# Favourite warship name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218 "2009-09-23T12:22:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/81 "2009-09-24T23:29:36Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Psst, it’s in the OP 😉 The original Dreadnought was a Tudor ship from the 1500s. And I had no idea there was another until I read it in the OP. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/82 "2009-09-24T23:57:38Z")
Quoth **Der Trihs** : > [@](#): > > The O’benn of Schlock Mercenary have ships with cool if overly dramatic names. Examples: Cloak of Untrammeled Dignity, Sword of Inevitable Justice, Lance of Unspeakable Agony, Scimitar of Irreparable Damage. I dunno; I prefer the names Petey used in his crusade against the O’Benn… Flagships _Polysyllabic Designation_ and _Pretentious Drivel_, with various support vessels named things like _Painstakingly Defenestrated_, _Potato Dumplings_, and _Predictably Damaged_. ---
**Author:** ![Curate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Curate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curate)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/83 "2009-09-24T23:57:43Z")
Patrick O’Brian mentions a Spanish ship named _Cacafuego_. I recall reading somewhere that this name was actually used. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/84 "2009-09-25T00:26:08Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > The wiki article claims that two of the gun turrets of this class were called “P” and “Q”. I’ll never hear the phrase, “Mind your P’s and Q’s” the same again. When _Dreadnought_ was designed the suppression of the secondary armament that was part of the innovation in the class meant that the wing turrets that had been used to house the secondary batteries were replaced with a single, full caliber turret on each the port and starboard side. That’s what the P and Q turrets were. I have just read, today, of the naming of the turrets for the [HMS _Agincourt_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Agincourt_%281913%29). This battleship had seven turrets, all mounted on the ship’s centerline, and all available for broadside fire. Officially they were numbered 1 - 7. In practice they seem to have been nicknamed Monday, Tuesday, and on through Sunday. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/85 "2009-09-25T01:22:30Z")
The Imperial Japanese Navy had [some great names](http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijnnames.htm), especially for their destroyers; stuff like _Yakaze_, “Wind of an Arrow’s Flight” and _Tachikaze_, “Wind from a Swinging Sword” or “Wind From a Sword Stroke”. Other sources seem to differ on whether the translations given for the _Oboro_–“Mist Veil Through Which Only a Shade of the Moon is Visible”, or “Haziness Diffusing the Moonlight”–have been massively embellished, but if the name really means anything like that it’s a _great_ name. It sounds like something aliens would name their starship, or those names from the “Culture” SF series several people have mentioned above. The aircraft carrier names were good too, all those dragons and phoenixes and falcons. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/86 "2009-09-25T02:51:21Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > The aircraft carrier names were good too, all those dragons and phoenixes and falcons. What does [Shinano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Shinano) mean? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/87 "2009-09-25T03:00:26Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What does [Shinano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Shinano) mean? > > 🙂 _Shinano_ was named after one of the [old provinces of Japan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinano_Province) (she was originally laid down as a third _Yamato_ Class Battleship, and subsequently converted to an aircraft carrier, hence the province name rather than being named after some real or mythical flying creature). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/88 "2009-09-25T03:16:06Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > (she was originally laid down as a third _Yamato_ Class Battleship, and subsequently converted to an aircraft carrier, hence the province name rather than being named after some real or mythical flying creature). Ah, again ignorance is fought despite my sarcasm. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/89 "2009-09-25T03:27:52Z")
USS Trepang - the trepang is the sea cucumber. sort of appropriate for a submarine actually =) [of course there is now the navy joke- What is the sound of a sub bouncing off the bottom of the sea? Trepang …] ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/90 "2009-09-25T03:56:42Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > There was a Dreadnought in 1875. There were probably several earlier. (it is interesting that the Japanese laid down their own big gun ship “Satsuma” earlier and I believe America also had one laid down. The British were able to build the Dreadnought faster though. End of hijack). Satsuma was based on the British Lord Nelson class, and also heavily influenced by earlier British-built Japanese designs (it’s likely that the all-big-gun design genesis was Japanese requests from the British). The first American dreadnought, Michigan, was authorized after HMS Dreadnought, and laid down more than a year after the British ship. I’m one more fan of Warspite. Just an all-round cool name. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/91 "2009-09-25T04:03:02Z")
Well, some of my favorites have already been mentioned, but there’s one I feel needs mention: [_Nautilus_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ships_named_Nautilus). ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/92 "2009-09-25T04:45:14Z")
_HMS Hotspur_. Is that a kickass name, or what? ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/93 "2009-09-25T12:36:01Z")
I’ve always been partial to _Intrepid_. Besides evoking a wholly appropriate attitude for a warship, it just rolls off the tongue nicely (I think). Back when I was a kid I had a plastic model kit of the Original Series-era _Enterprise_. The kit came with lots of decals to make other ships in Starfleet, and I always intended to build _Intrepid_. Never did get around to finishing it. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/94 "2009-09-25T12:49:23Z")
HMS Swiftsure HMS Agamemnon HMS Revenge HMS Warrior HMS Retribution HMS Arethusa Some very belligerant names in there. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/95 "2009-09-25T13:17:03Z")
Just to derail this for a minute, in the UK the names of capital ships had to be cleared by the King / Queen at least until the end of the Great War. Hence no “_Oliver Cromwell_”. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/96 "2009-09-25T15:01:23Z")
Wow has no one yet mentioned the most famous ship of the 20th century? Simple but commanding name for a tremendous vessel HMS Hood [http://www.hmshood.com/photos/miscellaneous/miscship.htm](http://www.hmshood.com/photos/miscellaneous/miscship.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/97 "2009-09-25T17:41:26Z")
> [@in\_hiding](#): > > No question here. Dreadnought is the cooles name possible. > > The idea of HMS Victory is pretty clear, too. 😉 The RN does have some nicely named ships. Not perhaps the most martial name, but I do like Ark Royal. It makes the ship sound rather grand, despite the current Ark being largely dwarfed by the carriers of the US Navy. ---
**Author:** ![SMullen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@SMullen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SMullen)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/98 "2009-09-25T18:20:57Z")
Space Cruiser Yamato. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/99 "2009-09-25T21:28:12Z")
HMS Battleaxe ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218/100 "2009-09-25T22:53:48Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > All the ships in the Irish Navy flotilla are named for women so we’ve got the LE (Long Eireannach, Irish ship) Eithne, Emer, Aisling, Aoife etc. They are lovely names but not very menacing alas. The enemy have obviously never met an Irish woman in full full righteous fury, or they might have thought differently. Declan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-warship-name/511218.md?page=6)