HMS Defence (1763)
Defence (centre) at the Glorious First of June | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Defence |
| Ordered | 15 December 1758 |
| Builder | Israel Pownoll, Plymouth Dockyard |
| Launched | 31 March 1763 |
| Fate | Wrecked, 24 December 1811 |
| Notes | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bellona-class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1,6038⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 168 ft (51.2 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 46 ft 9 in (14.2 m) |
| Draught | 21 ft 6 in (6.6 m) |
| Depth of hold | 19 ft 9 in (6.0 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | |
HMS Defence was a 74-gun Bellona-class third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Israel Pownoll and launched on 31 March 1763 at Plymouth Dockyard. She was one of the most famous ships of the period, taking part in several of the most important naval battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In 1811 she was wrecked off the coast of Jutland with the loss of almost her entire crew.