Spanish ship San Ildefonso

The San Ildefonso going into Portsmouth harbour on 12 June 1814, drawn by John Christian Schetky
History
Spain
NameSan Ildefonso
NamesakeTown of San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain
Ordered23 February 1784[1]
BuilderCartagena
Laid down26 March 1784[1]
Launched22 January 1785[1]
Captured21 October 1805[2]
United Kingdom
NameHMS Ildefonso
Acquired21 October 1805[2]
Commissioned3 April 1806
Decommissioned19 June 1806
Recommissioned22 July 1808
ReclassifiedAs a storeship late 1808
FateBroken up in July 1816
General characteristics
Class and typeSeventy-four (third rate)
Armament

San Ildefonso was a ship of the Spanish Navy, built at Cartagena, Spain to a design by José Romero Fernández de Landa[1] and launched in 1785. She was designed to be lighter than traditional Spanish vessels which had had difficulty matching the speed of ships of the Royal Navy. Though completed as a 74-gun ship, and always rated as such, San Ildefonso actually carried 80 cannons and obuses (howitzers) by the time of Trafalgar. She saw service against French and British vessels in the late 18th century, sailed twice to the Americas and was trapped in Cadiz by the British blockade. San Ildefonso was captured by the British third-rate HMS Defence at the Battle of Trafalgar and successfully weathered the storm afterwards to be taken into Royal Navy service as HMS Ildefonso.

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference prof was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference defence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).