HMS Belleisle (1795)

Lion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the French Navy, which later served in the Royal Navy. She was built at Rochefort. She was later renamed Marat and then Formidable, with the changing fortunes of the French Revolution.

She took part in the Action of 6 November 1793, managing to rake HMS Alexander (1778).

Fighting under captain Linois on 23 June 1795 at the Battle of Groix, she was captured by HMS Barfleur (1768) near the French port of Lorient. She was taken into service in the Royal Navy, but because the Navy already had a HMS Formidable (1777), she was renamed Belleisle, apparently in the mistaken belief that she had been captured off Belle Île, rather than the Île de Groix.

Captained by William Hargood, she was the second ship in the British lee column at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and as such was engaged by the Franco-Spanish ships FRENCH SHIP Achille, FRENCH SHIP Aigle, FRENCH SHIP Neptune, FRENCH SHIP Fougueux, SPANISH SHIP Santa Ana, SPANISH SHIP Monarca and SPANISH SHIP San Juan Nepomuceno. She was soon completely dismasted (the only British ship which suffered that fate), unable to manœuvre and largely unable to fight, as her sails blinded her batteries, but kept flying her flag for 45 minutes until the British ships behind her in the column came to her rescue. With 33 dead and 93 wounded, she was then towed to Gibraltar after the battle by the frigate HMS Naiad (1797).

From 1811 she was in Portsmouth harbour, and in 1814 the decision was taken to have her broken up.