France ordered 107 Temeraire-class 74s, although some were completed for Dutch service, making the design the most numerous capital-ship group of the age; ships of the class also formed much of the battle line at Guadeloupe. Britain captured twenty-five and used French hull forms as references for its own construction. Yet standardization and elegant proportions did not prevent repeated French operational defeats. British rigging practice allowed a comparable ship to sail with roughly one hundred fewer people, leaving more of the same hull volume available for provisions and endurance. A warship design had to fit its navy's crewing, leadership, doctrine, and operating pattern rather than be judged only by mathematical proportions.
Chapter · 11:05-16:34
Temeraire-class numbers versus operational results
The Temeraire class supplied much of the battle line at Guadeloupe, prompting a comparison between French standardization and British crewing and rigging practice.