# Naming naval ships **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224 "2017-02-07T13:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/21 "2017-02-12T14:41:04Z")
In previous eras, the idea of “not offending other countries” wasn’t really on people’s radar. The Nelson-era Royal Navy had a habit of capturing ships from their various enemies and commissioning them into British service. They usually kept the original name, which resulted, among others in _H.M.S. Bonne Citoyenne, H.M.S. Revolutionnaire_ and _H.M.S. President_. The French did the same too - there was a _Swiftsure_ on each side at Trafalgar (not to mention a British _Neptune_, a French _Neptune_ and a Spanish _Neptuno_). But the ultimate example of naming-as-trolling was probably in 1798. The British had captured the French flagship _Ville de Paris_ at the Battle of the Saintes. They intended to commission her into the Royal Navy - but the ship sank in a hurricane while being towed back to England. So the British built a new flagship and named that _H.M.S. Ville de Paris_, just so the French would get the message. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/22 "2017-02-12T15:47:05Z")
> [@Toledo\_Jim](#): > > Not to overly hijack, but in the early 1950s, Arthur C. Clarke wrote a SF story which started with a multinational space force consisting of three cruisers, spoofing naming conventions of three navies at once. > > The USS “Duh Bronx”, the Russian “Glorious 5th of June formerly the Admiral Gorshobveski formerly the People of majestikstan” and the “H.M.S. Insufferable” I think you mean “Neutron Tide” (but it was the “USS Flatbush”) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/23 "2017-02-13T02:41:44Z")
> [@merrick](#): > > In previous eras, the idea of “not offending other countries” wasn’t really on people’s radar. > … In previous eras, the idea that your existential enemy of 20 years ago was now a staunch ally was not really on people’s radar. The truly weird thing about the world between 1944 and now is how much the pre-1945 teams and Cold War teams have swapped members. And now how much the Cold War teams have swapped members vs. the post-Cold War teams. There is some evidence the pre- and post-2017 teams will be different yet again. That kind of partner swapping simply didn’t happen in the Age of Sail or the Age of Colonization / Empire. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/24 "2017-02-13T02:52:52Z")
> [@Toledo\_Jim](#): > > Not to overly hijack, but in the early 1950s, Arthur C. Clarke wrote a SF story which started with a multinational space force consisting of three cruisers, spoofing naming conventions of three navies at once. > > The USS “Duh Bronx”, the Russian “Glorious 5th of June formerly the Admiral Gorshobveski formerly the People of majestikstan” and the “H.M.S. Insufferable” > [@Andy\_L](#): > > I think you mean “Neutron Tide” (but it was the “USS Flatbush”) And the Israeli “Chutzpah”. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/25 "2017-02-13T04:20:14Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > We’re all waiting anxiously for the USS Trumpy McTrump face. **Moderator Note** Let’s keep political jabs out of GQ. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/26 "2017-02-13T05:13:34Z")
> [@Toledo\_Jim](#): > > The Brits being the Brits, they also had a large class of destroyer escorts (small antisub vessels for convoy duty) during WWII, the flower class. The Compass Rose of the Nicholas Monsarrat novel The Cruel Sea was one of those. They also had such ships as the Pansy, The Begonia, The Buttercup, and many other such. Royal Navy enlisted men (Tars) wore a hat with the name of the ship on it. This must have been interesting to walk into a bar with a hat that says “Begonia” or “Pansy”. My favorite of that class: [HMS Candytuft (K09) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Candytuft_(K09)) Here’s an article on U.S. Navy ships with names that evoke the Civil War: [http://www.clevelandcivilwarroundtable.com/articles/naval/todays\_navy.htm](http://www.clevelandcivilwarroundtable.com/articles/naval/todays_navy.htm) ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224/27 "2017-02-13T08:25:12Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > That kind of partner swapping simply didn’t happen in the Age of Sail or the Age of Colonization / Empire. What? England famously flip flopped between supporting France and supporting Spain several times during this era as their goal was to prevent any one european power from becoming too strong. As summarised by Sir Humphrey here: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/37iHSwA1SwE/hqdefault.jpg "Yes Minister — Why Britain Joined the European Union") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37iHSwA1SwE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-naval-ships/779224.md?page=1)