- HMS Belleisle (1795)
"Lion" was a 74-gun
third rate ship of the line of theFrench Navy , which later served in theRoyal Navy . She was built atRochefort . She was later renamed "Marat" and then "Formidable", with the changing fortunes of the French Revolution.She took part in the
Action of 6 November 1793 , managing to rake HMS "Alexander".She was captured on 23 June 1795 at the
Battle of Groix by HMS "Barfleur" near the French port ofLorient . She was taken into service in theRoyal Navy , but because the Navy already had a "Formidable", she was renamed "Belleisle", apparently in the mistaken belief that she had been captured offBelle Île , rather than the Île de Groix.Captained by
William Hargood , she was the second ship in the British lee column at theBattle of Trafalgar in 1805, and as such was engaged by the French ships "Achille", "Aigle", "Neptune" and "Fougueux". She was soon completely dismasted (the only British ship which suffered that fate), unable to manœuvre and largely unable to fight, as her sails blinded her batteries, but kept flying her flag for 45 minutes until the British ships behind her in the column came to her rescue. With 33 dead and 93 wounded, she was then towed toGibraltar after the battle by the frigate HMS "Naiad".From 1811 she was in
Portsmouth harbour, and in 1814 the decision was taken to have her broken up.References
* [http://www.treeforall.org.uk/trafalgar/TrafalgarWoods/Otherwoods/Belleisle/ "Belleisle"]
*Michael Phillips - [http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/B1.htm Sailing ships of the Royal Navy B1] . Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 21 January 2007.External links
*http://www.treeforall.org.uk/trafalgar/TrafalgarWoods/Otherwoods/Belleisle/
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