La Couronne - a Symbol of Pomposity or Deterrence

[Korsan]

At the moment i am about to start with the standing rigging of the model La Couronne. I started the model in december 2023. Until now i am not convinced that she is a real battle ship,like HMS Victory , Adler von Lübeck , Sao Joao Batista etc .. ,She looks very dainty.
İmho La Couronne is probably unique and this ship model is made extra bumptious ( hope this is correct word for aufgeblasen in german) for modelship builders.
I attached the latest photos of my model.

 

[AllanKP69]

Until now i am not convinced that she is a real battle ship

There was the real Couronne 1636 designed and built by the French in accordance with Richelieu's plans. Whether the kit is the same ship, who knows. Unfortunately, there is little information for 17th century ships compared to the 18th century and beyond. Closest I could find with a quick search is below.
Allan

 

[Korsan]

Hi AllanKP69
Thanks for your respond.I believe that ship has also a french style touch (effect) like the citroens 2CV or DS cars which were very innovative and far ahead of their time.
During my modeling of La Couronne i obtained very precious infos and support from DarivesArchitectvs (Kurt Selesky) and also the below given info.

The ONLY first hand depiction of La Couronne that exists is THIS:

This drawing was made from a hill overlooking a fort, with the French ships St. Louis (circled in blue) and La Couronne behind her. The topmasts and topgallant masts have not yet been raised on La Couronne. We can see a few important details from the drawing. The channels are below upper gun deck like on the Mantua model. You can trace the shrouds down past the upper gun deck on the drawing. Both Corel and Mantua got the stern gallery wrong because the drawing seems to show that the walk space behind the railing along the back of the transom was not open to the sky, but covered by the deck above, similar to the stern of the earlier construction of Soleil Royal before it was modified. The number of gun ports and their approximate positions can also be taken from the drawing. The number of decks visible on the ship in the drawing appear to match the Corel model. The drawing shows at least 10 gun ports on the lower gun deck and at least 9 gun ports on the upper gun deck, and they may be one or two more on each deck. This is probably the only reliable source we have on what La Couronne looked like. All the paintings made later show typical French men of war, and some of the paintings were attributed to La Couronne, but I am not certain that any of them truly are La Couronne.

Kurt Suleski
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS

 

[tball4217]

Merely compare it to Vasa,, or Sovereign of the seas. the structure is rather similar in opinion.

But as far as deterrence vert pompousity of self agrindizement, its both. I once tallied up the broadside weight of Sovereign of the Seas,, I think it came to 380 pounds of iron from each side.

Yet reflect upon how in the 1500s, some of the largest ships in the Spanish Armada that Drake faught.. some ships were listed as mounting 140 guns, but over half were merely swivel guns mounted broadside.