THE 74—GUN SHIP HMS BELLONA

   The ship to which the present release is dedicated, used to form the very backbone of the British battleships fleet. More than two hundred of them served with the Royal Navy, including those captured from other navies, and 74s took one of the leading parts in all the major naval battles in large numbers, and spent so many years in gruelling blockade service off such ports as Brest, Toulon, and Cadiz.

   The HMS Bellona was one of the earliest of these vessels, and one which served as a model for many of the other vessels; we shall note that, in addition to what is stated above, she was also one of the longest lived, for she served from 1760, when the 74 was first being introduced to the British Navy, until 1814, when the technology which made them obsolete was already in existence.

   Her service began brilliantly, when she was directly involved in defeating the French Courageux in a famous single-ship engagement. After that her service was a little bit disappointing, in that she missed two major actions, Copenhagen in 1801 and Strachan's action of 1805, through unfortunate circumstances. Nevertheless she saw much service during her fifty-four years, in the North Sea, Baltic, Atlantic and West Indies...