Duc de Duras 1795/Dauphin 1766

The Duc de Duras was a merchant ship which regularly sailed half way around the world on behalf of the French East India Company. Her design allowed her to be quickly transformed into a warship in case of necessity to support the navy. When the French East India Company dissolved, all its ships were “adopted” by the French Navy, including the Duc the Duras. Purchased by King Louis XVI of France in early 1779, her size and new armament made her the equivalent of a 50–gun 4th rate ship of the line.

This ship pack can also be used to represent the French ex–merchant ship “Dauphin 1766 (1770)”