HMS Dragon (1760)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Dragon.

HMS Dragon was a 74-gun Bellona-class third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 4 March 1760 at Deptford Dockyard.^[1]

The bombardment of Morro Castle on Havana - HMS Dragon, centre
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Dragon
Ordered	28 December 1757
Builder	Deptford Dockyard to a design by Sir Thomas Slade
Laid down	28 March 1758
Launched	4 March 1760
Commissioned	March 1760
Fate	Sold out of the service, 1784
Notes	Harbour service from 1781
General characteristics [1]
Class & type	Bellona-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	1,61473⁄94 (bm)
Length	168 ft (51 m) (gundeck) 137 ft 11 in (42.04 m) (keel)
Beam	46 ft 11 in (14.30 m)
Draught	21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Depth of hold	19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	74 guns: Lower gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 14 × 9 pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs

Service history

She was commissioned in 1760, under the command of the Hon. Augustus Hervey, as part of the Western Squadron. In October 1761 she sailed for the Leeward Islands, and until March 1763 was engaged in naval operations in the Caribbean, including the Siege of Havana in 1762.^[2][3] as part of the Seven Years' War.

Francis Light, founder of Penang, served on HMS Dragon in 1760.^[4]

In March 1763 she was paid off, and recommissioned as a guardship at Portsmouth in May 1763, where she served until once again paid off in 1770. From 1781 she was employed as a receiving ship at Portsmouth, before being finally paid off in April 1783 and sold in Portsmouth in June 1784 for £620.^[1][2]

Commanders of Note

• Captain John Bentinck 1766 to 1769