French ship Commerce de Marseille (1788)

The Commerce de Marseille was a 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Jacques-Noël Sané and launched in 1788. She was one of the Océan-class vessels, a group of large three-deckers that were among the most powerful warships of their era.

She served prominently during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Notably, she participated in the Glorious First of June in 1794, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Pierre Jean Van Stabel. The battle was a tactical victory for the British, but the Commerce de Marseille acquitted herself well in the engagement.

Later in her career, she was renamed Peuple Souverain during the French Revolution, reflecting the revolutionary fervor sweeping the nation. She retained this name for a period before reverting to Commerce de Marseille.

Ultimately, her career ended in 1802 when she was condemned and broken up. Although her service life was relatively short compared to some other warships of the period, the Commerce de Marseille represents a significant example of French naval power at the end of the 18th century and the early 19th century. Her design heavily influenced subsequent French shipbuilding.