hms neptune hms neptune gun second rate ship line royal_navy served number stations napoleonic wars present battle neptune built early years war launched immediately caught events mutiny loyal ships tasked attacking vessels brought order mutiny died necessary neptune joined channel_fleet moved mediterranean spending rest french revolutionary wars operations vice admiral lord keith fleet spending time formed lord nelson fleet battle heavily involved fighting sustaining casualties killed wounded fully repaired returned service went caribbean participated successful invasion martinique subsequent battle squadron returning britain end wars laid ordinary temporary prison ship finally broken construction commissioning neptune ordered february design developed surveyor navy sir ships neptune class alongside sisters neptune laid april receiving july initial stages construction overseen succeeded june oversaw completion neptune launched january sailed fitted sea arriving february immediately docked copper fitted process completed march launched finished fitting received masts yards final costs came included spent hull masts yards rigging stores commissioned march captain ship royal_navy bear neptune predecessors gun ships launched renamed sold second launched sheer hulk broken sailed june flying broad commodore sir mutiny shortly arrival neptune caught mutiny broken lying neptune gun ships fleet ordered intercept attack ships proceed word came entered negotiations captain gun june mutiny verge collapse attack called september superseded captain neptune crisis neptune joined channel_fleet mediterranean remained command neptune promotion rear admiral white point acting captain command january left february command ship formally passed captain march half spent channel_fleet june neptune ships line assigned join vice admiral lord keith fleet mediterranean squadron commanded sir keith force july bringing british fleet mediterranean ships keith intended intercept large franco spanish force ships set sea july expedition evaded keith reached safety brest august neptune went spend rest french revolutionary wars mediterranean superseded march following day captain arrived command neptune flagship vice admiral period period command brief superseded captain september draw hostilities prior signing treaty march neptune ships mediterranean fleet ordered home arriving portsmouth february paid april recommissioned day neptune underwent brief refit expended spent hull masts yards superseded september following day captain took command neptune fully refitted stored sailed dockyard joined october blockade approach commanded neptune years promotion rear admiral departed ship following day captain sir took neptune spent rest deployed channel_fleet blockading french atlantic ports time captain williams health progressively worsened britain replaced captain sent join force blockading franco spanish fleet arrived decided ships sufficient resist fleet come harbour instead went north join admiral fleet brest shortly nelson fleet returned west_indies bringing ships given ships including neptune sent search force ordered join hastily assembled british fleet vice admiral blockading franco spanish fleet british fleet settled long blockade commented neptune sailing qualities reputation slow complained like large ship don sail continually late action battle commented old neptune good took head morning sail better remember seen neptune went battle men short complement neptune formed weather column october ship lead situated sister hms gun promised position second nelson aboard clock sailing fast threaten overtake hoped pass lead line battle nelson ordered neptune sails drop astern shall break line neptune went action band playing officers band lying deck protect enemy fire ahead turn pass astern french resolved follow nelson hms victory pass astern french flagship passed stern neptune discharged double broadside port guns devastating consequences disabled flagship helm swung hard starboard bringing ship fired triple nearly guns range yards french ship spotted mass spanish sailing away steered starboard quarter hope stern opening fire battery positioned neptune spanish vessel starboard beam exchanged heavy fire hour british ships poured gap astern neptune neptune took fire ships combined fleet sailed past heavily battered neptune guns gun ships completely covered debris fought struck colours having sustained casualties dead wounded neptune left gun hms prince possession headed north cut remains enemy fleet briefly engaged french gun battle neptune suffered considerable damage masts fall rigging cut pieces sustained shot holes hull sustained casualties killed wounded remarkably small proportion officers casualties captain clerk wounded battle transferred flag damaged frigate october neptune took tow october franco spanish forces escaped sortied neptune cast tow surrendering duty hms mars took board captured flag captains originally aboard mars weather continued deteriorate neptune sent boats assist evacuation riding storm took battered victory carrying lord nelson body tow october brought gibraltar october west_indies undergoing repairs gibraltar neptune sailed britain arriving portsmouth december paid moved portsmouth november moved dock march undergo refit refit lasted november involved having copper removed hull refitted having sum expended recommissioned august old commander captain sir days later august complete refit initially assigned serve english channel moved west_indies november williams superseded captain spent weeks command succeeded captain december january attack french colony martinique governed admiral planned neptune flagship expedition commander rear admiral invasion force consisting vessels transports troops lieutenant general sailed january force arrived martinique january troops landed major general resistance troops ashore cape solomon major henderson landings supervised captain aboard gun additional force men landed north island sir french driven fortified positions surrendered february battle squadron remained area blockading island march french squadron consisting gun ships frigates overall command commodore arrived caribbean finding martinique british hands anchored near blockaded april removed threat british force major general captain landed troops islands capturing british installed heavy guns points threatened sea chased squadron running battle days brought action captured neptune captain given command captain succeeded command neptune august neptune naval vessels shared proceeds capture islands final years resumed command neptune march wood exchanged apparently suffering poor health captain took command acting capacity july neptune returned plymouth october entered dock november fitted ordinary process cost december laid late autumn hull appears quickly deteriorated survey deemed unfit service sea proposed converted prison ship recommendation admiralty accepted taken hand fitting november completion work december commissioned lieutenant neptune spent years role finally taken pieces october
HMS Neptune (1797)