HMS Lightning
Encyclopedia
Ten ships of the Royal Navy
have been named HMS Lightning.
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 been named HMS Lightning.
- The first Lightning was an 8-gun fire shipFire shipA fire ship, used in the days of wooden rowed or sailing ships, was a ship filled with combustibles, deliberately set on fire and steered into an enemy fleet, in order to destroy ships, or to create panic and make the enemy break formation. Ships used as fire ships were usually old and worn out or...
launched in 1691 and captured by the French in 1705. - The second Lightning was an 8-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and captured off LivornoLivornoLivorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
during the War of the Austrian SuccessionWar of the Austrian SuccessionThe War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
in 1746. - 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...
Viper, launched in 1746, was converted to a fire ship and renamed Lightning in 1755. She was sold in 1762 - The 14-gun sloop Sylph, purchased in 1776, was converted to a fire ship and renamed Lightning in 1779. She was sold in 1783.
- The fifth Lightning was a 16-gun fire ship launched in 1806 and sold in 1816.
- The sixth Lightning, launched in 1823, was a paddle steamer. She served initially as a packet shipPacket shipA "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...
, but was later converted into an oceanographicOceanographyOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
survey vesselSurvey vesselA survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for mapping. It is a type of research vessel.-Role:The task of survey vessels is to map the bottom, benthic zone, full water column, and surface for the purpose of:* hydrography* general oceanography...
. She was used by Charles Wyville ThomsonCharles Wyville ThomsonSir Charles Wyville Thomson was a Scottish zoologist and chief scientist on the Challenger expedition.-Career:...
and William CarpenterWilliam CarpenterWilliam Carpenter may refer to:*William Carpenter , water colours of India*William Carpenter , Australian politician*William Carpenter, writer, American author...
to survey the north Atlantic in 1868. - The seventh Lightning was an 18-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...
launched in 1829, renamed Larne in 1832 and broken up in 1866. - The eighth , was a torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
, built by John ThornycroftJohn I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
. She was the first seagoing vessel to be armed with self-propelled torpedoTorpedoThe modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es. She was later known as TB-1. - The ninth Lightning, launched in 1895HMS Lightning (1895)HMS Lightning was a Janus class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built by Palmers and launched in 1895.On 30 June 1915, the ship was engaged in destroying mines near the Kentish Knock, during which another mine struck the ship. Lightning subsequently broke in half, the bow section sinking, while the...
, was a Janus-classJanus class destroyerThree Janus class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. , and were launched by Palmer's shipyard. They displaced 275 tons, were 200 feet long and produced 3,900 hp from their Reed boilers which gave them a top speed of 27 knots....
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...
. She served in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was sunk by a mineNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in 1915. - The tenth Lightning (G55)HMS Lightning (G55)HMS Lightning was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 April 1940 and sunk on 12 March 1943 by German Motor Torpedo Boat S-55....
, launched in 1940, was an L-classL and M class destroyerThe L and M class was a class of sixteen destroyers which served in the British Royal Navy during World War II. The ships of the class were launched between 1939 and 1942.-Design details:...
destroyer that served in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was torpedoed and sunk on 12 March 1943 in the Strait of SicilyStrait of SicilyThe Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Its maximum depth is ....
by the German torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
S-55.