HMS Mars (1794)

HMS "Mars" was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 October 1794 at Deptford.

In the early part of the French Revolutionary Wars she was assigned to the Channel Fleet. In 1797 under Captain Alexander Hood she was prominent in the Spithead mutiny. In 1798 she fought a famous single-ship duel with the French seventy-four "Hercule", in the dusk near the Pointe du Raz on the coast of Brittany. "Hercule" attempted to escape through the Passage du Raz but the tide was running in the wrong direction and she was forced to anchor, giving Captain Hood the chance to attack at close quarters. The two ships were of equal force, but "Hercule" was newly commissioned, and after more an hour and a half of bloody fighting at close quarters she struck her flag, having lost over three hundred men. On "Mars" 31 men were killed and 60 wounded. Among the dead was Captain Hood.

"Mars" fought at Trafalgar where she was heavily damaged as she took fire from five different French and Spanish seventy-fours. Among the 3 officers and 25 crew killed in action was her captain, George Duff.

In 1806, on service in the Channel fleet she took part in an action off Chasseron which led to the capture of four French ships. She afterwards served off Portugal and in the Baltic Sea.

"Mars" was in ordinary from 1813, and broken up in 1823.

References

*William James, "Naval History of Great Britain, 1793–1827".
*Colledge
*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.