HMS Basilisk
Encyclopedia
Ten ships of the Royal Navy
have borne the name HMS Basilisk, after the Basilisk
, a mythical lizard:
was a 4-gun bomb vessel
launched in 1695 and broken up in 1729. was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and sold in 1750. was an 8-gun bomb vessel launched in 1759 and captured in 1762 by the French privateer
Audacieux.
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 Basilisk, after the Basilisk
Basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance...
, a mythical lizard:
was a 4-gun bomb vessel
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
launched in 1695 and broken up in 1729. was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and sold in 1750. was an 8-gun bomb vessel launched in 1759 and captured in 1762 by the French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Audacieux.
- HMS Basilisk was a fireship, previously the 14-gun sloopSloop-of-warIn the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
. She was renamed HMS Basilisk in 1779 and was sold in 1783. was a 12-gun launched in 1801 and sold in 1815. was a 6-gun cutter launched in 1822 and sold in 1846. was a wood paddle sloop launched in 1848 and broken up in 1882. was a Beagle-classBeagle class sloopThe Beagle class was a two-ship class of 8-gun screw steel sloops built for the Royal Navy in 1889.-Design:Beagle and Basilisk were constructed of copper-sheathed steel to a design by William White, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction...
steel screw sloopSloop-of-warIn the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
launched in 1889. She became a coal hulk and was renamed C 7, finally being sold into civilian service in 1905. was a Beagle-classBeagle class destroyerThe Beagle class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy, all ordered under the 1908-1909 Programme and launched in 1909 and 1910...
destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
launched in 1910 and sold in 1921. was a launched in 1930 and sunk in 1940.