HMS Melpomene
Encyclopedia
Seven ships of the Royal Navy
have been named HMS Melpomene after the Muse of Tragedy in ancient Greek mythology.
between 1940 and 1942, and by the Royal Navy from 1942 until 1946, when she was returned to the French 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 been named HMS Melpomene after the Muse of Tragedy in ancient Greek mythology.
- HMS Melpomene was a 38-gun fifth rate frigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
captured in 1794 and sold in 1815 after service in the French RevolutionaryFrench Revolutionary WarsThe French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. - HMS Melpomone was a 38-gun fifth rate captured from the French in 1815 and sold in 1821.
- HMS Melpomene was a screw frigate launched in 1857 and sold in 1875.
- HMS Melpomene was a Marathon classMarathon class cruiserThe Marathon class cruiser was a class of second class cruiser of the Royal Navy ordered under the naval programme of 1887. It was a smaller version of the Mersey class ....
light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
launched in 1888 and sold in 1905. - HMS Melpomene was an Apollo classApollo class cruiserThe Apollo class were a class of second-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the late 19th century that served during the Boer War and World War I....
protected cruiserProtected cruiserThe protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
launched in 1891 as HMS IndefatigableHMS IndefatigableSeven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Indefatigable: was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1784, razeed to a 38-gun frigate in 1795 and broken up in 1816. This was the ship popularised by C. S. Forester in the early volumes of his Hornblower series of novels.*HMS...
. She was renamed HMS Melpomone in 1910 and was sold in 1913. - HMS Melpomene was a Medea classMedea class destroyerThe Medea class were a class of destroyers that were being built for the Greek Navy at the outbreak of World War I and that were taken over and completed for the Royal Navy for wartime service. All were named after characters from Greek mythology as result of their Greek heritage.The Medeas were a...
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...
, built for the Greek Navy as the Samos. She was purchased in 1914 and launched in 1915. She was broken up in 1921. - HMS MelpomeneHMS M31HMS M31 was an M29 class monitor of the Royal Navy.The availability of ten 6 inch Mk XII guns from the Queen Elizabeth class battleships in 1915 prompted the Admiralty to order five scaled down versions of the M15 class monitors, which had been designed to utilise 9.2 inch guns. HMS M31 and her...
was a minelayerMinelayerMinelaying 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...
, formerly the monitorMonitor (warship)A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
HMS M31HMS M31HMS M31 was an M29 class monitor of the Royal Navy.The availability of ten 6 inch Mk XII guns from the Queen Elizabeth class battleships in 1915 prompted the Admiralty to order five scaled down versions of the M15 class monitors, which had been designed to utilise 9.2 inch guns. HMS M31 and her...
launched in 1915. She was renamed HMS Melpomene in 1922 and HMS Menelaus in 1940, being broken up in 1948.
See also
was a French destroyer seized in 1940, operated by the Free French Naval ForcesFree French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
between 1940 and 1942, and by the Royal Navy from 1942 until 1946, when she was returned to the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
.