HMS Hercules (1759)

	Model of a 74-gun ship, third rate, circa 1760. Thought to be either HMS Hercules or HMS Thunderer from 1760.
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Hercules
Ordered	15 July 1756
Builder	Deptford Dockyard
Launched	15 March 1759
Fate	Sold out of the service, 1784
General characteristics
Class and type	Hercules-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	160834⁄94 (bm)
Length	166 ft 6 in (50.75 m) (gundeck)
Beam	46 ft 6 in (14.17 m)
Depth of hold	19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full rigged ship
Armament	74 guns:; Lower gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs; Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs; Quarter deck: 14 × 9 pdrs; Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs;

HMS Hercules was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 March 1759 at Deptford Dockyard.^[1]

The ship took part in the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April 1782 against a French fleet, where she suffered six killed and 18 wounded. She was the third ship in the part of the British line of battle which broke the enemy's line astern of the French flagship Ville de Paris.^[2]

She was sold out of the service in 1784.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p176.
^ Willis, Fighting Ships 1750-1850, p. 50

References

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.
Willis, Sam (2007) Fighting Ships 1750-1850 Quercus. ISBN 1-84724-171-9.

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[Lavery,_SoLv1_p176-1] Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p176.

[2] Willis, Fighting Ships 1750-1850, p. 50

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