771, the port of Dover (England) received the HMS Endeavor with 38 fewer crew members.

After James Cook’s expedition, HMB Endeavour was used for military purposes until it was decommissioned in 1774, to be sold and renamed Lord Sandwich in 1775. Its last service was fighting in the US War of Independence. It was sunk in Narragansett Bay to prevent the French landing at Newport in the Battle of Rhode Island. Currently, as we mentioned, the location of the wreck has been certified and there is a faithful replica of the original.

WOODEN SHIP MODELING KITS: BOAT AND CAPTAIN’S BOAT

Artesania Latina offers our modelers friends the chance to build the fantastic wooden models of the HMB Endeavour (22520) and its captain’s boat (19005). The first of the models is addressed to modelers with an advanced level of skills and knowledge in ship modeling. The second, to beginner modelers.

They are faithful miniature replicas of these historic vessels. Our modelers have looked at official documentation for their design, so the assembly experience is satisfactory and improved. Anyone will have a great time in order to build these naval beauties. Now, you can paint both ships with the Specific Set of Acrylic Paints for HMB Endeavour (277PACK7) for sale separately. The finishes you will get will be much more realistic.

In addition, HMB Endeavour and its history need a crew to give the ship more life. Get the Specific Set of Figures and Accessories (22520-F), also for sale separately.

Do you want to relive historical moments? Build our fabulous ship modeling kits! Now, it is available the fantastic Gift Pack of HMB Endeavour (22520-L).

The British ship with which Captain James Cook discovered Australia, of course, has a very interesting Gift Pack. This HMS Endeavour Gift Pack (22520-L) includes 1:65 scale model of the ship (22520), the set of 14 metal figurines and accessories (22520-F), the set of specific acrylic paints (277PACK7) and the LED lighting set (27590). Give modeling!

Naval & Aviation History

History of the Belem Training Ship: The French Navigable Monument is 125 years

Posted on August 19, 2021September 14, 2022 by admin

The French Training Ship Belem celebrates this 2021 one hundred and twenty-five years of history. It was launched in 1896 with a steel hull at the Dubigeon shipyard in Nantes for a purely commercial use between France and Brazil and the Indies for the transport of goods such as sugar or cocoa. To commemorate this important date, what better way to talk about its life, also full of great importance.

First, we must highlight the enormous measures of the Belem training ship. The boat is 51 meters length, not counting the 7 meters of the bowsprit, by 8.80 meters of maximum beam. In addition, it has three large masts 58 meters height.

Thanks to the efforts and money of its various owners, the Gallic ship is currently the last three-masted sailing ship to sail in all of Europe. In addition, it is the most precious jewel of the naval heritage of France. In this sense, the Belem received the classification of Historical Monument on February 27, 1984.

Throughout its history, the Belem school ship has suffered many mishaps and inconveniences, as happens with almost all old ships that still ply the waters of the Earth. This long-lived cargo sailboat passed alternately by English, Italian and again French hands.

With the successive implantation of the steamship, the sailboats of maritime routes gradually disappeared. In 1914 it happened to the Belem when it was acquired by the Duke of Westminster, who decided to transform the ship into an excellent leisure boat. Curiously, it had to be docked on the English Isle of Wight for several years because of the bloody World War I.

HISTORY OF BELEM TRAINING SHIP: AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE SAILBOAT

At the beginning of the 20s of the last century, another lover of the Belem school ship, in this case, Arthur Ernest Guinness, bought the three-masted sailboat and went around the world with his whole family. As mentioned previously, the French ship also passed through Italian hands since 1951, establishing itself as the Italian training ship.

The Belem was motorized and renamed for various uses – luxury cruise and training ship. Finally, he was discovered by chance in Venice in a sorry state in the late 1970s by a nostalgic hobbyist.

Purchased with the support of a large French bank, the sailboat returned to its native country in 1979. The bank financed the Belem Foundation, which began its restoration. Currently, the Belem training ship is now converted to cabotage as it offers introductory and discovery courses for enthusiasts. It is destined for the French Navy for the training of its cabin boys, appearing also in the great meetings of traditional sailboats.The last works carried out have been the restoration of the furniture with mahogany wood from Cuba.

Live the passion for history and naval modeling with the fantastic model of the French training ship Belem 1/75. A museum jewel for your eyes!

Click here to read the post about the model…