Oldsalt:
This one really bugs an old Navy man, like me. As everybody knows, a vessel is alive. She is female‼ and as beautiful, comforting, protective of her men, and lively in her actions and quirks as any other woman of substance.
Whenever a Navy man is asked aboard which ship he sailed, he would reply “Hornet,” or “USS Hornet,” but NEVER “the Hornet.”
Indeed, you would never refer to your wife as “the Mary.” Just “Mary”! Thus to ships of the line.
Really? I spent 21 years in the Navy, and I’ve known many people who used the definite article with the names of the ships they were stationed on.
paperbackwriter:
I hope people don’t refer to “the HMS Titanic ,” actually. HMS means “His Majesty’s Ship,” a designation reserved for commissioned vessels of the Royal Navy. The Titanic was instead “RMS,” the abbreviation for a Royal Mail Steamer. These were commercial vessels that had contracts with the Royal Mail system.
(Other common ship prefixes include SS for Steamship, M/V for Motor Vessel, RV for Research Vessel, etc.)
Note that while US Navy ships all bear the prefix “USS,” in the Royal Navy only warships are designated “HMS.” Auxiliaries (oilers, cargo ships, &c) are “RFA” (Royal Fleet Auxiliary).
And US Coast Guard ships are “USCGC,” not “USS.”
SCAdian:
Note that while US Navy ships all bear the prefix “USS,” in the Royal Navy only warships are designated “HMS.” Auxiliaries (oilers, cargo ships, &c) are “RFA” (Royal Fleet Auxiliary)…
The U.S. Navy does something similar with its noncommissioned ships: United States Naval Ship - Wikipedia