HMS Myrmidon
Encyclopedia
Seven ships of the British Royal Navy
have been named HMS Myrmidon after the Myrmidons
of Greek mythology.
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 Myrmidon after the Myrmidons
Myrmidons
The Myrmidons or Myrmidones were legendary people of Greek history. They were very brave and skilled warriors commanded by Achilles, as described in Homer's Iliad. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Thessalian Phthia, who was the son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a...
of Greek mythology.
- The first Myrmidon was a 22-gun sixth-rateSixth-rateSixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
in use from 1781 to 1811. - The second Myrmidon was a 20-gun sixth-rateSixth-rateSixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
launched 1813 and broken up 1823. - The third Myrmidon was an iron-hulled paddle gun vessel in service from 1845 to 1858
- The fourth MyrmidonHMS Myrmidon (1867)HMS Myrmidon was an Cormorant-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy, built at the Chatham Dockyard and launched on 5 June 1867.Completed as a survey vessel, she commenced service on the North America and West Indies Station...
was a wooden-hulled screw gun vessel, launched in June 1867 but completed in October as a 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...
, and sold in 1889. - The fifth MyrmidonHMS Myrmidon (1900)HMS Myrmidon was one of two s which served with the Royal Navy. She launched by Palmers on 26 May 1900 and was used in both the Mediterranean and home waters....
was 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...
launched in 1900 and lost in a collision with a passenger ship in 1917. - The sixth Myrmidon 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...
launched in 1942 and loaned to the Polish NavyPolish NavyThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
in that year, and as ORP Orkan sunk in 1943 by U 378. - The seventh Myrmidon was a minesweeperMinesweeper (ship)A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
launched in 1944 and broken up 1958.