Most of De Grasse's line consisted of 74-gun ships, the practical centre of late eighteenth-century battle fleets. Bougainville flew his flag in the 80-gun Auguste, while other 80-gun ships reinforced the squadron leadership. The 104-gun Ville de Paris provided exceptional concentrated firepower in the white squadron. Smaller 64-gun and 70-gun ships remained in the formation, and several ships later captured by the British appear in this inventory. The list establishes that the French defeat cannot be explained by a lack of powerful ships.
Chapter · 47:51-49:46
French firepower centred on 74s, 80s, and Ville de Paris
The French order of battle combined numerous 74-gun ships with 80-gun squadron flagships and the 104-gun Ville de Paris.