French ship Ville de Paris (1851)

The Ville de Paris was an Océan class 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Her keeled was in Rochefort in 1807 as Marengo. During her construction, she was renamed Ville de Vienne, Comte d'Artois during the Bourbon Restoration, Ville de Vienne again briefly during the Hundred Days and back to Comte d'Artois thereafter. On 9 October 1830, following the July Revolution, she took her name of Ville de Paris. She was finally launched on 5 October 1850.

In 1851, she rejoined Toulon where she served as flagship of the squadron, under captain Penaud.

On 23 March 1853, she departed Toulon for Greece, leading the First squadron of vice-admiral Régnault de La Susse. She arrived at Athens in March 1853, where La Susse was relieved, and joined with the British squadron under Admiral Dundas at Malta. On June 1853, the Allied fleet arrived at Beşik Bay. On 15 July 1853, Admiral Hamelin took over command of the French squadron. On 22 September 1853, the fleet departed for the Dardanelles, Ville de Paris in tow of the Napoléon. During the operations in the Sea of Marmara, she was towed by other steam ships.

In 1854, the squadron blockaded the Black Sea and protected the Allied lines of supply. Ville de Paris arrived at Odessa on 6 January 1854, taking Russian prisoners captured by other French units, and directing the shelling of the city on 22 March.

In late July 1854, a cholera epidemic broke out in the fleet. On 11 August, the fleet sailed in quarantine. By the end of the month, Ville de Paris had 140 dead.

On 2 September 1854, Saint Arnaud, general Canrobert and their staff came aboard to direct the landing at Eupatoria. Ville de Paris was again taken in tow of Napoléon and the fleet moved to Eupatoria, joining with the British fleet on the 13th. The next day at 8:30 am, the Army landed. Eventually, 60,000 men were landed by the 16th of September.

On 17 October 1854, Ville de Paris launched the bombing of Sevastopol by signaling "France watches you". Her poop deck was soon struck by a shell and two round shots, killing 2 and wounding 6 men. By 7 PM, Ville de Paris had received 50 shots in her hull and one hundred in her riggings.

On 14 November, Ville de Paris lost steering during a storm, and had to return to Bosporus in tow of a steam ship. She was repaired in Constantinople, returning to sea on 21 December. She return to Toulon on 28 March 1855.

From July 1857, Ville de Paris was transformed into a steam ship, gaining 5.47 metres in the process. She was launched in May 1858 and recommissioned in August 1858.

In 1870, she was converted to a troop ship, her engine removed, and in 1881 she was used as a hulk.

Ville de Paris was scrapped on 2 March 1898.