More ship of the line losses in the Napoleonic Wars

Santisima Trinidad captured
P.O.D.
For some reason, the Royal Navy saves or obtains a few more ships of the line in 1795 to 1797. At least 2 large ships should be available to capture the Spanish ship permanently after its initial surrender attempt and fight off the Spanish attempt to recapture the Spanish ship at Cape St. Vincent.

What happens in the aftermath: [Modified http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/S/04085.html if simplified.]
After refitting in 1798, butterflies resulted in all French ships prevented from escaping the Nile as 2 or more British ships of the line ended up being involved and the Royal Navy would be able to prevent the ship's capture. The ship's manoeuvres resulted in its usage as convoy escort and colonial operations to free up other ships for blockading Europe. Trafalgar goes more or less as in reality [the ship mentioned was a liability but freed up British ships against the French and Spanish].
 
More British [and enemy] ships lost at Trafalgar

On 21 October 1805, the HMS Belleisle was captured by the French Navy and towed back to France as a prize. As a result, the HMS Victory was dismasted and with heavier casualties, the ship was also captured with the assistance of French ship Neptune. HMS Temeraire attempted to assist, but was opposed by the Neptune and the ship was heavily damaged to a near wreck despite sinking the latter. HMS Victory was later recaptured by the ships HMS Conqueror and Neptune [the French flagship was damaged and sought other targets, further wrecking the Temeraire]. French ship Redoubtable was also involved in filling a gap and diverted some attention of HMS Temeraire. HMS Bellerophon was also dismasted and almost seized, but the attempt was halted. Later, a grenade thrown into the ship barely exploded and the ship was saved. However, the HMS Victory was damaged by British ships during recapture and the HMS Belleisle was on its way to Cadiz. Later, the battle would see Spanish ships fighting to the end, motivated by a Spanish flagship's presence. However, the ships were slowly lost over the later hours of battle.

Later, the battle lasted until the evening, with more Spanish ships receiving heavier damage and could not be sailed. These were lost over the storm that followed, including a few prizes waiting to be recaptured.

[If possible, add Bellerophon and several surrounding ships into the losses due to an explosion and a few remaining French and Spanish ships dismasting HMS Colossus or seizing it for want of casualties. The losses would be higher, but the British should still triumph decisively in the end. Maybe have HMS Bellerophon captured and later towed away from the battle.]
 
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More losses and captures on 1 June 1794 and the lead up

On 28 May 1794, the French ship Revolutionnaire was dismasted and was abandoned on orders of Admiral Villaret Joyeuse, which would result in its capture by HMS Audacious and Thunderer. The French fleet continued its exchange of fire the next day and had HMS Queen under tow for hours, but after 3 days, the French ships were intercepted off Ushant and a melee developed as in reality, but with French ship Mucius attacking some frigates and being forced to surrender.

[I will post about the rest of 1 June 1794 later, including decision changes.]

[Main p.o.d.]
Then, Admiral Villaret's flagship was engaged by HMS Queen Charlotte, but all guns on it were readied and resulted in the ship severely damaged, along with ships Juste and Republican decided to counterattack the British. At 11:30 a.m., HMS Queen was dismasted and captured after a counterattack by the combat ready French ships while 6 supporting French ships engaged the British, which included one relatively undamaged ship. HMS Queen Charlotte was also damaged heavily. In the chaos surrounding, Scipion, Jemmapes and Republican were recovered along with Sans Pareil, HMS Majestic being engaged in the process heavily before capturing the French ship Pelletier. In the battle, the French Navy lost 8 ships of the line [all actual losses except Sans Pareil replaced by Mucius and Pelletier] while the British lost one ship.

[End result: more or less o.t.l.]
 
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I'm sure the RN would actually notice that kind of thing. Perhaps they'd saw her off and make her into a giant Razee?

A uniquely giant razee, at that :p

I think there are a few cases where first-rates were converted into roomier third-rates OTL, no?
 
No hurricane of 17 September 1782 [against captured French ships]

If Admiral Graves's convoy of former French ships [and HMS Ramillies] avoided the hurricane of 17 September 1782, what would be the impact on the French Revolutionary Wars? Especially if the 1 June 1794 battle goes as in reality, would 5 extra ex-French ships and extra prizes taken or repaired be sufficient to affect the San Ildenfonso treaty as the French naval defeats would be more severe?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1782_Central_Atlantic_hurricane
 
More Santa Ana class ships in the Royal Navy
P.o.d.: Due to proper identification or a believe of destruction by nearby explosions, the Spanish ship San Hermenegildo avoided destruction although its sister ship, Real Carlos, exploded at 0:15 a.m. on 13 July 1801. A few hours later, it was dismasted and captured by HMS Superb, which had to abandon ship-of-the-line San Antonio shortly after securing and leave its squadron, although the latter was retaken by HMS Caesar and towed by HMS Thames. HMS Venerable was also captured by the Spanish Navy retaining the same name before transfer to France.

After refitting and repairs, it was sailed to Plymouth, arriving in early October under jury masts and spent 2 years in dock and repair, with heavy damage and the Treaty of Amiens contributing to repair delays. Finally, it was commissioned in November 1803, joining the Channel Fleet and keeping watch over the French Squadrons at Brest and Rochefort in 1804 and 1805. The ship also participated in the battles of Cape Finisterre and Trafalgar, compelling the surrender of its sisters Santa Ana and Principe de Asturias. Meanwhile, HMS Duquense [captured off Haiti] recaptured Venerable, although Venerable was too damaged to survive the return trip to Gibraltar due to its heavy role in the battle.

Later, HMS San Hermeneglido was involved in the 1806 Atlantic Campaigns against the French Atlantic fleet, the Dardanelles, blockade of French and Spanish ports and convoy escort. From 1809, it served off the coast of its former nation of service, now fighting against French invaders. It was also involved in fleet actions off Toulon during 1811, 1813 and 1814; before being decommissioned to host prisoners in 1815 and it was scrapped next year.
 
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Temeraire class ships in Russian service

On 26 January 1799, ship-of-the-line Genereux was caught and trapped by a fleet of Russian ships at Corfu and was forced to strike its colours. As a result, the ship entered Russian service, but under its old name. Genereux, as a Russian ship, was inspected and became the prototype of a class of battleships in the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Anapa class. After service in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in 1799-1800, it was sent to Sevastopol and decommissioned until refitting in 1805. After service against the French in the Adriatic and defeating the Ottoman Navy at the Dardanelles, Athos and Lemmos; it was sailed to Corfu and laid up until returned to French service in 1809. Genereux was considered obsolete, but was used to ensure French dominance of the Adriatic, ending with its capture on 13 March 1811 at Lissa by the Royal Navy. Under British service, Genereux was never used, but scrapped in 1814.
 
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I once heard about an idea to turn the Santisima Trinidad into a gigantic frigate - they would have razed two full decks - leaving a two-decker with fifty or sixty heavy guns. It would've kept the old sail plan, so speed estimates ranged up to about 15 knots.
 
Cornwallis Retreat and the defeat of the French Atlantic Fleet

After the capture of the frigate HMS Phaeton by the French Atlantic Squadron on the morning of 16 June 1795, the French Atlantic Squadron pursued the squadron of William Cornwallis and defeated it, capturing or destroying the entire squadron over the day before being swept south by a fierce gale southwards that wrecked several of the British prizes and scattered several of the French ships that the squadron had to reorganize. Among the ships wrecked or abandoned by the fleet after the storm included the HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Mars and 2 French frigates [the latter abandoned in Lorient after supply issues and prize salvage issues].

A week after [23 June, later by several hours due to butterflies], the French fleet was spotted by frigates HMS Nymphe and Astrea and was engaged the next day. During the battle, the French Navy lost the recently captured HMS Alexander as it fell behind the French fleet. Next, the Redoubtable was captured by the British, followed by the Formidable after being pounced by HMS Queen Charlotte and Sans Pareil. Both were taken into Royal Navy service as HMS Redoubt and Belleisle respectively. HMS Alexander and Tigre were later captured after the Royal Navy continued the pursuit of the French Navy and entered British service with anglicised names of their own. Finally, the French fleet scattered in disorder after the French 1st rate battleship Ocean was badly damaged and forced to surrender before being wrecked and salvaged for British service.
[Basically o.t.l., but with French ships replacing Cornwallis's losses with the latter being captured or wrecked.]
 
HMS Redoubt [continuation]
http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=0300
http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/B/00518.html
After the French ship Redoubtable was captured by the Royal Navy on 23 June 1795 [in reality, it was under tow and close to the French ships captured that day], the ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Redoubt and saw service in the Channel Fleet until Amiens was signed in 1802. [One extra French ship captured wouldn't make much difference to Royal Navy history, especially if unused until after 1800.] From 1803-1805, it was part of Horatio Nelson's Mediterranean Fleet and involved in pursuits off Toulon.

On 21 October 1805, HMS Redoubt and Royal Sovereign dismasted the Spanish flagship Santa Ana and forced it to strike. Then, Redoubt [under Captain William Hargood] was about to capture Santa Ana when it faced the wrath of several French and Spanish ships of the line; these being Achilles, Aigle, San Justo and San Leandro. Totally dismasted, it was saved by HMS Royal Sovereign and a fellow prize from Groix [Belleisle] while Neptune and Fougeux wrecked themselves duelling Horatio Nelson's Victory and several supporting ships. After the battle, this ship became the only British loss of Trafalgar when it sank from heavy damage and wrecking despite the efforts of Belleisle and the frigate HMS Naiad. [Belleisle being close to wrecking in reality. Note that Neptune would sink from heavy damage in this Trafalgar instead of returning to Cadiz.]
 
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