Mars-class ship of the line

This article is about the late-18th/early-19th century British 74-gun third rate class. For other classes, see Mars class.

The Mars-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates of the large class ships of the line, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Henslow.

Mars (1794), Centaur (1797)
Class overview
Name	Mars
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Courageux class
Succeeded by	Ajax class
In service	25 October 1794–1823
Completed	2
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	176 ft (54 m) (gundeck) 144 ft 3 in (43.97 m) (keel)
Beam	49 ft (15 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	74 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 30 × 24 pdrs Quarterdeck: 12 × 9 pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs
Notes	Ships in class include: Mars, Centaur

The two ships of the Mars class were the first large 74s since the Valiant class of 1759, carrying the heavier armament of 24 pdrs on their upper decks, as opposed to the 18 pdrs of the middling and common classes.

Ships

• HMS Mars

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 17 January 1788

Launched: 25 October 1794

Fate: Broken up, 1823

• HMS Centaur

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered: 17 January 1788

Launched: 14 March 1797

Fate: Broken up, 1819

References

• Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.