Mars, 1794
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74
Launched : 1794 ; Disposal date or year : 1823
BM: 1853 tons
Dimensions : length of gun-deck 176 ft. 0 in. ; extreme breadth 49 ft. 2in.
Complement: 634
Notes:

30 May 1795 a squadron under Vice-adm. Hon. Wm. Cornwallis sailed from Spithead on a cruise off Ushant. Brief meeting, on 8 Jun off Belle-Isle, of Vice-adm Cornwallis' squadron with French Squadron under Rear-admiral Vence, with a convoy, during which 8 merchant vessels were taken when the French squadron escaped into harbour.

16 Jun 1795 on returning off Belle-Isle Vice-adm. Cornwallis' squadron of 5 ships of the line, including the Mars, Captain Sir Charles Cotton, sighted a French Squadron of 12 ships of the line under the command of M. Villaret : on this occasion it was the turn of the British squadron to attempt to escape the advancing French fleet.

15 Apr - 15 May 1797 Mutiny at Spithead for improved pay and victuals etc. See p. 523-> www.naval-review.org/issues/1927-3.pdf.

21 Apr 1798 Mars, previously in company with the Ramillies and Jason, captured the French 74-gun ship Hercule, which was subsequently accepted into the Service following an expensive refit.

16 Apr 1799 cruising off Brest.

4 Jun 1799 arrived off Basque road.

1 Jul 1799 sailed from off Basque road.

15 Jul 1798 Action with four Spanish frigates, and capture of one:- Santa Dorotea ; Captain Manly Dixon.

May 1805 Spithead, for foreign service.

20 Aug 1805 Dreadnought, Colossus and Achille, chased from off Cadiz by the Franco-Spanish fleet. 21st joined by the Mars, and was back on station once the joint fleet was in harbour.

10 Oct 1805 off Cadiz - the tactical preparations etc. for the forthcoming battle. 20 Oct combined fleet departed Cadiz, fleet manoeuvres.

21 Oct 1805 England expects….. &c. signalled, the first shots of the Battle of Trafalgar are fired. Nelson shot. Resumé of what had taken place. Individual ship actions and losses : Mars. The post-mortem commences ; Summary of British casualties ; Death of Nelson ;

22-30 Oct 1805 losses amongst the prizes due to bad weather etc: Redoutable, Rayo, Monarca (sank) ; Fougueux, Bucentaure, Indomptable, San-Francisco-de-Asis, Aigle, Berwick (wrecked) ; Algésiras (taken into Cadiz) ; Santa-Ana, Neptuno (recaptured) ; Santisima-Trinidad (scuttled) ; Achille, Intrépide, San-Augustin (burnt) ; the washup ; burial of Nelson ;

27-28 Jul 1806 Mars, Superb and Africa, a part of a squadron under Cdre R. G. Keats, in lat. 47° N., long. 7° west when the Mars sighted and went in chase of a French frigate squadron, but were unable to keep the Mars in sight ; after a long chase the Mars captured the French frigate Rhin, which was purchased into the service.

25 Sep 1806 with a squadron under Commod. Sir Samuel Hood, off Rochefort, when a squadron of French frigates, bound to the West Indies, escaped : the signal for a general chase was given, resulting in the Armide striking to the Centaur ; Minerve to the Monarch ; Infatigable to the Mars, who also chased the Gloire, and at 3 P.M. compelled her to surrender, all 4 frigates being added to the Royal Navy.

Torbay 29 Dec 1806 Remains.

8 Aug 1807 arrived Copenhagen with a large convoy of transports for the siege and bombardment of Copenhagen 15 Aug - 20 Oct 1807 and capture of Danish Fleet by Adm. Gambier.

May - Oct 1808 in the Baltic with a fleet under V.-adm Sir J Saumarez.

30 Aug 1808 joined the Centaur, Implacable and Swedish fleet blockading the Russians in the port of Rogerswick.

Hull, 2 Oct 1810 the Mars and Hero are reported to have passed Yarmouth for the Thames with a fleet of 600-700 ships from the Baltic, 40-50 of them being prizes.

Lisbon 9 Apr 1811 Sailed from the Tagus with convoy for England.

Portsmouth 21 Apr 1811 Arrived with a convoy from Lisbon.

Deal 24 May 1811 Arrived from Portsmouth bound to the Baltic.

Deal 26 May 1811 Sailed to join the Baltic fleet.

Harwich 12 Sep 1811 On passage from the Baltic.

Deal 12 Sep 1811 Arrived, from the Baltic.

Deal 23 Sep 1811 Sailed to join the fleet off Flushing.

Deal 12 Oct 1811 Arrived from off Flushing.

Deal 13 Oct 1811 Sailed to the westward.

Portsmouth 16 Oct 1811 Arrived from the Downs.

Portsmouth 30 Oct 1811 Arrived at Spithead from St. Helen's.

Portsmouth 17 Nov 1811 Sailed for the eastward.

Deal 18 Nov 1811 Arrived from Portsmouth.

Deal 15 Jan 1812 Sailed for Portsmouth.

Portsmouth 15 Jan 1812 Arrived.

Deal 10 Dec 1812 Arrived from the Baltic.