Le Protecteur 32"

 The Protector as a ship of 64 guns had in fact never existed! 

It seems that the model presented to the Navy Museum in Paris (and with 64 guns) has been appointed as a result of the interpretation of Admiral Pâris, curator of the Museum of the Marine in the late nineteenth century. He actually called this model through a commentary included in a register of time, but without verifying the veracity of the name, especially in light of its weapons.

However, a Protector of 74 guns was well and truly existed, its construction was undertaken under the direction of Christmas POMET and began under the reign of Louis XV in 1757 in Toulon, and it was launched on May 21, 1760 and sailed until 1789. He was among others commissioned by Mr. Grasse Limermont and was part of the wing of Count d'Estaing in combat in Grenada on July 6, 1779. The fact remains that this ship is representative of ships navigating at the time. His model was restored in 1880, and was built at a scale of 1/33. 

The Protector was armed with guns which the mass of bullets identified them: the largest, located in the 1st battery (the lowest deck), firing balls 24 pounds (nearly 12 kg), guns 12 pounds sending balls 6 kg and the smallest, 8 guns, a propulsaient charges of 4 kg. 

The theoretical scope of these guns was 3 700 metres, but the best efficiency (accuracy and destructive effect) imposed lined draw about 600 meters.

These guns were the only weapons long-range vessel. Their handling was long and dangerous, and it was a very well-trained crew several minutes to put one of these mastodons repairs after a fire. 

Just consider that a barrel of 24 books and his lookout weighed about 3 tons, and should not be less than 13 servants to achieve perform all the operations necessary for its operation. The guns of 9 required 12 sailors and those of 8 pounds, 7. 

On a ship of 64 guns that fire was, was not less than 330 men who were to activate simultaneously, locked in bridges battery dark and smoky. Only one bordered guns at that moment sent 260 kg of iron on the target ship. 

To these 330 men, it was necessary to add a good fifty (often foams, as young as 12 years), which was responsible for transporting cargo from the powders, located in the depths of the ship, the charges and all these balls cannons. 

During the fighting (and the rest of the time too), it was also that the vessel could be operated, and it is thus another big hundred additional sailors who were divided on deck and aloft. 

To this city floating marine corps often combined naval infantry, consisting of a hundred soldiers over the bridge and in hunes, which came into action once the vessels sufficiently close one on the other so that they can use their rifles. 

It was therefore not unusual in time of war, a vessel as the Protector in its flanks houses 600 men, need shelter and food for several months in a row. 

Such promiscuity in a small space also meant - Not surprisingly - health problems that could very quickly take catastrophic proportions. The surgeon on board was completely isolated, and only their knowledge, tools and the famous rum enabled him to cure all the ills that does not appear missing during missions of the ship. 

The fresh food quickly exhausted, it was then draw on reserves of salted meat (pork, beef or cod) and water (more or less clear) drawn from the barrels in bilge. The daily water ration of marine was 4 liters (kitchen included), and often it was still rationed when reserves s'épuisaient… 
The scurvy sailors also lurked a lack of vitamin C during long campaigns, but also all the injuries along with the normal operation of the vessel: falls, injuries during the engagements, often involving amputation, the surgeon operating in a corner of the 'tween who was nursing only in name. 

A tourniquet, a rapid bumper of alcohol and saw his work was cut. No wonder then that many wounded in fighting succumbed to their injuries in the days following the engagement. 

Such living conditions were supported by the crew at the price of an iron discipline: the maritime code was relentless in terms of punishment; irons, beatings of garcette (small rope), running the bouline ( ie pass between two men wielding hedges these garcettes), or worse, the "hold" (dropping a man (attached to a rope) in water from one of the yards) and even the "great hold," when we did go under the boat! Without forgetting the pain of baggy or simply death by hanging. 

Nevertheless, these vessels represent the heyday of the Navy to sail, a ship as Protector measured 74 meters long and 14 wide for a maximum height of 64 meters! Its main mast measuring 90 cm in diameter, and the ship weighed about 3,000 tons.