Bone ship model of the French Ship Océan, made by a Prisoner of War, early 19th century
This is a model of the French first rate Océan, launched at Brest on 8 November 1790. Ships of the Océan class were designed to be flagships of the French navy and were the largest in the world. Océan was armed with 120 guns, had 3,250 square metres of sails, a crew of 1,130 and displaced 5,095 metric tonnes – that’s 1539 tons MORE than Nelson’s HMS Victory.  In this period the French led the world in building large fighting ships.
She was launched in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the French Revolution, Océan soon found herself thick in the action. At the Glorious First of June in 1794, fought at the height of the Reign of Terror, she engaged the British First Rate Royal Sovereign. She was hit with around 250 cannon balls and took 300 casualties - but was not captured. A year later She was in action again at the Battle of Groix, and in 1809 at Basque Roads, where she was set ablaze by a British fireship, was grounded, and fought off British attacks for four days.
She subsequently had a long life and was not broken up until 1856. But when she was taken apart, 201 cannon balls from 1794 were found in her hull, the true embodiment of French sea power from the great age of sail.
