Bellona-class ship of the line

The bombardment of Morro Castle on Havana - HMS Dragon, centre
Class overview
Name	Bellona
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Valiant class
Succeeded by	Arrogant class
In service	19 February 1760 – 1814
Completed	5
Lost	2
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	168 ft (51 m) (gundeck) 138 ft (42 m) (keel)
Beam	46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	74 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounders Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounders Quarterdeck: 14 × 9-pounders Forecastle: 4 × 9-pounders
Notes	Ships in class include: Bellona, Dragon, Superb, Kent, Defence

The Bellona-class ships of the line were a class of five 74-gun third rates, whose design for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade was approved on 31 January 1758. Three ships were ordered on 28 December 1757, with names being assigned on 1 February 1758. Two further ships to this design were ordered on 13 December 1758, at the same time as two ships of a revised design – the Arrogant class.

Design

Slade's Bellona class was the first class of British 74s to have a gun deck length of 168 ft (51 m), and marked the beginning of a stabilisation of the design of this size of ship. Several subsequent classes designed by Slade were almost identical to the Bellona draught, with the main differences restricted to the underwater hull – the most numerous of these being the Arrogant and Elizabeth classes.^[1]

Ships

• HMS Bellona

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 28 December 1757.

Laid down: 10 May 1758.

Launched: 19 February 1760.

Completed: 6 April 1760.

Fate: Broken up at Chatham, September 1814.

• HMS Dragon

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 28 December 1757.

Laid down: 28 March 1758.

Launched: 4 March 1760.

Completed: 19 April 1760.

Fate: Sold to be broken up, June 1784.

• HMS Superb

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 28 December 1757.

Laid down: 12 April 1758.

Launched: 27 October 1760.

Completed: 19 December 1760.

Fate: Wrecked at Bombay, 7 November 1783.

• HMS Kent

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 13 December 1758.

Laid down: 24 April 1759.

Launched: 26 March 1762.

Completed: 8 July 1762.

Fate: Sold to be broken up, August 1784.

• HMS Defence

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 13 December 1758.

Laid down: 14 May 1759.

Launched: 31 March 1763.

Completed: 19 October 1770.

Fate: Wrecked off Jutland, 24 December 1811.

Notes

1. The 74-gun ship Bellona.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Lavery, Brian (2003) The 74-gun ship Bellona. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-916-6.
• Winfield, Rif (2007) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792; Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.