Fleet Ledger

Naval wars from the age of sail to the present day

HMS Defence

Wrecked

Type	Ship of the line
Rate	Third rate
Guns	74 guns
Wars	American War of Independence, French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars

74-gun ship, led the British line at Cuddalore. She later fought at the Glorious First of June, the Nile and Trafalgar, and was wrecked off Jutland in December 1811 with almost all her crew.

The 'Defence' at the Battle of the First of June, 1794 An incident from the five-day battle known as the 'Glorious First of June 1794', during the French Revolutionary War, 1793-1802, between the British fleet under Lord Howe and the French fleet under Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. This was the fir Photo: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Armament and specifications

Armament

Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
QD: 14 × 9-pounder guns
Fc: 4 × 9-pounder guns

Builder	Israel Pownoll, Plymouth Dockyard
Launched	31 March 1763
Length	168 ft (51.2 m) (gundeck)

As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.

Career

Launched

31 March 1763

Battle of Cape St Vincent (the Moonlight Battle)

Survived

16–17 January 1780 · American War of Independence

Fought Fénix for an hour

Battle of Cuddalore

Survived

20 June 1783 · American War of Independence

Led the line

Glorious First of June

Damaged

28 May – 1 June 1794 · French Revolutionary Wars

Broke the line first; totally dismasted

Battle of the Nile

Survived

1–3 August 1798 · French Revolutionary Wars

Battle of Copenhagen

Survived

2 April 1801 · French Revolutionary Wars

In reserve

Battle of Trafalgar

Survived

21 October 1805 · Napoleonic Wars

Took San Ildefonso

Fate

Wrecked

Wrecked, 24 December 1811