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Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named Warspite. The origins of the name are unclear, although it is probably from the Elizabethan-era spelling of the word 'spite' – 'spight' – in part embodying contempt for the Navy's enemies, but which was also the common name for the green woodpecker, suggesting the 'Warspight' would poke holes in enemy ships' (wooden) hulls. Until 1919 a woodpecker was used as the ships' crest; the official badge was a cannon, although the woodpecker continued to be used on the ships' tompions or gun muzzle plugs. Warspite carries the most battle honours of any ship in the Royal Navy, with the sixth Warspite being awarded fifteen of them.
Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Ajax after the Greek hero Ajax:
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Agincourt, named after the Battle of Agincourt of 1415, and construction of another was started but not completed.
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Cornwall after the Duchy of Cornwall. Cornwall's motto is onen hag oll , unus et omnes , one and all - English).
Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Colossus:
Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Cumberland, after the traditional English county of Cumberland, England:
Seven ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Orion, after the hunter Orion of Greek mythology:
Six ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Minotaur after the minotaur, a creature in Greek mythology:
Eight ships or submarines of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Anson, after Admiral George Anson:
The Royal Navy has had ten ships named Swiftsure since 1573, including:
Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Leviathan:
HMS Spartiate has been the name of two ships of the Royal Navy. The first was a captured French prize, the second was mostly likely named after this ship.
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Mars, after Mars, the Roman god of war:
Five Royal Navy ships have had the name of HMS Culloden, after the battle of Culloden which took place in Scotland in 1746 and saw the defeat of the Jacobite rising.
Two ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Fortitude:
Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Elizabeth. Most of these ships have been named in honour of Queen Elizabeth I of England:
Four ships of the British Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Scipio after the Roman general Scipio Africanus:
HMS Canopus was an 84-gun third rate ship of the line of the British Royal Navy. She had previously served with the French Navy as the Tonnant-classFranklin, but was captured after less than a year in service by the British fleet under Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. Having served the French for less than six months from her completion in March 1798 to her capture in August 1798, she eventually served the British for 89 years.
Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Prince Frederick:
Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Justitia, after the goddess Justitia, of Roman mythology:
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
