On 21 October 1805, under the command of Captain
Richard King,
Achille was in Admiral
Collingwood's column at the
Battle of Trafalgar, seventh in the line, between and .
Achille opened fire on the rear of the French and Spanish fleet at 12.15, engaging the 74-gun , for fifteen minutes, before sailing on to meet of 80 guns, which had already been battling with other
British ships. After hours of fierce fighting,
Argonauta fell silent and closed her gunports, but before
Achille could accept her surrender, her French namesake of 74 guns, moved in to engage the British ship. After exchanging broadsides, the French ship sailed on and was replaced on the starboard side by the 74-gun French ship , and for the next hour and a quarter she lay close alongside
Achille, receiving a pounding that eventually forced
Berwick to surrender with over 250 casualties – almost half her crew.
Achille took possession, and transferred some of her crew back on board as prisoners.
Achille suffered 13 killed and 59 wounded in the battle, in stark comparison to the heavy losses she inflicted on her French and Spanish adversaries. On 17 July 1812, boats from
Achille and captured or destroyed 12 enemy trabaccolos off Venice. ==Fate==