HMS
BELLONA - ENGLISH - 1760
HMS Bellona construction started on 10 May 1758 and launched
on the 19 February 1760. Built at Chatham, she was the second
ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name, and saw service in
the Seven Years' War, American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic
Wars.
In 1762 Bellona was paid off and did not see action again
until 1780, during the American Revolutionary War. She was
coppered at this time, one of the first British ships to receive
the hull-protecting layer. In 1780, Bellona captured the 44-gun
Dutch ship Princess Caroline.
In 1801, she served with legendary Nelson at the Battle of
Copenhagen, firing her cannons furiously despite having grounded
on a shoal. HMS Bellona served in the navy for over 50 years
a very long time for a wooden ship. She continued to serve
in the North Sea and Bay of Biscay until 1814, when she paid
off for the last time and was broken up.
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