Eight ships of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 have borne the name HMS Ariadne, after the Greek goddess

Ariadne

Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...

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was a 20-gun post ship

Post ship

Post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail to describe a ship of the sixth-rate that was smaller than a frigate , but by virtue of being a rated ship , had to have as its captain a post captain rather than a lieutenant or commander...

 launched in 1776. She faced USS Alfred

USS Alfred (1774)

The Alfred was a man-of-war in the Continental Navy of the United States. She was built as Black Prince, named for Edward, the Black Prince, and served as Alfred.-As Black Prince:...

 in 1778 and forced Alfred’s surrender. Ariadne was rebuilt in 1792 to carry 24 guns, and was sold in 1814. was an advice boat purchased in 1805. She was renamed HMS Dove later that year, and HMS Flight in 1806. She foundered in September 1806. was another 20-gun post ship launched in 1816. She was converted into a coal hulk in 1837 and was sold in 1841. was an Indian iron paddle sloop launched in 1839, which foundered in 1842. was a wooden screw frigate launched in 1859. She became part of the HMS Vernon

HMS Vernon (shore establishment)

HMS Vernon was a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' of the Royal Navy. Vernon was established on 26 April 1876 as the Royal Navy's Torpedo Branch and operated until 1 April 1996, when the various elements comprising the establishment were split up and moved to different commands.-Foundation...

 establishment in 1884, and was renamed HMS Actaeon

HMS Actaeon

Six ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Actaeon or HMS Acteon, after Actaeon, a figure in Greek mythology:...

 in 1905. She was finally sold in 1922. was a Diadem-class cruiser

Diadem class cruiser

The Diadem class cruiser was a class of "First-Class" protected cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the 1890s that served in the First World War...

 launched in 1898, converted to a minelayer

Minelayer

Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...

 in 1917 and torpedoed and sunk later that year. was an Abdiel-class

Abdiel class minelayer

The Abdiel class were a class of six fast minelayers commissioned into the Royal Navy and active during the Second World War. They were also known as the Manxman class and as "mine-laying cruisers".-Design:...

 minelayer

Minelayer

Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...

 launched in 1943 and sold for breaking up in 1965. was a Leander-class

Leander class frigate

The Leander class, or Type 12I frigates, comprising twenty-six vessels, was among the most numerous and long-lived classes of frigate in the Royal Navy's modern history. The class was built in three batches between 1959 and 1973...

 frigate launched in 1971. She was sold to the Chilean Navy

Chilean Navy

-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...

in 1992, and renamed General Baquedano. She was decommissioned in 1998 and sunk as a target in 2004.