Eleven vessels of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
have been named HMS ''Grampus'' after two members of the
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
family (
Delphinidae
Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea. Close to forty extant species are recognised. They include several big species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the ...
): ''Grampus griseus'', also known as
Risso's dolphin
Risso's dolphin (''Grampus griseus'') is a marine mammal and dolphin, the only species of the genus ''Grampus''. Some of the most closely related species to these dolphins include: pilot whales (''Globicephala'' spp.), pygmy killer whales (''Fere ...
, and ''Orcinus orca'', also known as the
killer whale
The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopolit ...
.
* was a 14-gun
sloop launched in 1731. She foundered in the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
in 1742.
* was a 14-gun sloop launched in 1743 and was captured by the French in 1744.
* was a 14-gun sloop launched in 1746. She was converted to a
fire ship
A fire ship or fireship is a large wooden vessel set on fire to be used against enemy ships during a ramming attack or similar maneuver. Fireships were used to great effect against wooden ships throughout naval military history up until the ad ...
and renamed ''Strombolo'' in 1775. She was hulked in 1780.
*
HMS ''Grampus'' was a 70-gun
third-rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker).
Rating
When the rating system was f ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...
launched in 1751 as
HMS ''Buckingham''. She was renamed HMS ''Grampus'' in 1777 and used as a storeship.
* was a 50-gun
fourth rate
In 1603 all English warships with a complement of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers, a six-tier naval ship rating system was introduced.Winfield 2009 These small ships were divided ...
launched in 1782 and broken up in 1794.
*HMS ''Grampus'' was a 54-gun fourth rate, originally the
East Indiaman
East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belonging to the Bri ...
, which the Admiralty purchased in 1795; she grounded and was abandoned in 1799.
* was a 50-gun fourth rate launched in 1802. She was used for harbour service from 1820, became the first of the
Seamen's Hospital Society
The Seafarers Hospital Society, formerly the Seamen's Hospital Society, is a charitable trust, charity for people currently or previously employed by the British Merchant Navy and Fishing industry in England, fishing fleets, and their families. ...
's
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating healthcare, medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navy, navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or ...
s, and was sold in 1832.
* was a 50-gun fourth rate, originally launched in 1784 as the 74-gun
third-rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker).
Rating
When the rating system was f ...
. She was reduced to 50 guns in 1845, and renamed HMS ''Grampus''. She served as powder hulk from 1856 and was sold in 1897.
* was a launched in 1910 as HMS ''Nautilus''. She was renamed HMS ''Grampus'' in 1913 and was sold in 1920.
* was a launched in 1936 and sunk by Italian torpedo boats in 1940.
* was a
''Porpoise''-class submarine launched in 1957. She was used as a
training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...
from 1976 until 1979, and was sunk as a target in 1980.
See also
*
*
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grampus, Hms
Royal Navy ship names