Hawke's fourteen ships were generally smaller than the French escort's most powerful vessels. Among the six captures was the 74-gun Terrible, an especially influential prize. British study of the ship contributed to the Royal Navy's developing ideas about the 74-gun type. Terrible also later carried Samuel Hood as an officer, linking the captured design to another prominent naval career.
Notable Point · 1:05:20-1:07:33
A captured French 74 influenced British ship design
The captured French ship Terrible gave British officers a close look at the 74-gun type and helped shape later Royal Navy design thinking.