HMS Hercules

Last updated August 16, 2021

Five ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Hercules, or HMS Hercule, after the Greek and Roman hero Hercules. Another was launched, but never served in the Navy:

HMS Hercules (1759) was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1759 and sold in 1784.
HMS Hercule was a 74-gun third rate captured by HMS Mars in 1798 and broken up in 1810.
HMS Hercules (1815) was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1815. She was used for harbour service from 1853 and was sold in 1865.
HMS Hercules (1868) was an ironclad battleship launched in 1868. She was used for harbour service from 1881, as a barracks from 1905, was renamed HMS Calcutta in 1909, HMS Fisgard II in 1915, and was sold in 1932.
HMS Hercules (1910) was a Colossus-class battleship launched in 1910 and sold for breaking up in 1921.
HMS Hercules (R49) was a Majestic-class light fleet aircraft carrier launched in 1945, but not completed until purchased by India in 1957. Commissioned in 1961 as INS Vikrant, she was paid off in 1997 and was a museum ship between 2001 and 2012. She was scrapped in 2014.

This article includes a list of ships with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific ship led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended ship article, if one exists.

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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 Royal Oak, after the Royal Oak in which Charles II hid himself during his flight from the country in the English Civil War:

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.

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Albion after Albion, an archaic name for Great Britain:

Thirteen warships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Revenge:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Centaur, after the half-human, half-horse centaur of Greek mythology:

Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Rodney, of which at least the last five were named after the Georgian Admiral George, Lord Rodney. A seventh was planned but never completed:

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Grafton, while another one was planned:

Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Repulse:

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Conqueror, and another was planned:

Eight ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Centurion, after the centurions of ancient Rome. A ninth ship was planned but never built. Ships

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Majestic, whilst another was planned:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Northumberland after the English county of Northumberland, or the Dukedom of Northumberland. Another was planned but later cancelled:

Six ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Temeraire. The name entered the navy with the capture of the first Temeraire from the French in 1759:

Four ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Venerable:

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Bellerophon after the hero Bellerophon in Greek mythology, whilst another two were planned:

Eight ships or submarines of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Anson, after Admiral George Anson:

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Fame, whilst another was planned:

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Diana after the figure from Roman mythology, whilst another was planned but later cancelled:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Siren, Syren or Sirene, after the Sirens of Greek mythology:

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