Santisima Trinidad

Posted by F.F. on Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 04:24

A new online encyclopedia, Grokipedia, has two pages about that ship: the name of these pages are «spanish_ship_santisima_trinidad» and «Spanish_ship_Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Santísima_Trinidad». It copes with Wikipedia even in a few inaccuracies.


• First of those pages:
«… she measured approximatively 220 Spanish feet in lenght (about 201 feet imperial) with a beam of 58 feet, displacing over 5,400 tons …»
Such were her dimensions, yet not in 1769 as suggested, but in 1805; and her displacement was then 5432 toneladas ≈ 4998ｔ (SI).

«Rebuilt between 1795 and 1796 into a unique four-deck configuration with 130 to 140 guns (including 36-, 24-, 12-, and 8-pounders plus howitzers), she became the most heavily armed warship afloat during the Age of Sail»
In fact, at the end of 1797, she had, it seems, 120 guns, with a broadside of 1272 Castilian libras ≈ 585 ㎏ ≈ 1,290 lbs. The French 118 / 120 gun ships of the line then had 120 guns (broadside: 621 ㎏ ≈ 1,323 lbs) plus 6 howitzers (broadside: 53 ㎏ ≈ 117 lbs).

When launched in 1769, she exceeded expectations and earned «the moniker “El Escorial de los mares” for its monumental scale, which outstripped contemporaries like HMS Victory and the French Bretagne.»
The Victory had a burthen of 2,162 tons and a displacement berween 3,500 or 3,600ｔ (SI); la Bretagne, with a burthen of 2,5446 tons and a displacement of some 4670ｔ (SI), was slightly larger than la Santísima Trinidad then was, the latter having a burthen of some 2,300 tons, and a displacement according to Spanish sources of 4512ｔ (SI). Furthemore, the largest ship then existing was then the fourth le Royal-Louis. That ship sailed only once, and was then fitted as a storeship, but she had a burthen of almost 2,700 tons, and a displacement of some 4900ｔ (SI).

«The Santísima Trinidad was constructed as a three-decker first-rate ship of the line, renowned for her substantial size upon completion in 1769. Her dimensions included an overall length of 61.3 meters (201 feet), a beam of 16.2 meters (53 feet), and a draught of 8.02 meters (26.3 feet), with a displacement of approximately 4,950 tons.»
As launched, and according to measurements as taken in Europe, she measured 59,54 ｍ × 16,09 ｍ × 8,06 ｍ, for her 4512ｔ (SI). From 1796 to 1805, she measured 61,44 ｍ × 16,16 ｍ × 8,01 ｍ, her displacement in 1805 being 5,432 Castilian tons («toneladas de peso») ≈ 4998ｔ (SI), in some documents given as some «5400 toneladas» 4970ｔ (SI), from which number seemingly derives the number «approximatuvely 4,950 tons». So it's rather accurate for 1805, yet wrong before 1796.

«[…] which contributed to her status as the largest warship afloat until the French 120-gun Océan entered service in 1790»
The first French 120-gun ship launched was le Commerce-de-Marseille, in 1788; in 1790 was launched the finest and most famous of that class, les États-de-Bourgogne, later renamed l'Océan.
And the largest ships in 1769 were la Bretagne and le Royal-Louis. By the displacement f4im 1779 until 1788, it was la Purísima Concepción, together with, from 1783, her sistership el San José (burthen, 2,457 tons; displacement, 4750ｔ [SI]).

«Following [her] initial service, the Santísima Trinidad received major structural upgrades in 1795–1796. Workers closed off the spar deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle to create a continuous fourth gun deck»
According to a French officer (J. B. A. Babron), the fourth deck remained uncovered, so that spar deck made her a three-decker with howitzers between her forecastle and quarterdeck.

«Further enhancements reached a peak of 140 guns by 1805, establishing the Santísima Trinidad as the heaviest-armed sailing warship of its era.»
In 1805 she had 120 guns, 16 howitzers of 24 libras and 4 of 4 libras. In the British and French Navies she would have been rated as a 120-gun ship of the line. In Spain, she was considered as a 136-gun ship of the line, the four 4-pounder howitzers not being taken in account. Her broadside was then 585 ㎏ ≈ 1,292 lbs (guns) + 92 ㎏ ≈ 203 lbs (howitzers – inefficient weapons at any range). The French «118» / «120-gun» ships of the line then had 114 guns, 12 true carronades (effective at short ranges) and 6 howitzers (ineffective whatever the range), or 132 pieces, giving a broadside of 609 ㎏ ≈ 1,342 lbs (long guns) + 106 ㎏ ≈ 233 lbs (carronades) + 53 ㎏ ≈ 117 lbs (howitzers), slightly more than that of the Spanish ship. According to Mʳ Emir Yener, a Turkish historian, two ships had been built in his country on the same design than the French 118s: the Mesudiye (1801) and the Fethiye (1804). From what I know I assume their broadside was 609 ㎏ ≈ 1,342 lbs (guns) + 25 ㎏ ≈ 56 lbs (giant guns launching stone shots with very low muzzle velocity, compared to guns of that time).


• Second page:
«This configuration, with its emphasis on heavy lower-deck artillery, provided a broadside weight of approximately 1,204 Spanish libras (around 1,299 pounds or 589 kilograms) […] This native manufacture not only supported Spain's self-sufficiency in warship outfitting but also contributed to the vessel's reputation as the heaviest-armed warship afloat at the time, surpassing contemporary European designs in total ordnance.»
If such was her armament in 1769, then her broadside was 547 ㎏ ≈ 1,205 lbs; other sources give her four more guns, thus a broadside of 554 ㎏ ≈ 1,221 lbs. French ship la Bretagne then had a broadside of 555 ㎏ ≈ 1,224 lbs (later: 576 ㎏ ≈ 1,269 lbs).

«The armament was further expanded to 140 guns by 1804–1805, incorporating additional 24-pounder obús (increasing from 10 to 16) and emphasizing heavier calibers like the 36-pounders on the lower deck (full configuration: 32 × 36-pdr, 34 × 24-pdr, 36 × 12-pdr, 16 × 24-pdr obús, 18 × 8-pdr, 4 × 4-pdr pedreros), which boosted the broadside weight to 1,472 Spanish libras (approximately 1,588 pounds or 720 kilograms).
These successive upgrades transformed the Santísima Trinidad into the most heavily armed warship afloat […]»
In fact, 1,472 Castilian pounds were equal to 677 ㎏, not 720; and to 1,493 lbs, not 1,588; and it included the broadside of not only the long guns (585 ㎏ ≈ 1,290 lbs) but also of the ineffective howitzers; and, once again, then the French 118 / 120-gun ships (three afloat then) had a broadside of 609 ㎏ ≈ 1,342 lbs (long guns) + 106 ㎏ ≈ 233 lbs (carronades) + 53 ㎏ ≈ 117 lbs (howitzers), in all 767 ㎏ ≈ 1,692 lbs. And both the Mesudiye and the Fethiye seemingly had a broadside of 609 ㎏ ≈ 1,342 lbs (long guns) + 25 ㎏ (giant guns firing stone shots) ≈ 56 lbs, in all 643 ㎏ ≈ 1,398 lbs.