Alternate Names for HMS Dreadnought
- Thread starter Thucydides
- Start date
I've used Thunderer, Majestic, Invincible in various timelines since they all work just as well (5 thunderers, 5 majestics, 5 invincibles)
You may manage it with others - Monarch perhaps, or Devastation. Unfortunately, Devastator is not a RN name, otherwise it would do very nicely!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
You may manage it with others - Monarch perhaps, or Devastation. Unfortunately, Devastator is not a RN name, otherwise it would do very nicely!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Thande
Donor
It's ironic considering the RN has had some 'evil' sounding names that wouldn't look out of place as Imperial Star Destroyers, such as HMS Arrogant.
Another name I am always surprised to learn has never been used by the RN is HMS Defiant.
IIRC Leviathan was a traditional name so could work ok
It ended up as a cruiser name, but I think in Napoleonic times it had been a ship of the line name, so is available enough.RN equivalents for Vengeance is Revenge and for Destructor the closest would be Devastation
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
We've got a Defiance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Defiance
but since the 1880s it seems to have been a shore establishment
Were any shore establishment names also duplicated as seagoing ships at the same time?
I'm wondering what defines what grammatical form a ship name has - eg why Defiance not Defiant, why Devastation not Devastator?
Arrogant, Ardent etc usually seem to have ended up as cruiser names. I guess there was some sort of heirarchy in mind
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Thande
Donor
I think a lot of the oddities are because the traditional names often come from ships captured from the French, and they sometimes kept their French names. Sometimes this is obvious, as with Temeraire, Raisonnable and so on, but other times the French names are false friends that sound like English words but actually meant something slightly different in French, like the amusingly named HMS Terrible.
Well, Ivan The Terrible wasn't Ivan The Crap!
I was wondering where the names Belleisle and Sans Pareil come from - the first being French, was it from a captured ship or is it like USS Shrangri-La? The latter is (?) Latin, but why was it chosen?
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
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It's hard to think of another name that would have fitted the characteristics of the most famous Dreadnought as well and done the same job of defining an entire kind as well as class of ship. The name had been in use since the 16th century, but was perfect for this ship with armour and armament like never seen before. And it's a noun but was not one in common use, so could assume an unambiguous meaning in general parlance.
I hate RN ship names in general as they suck and don't have to. Here we have the world's most ancient navy still in existence, that once ruled the world's seas, centuries of tradition behind it, and now shrunk to a fraction of its size at its peak. You'd think every single name would be full of historic import and redolent of past glories. Instead, they're usually lame and boring. There's an entire Ships' Names and Badges Committee that labours over these choices (or possibly picks with a pin). You could keep the badges side of things, but otherwise sack the lot and give the job to me, I'd do it much better.
Why is an alternate name for Dreadnought required, may I ask? Knowing that would help in picking one to suggest.
I hate RN ship names in general as they suck and don't have to. Here we have the world's most ancient navy still in existence, that once ruled the world's seas, centuries of tradition behind it, and now shrunk to a fraction of its size at its peak. You'd think every single name would be full of historic import and redolent of past glories. Instead, they're usually lame and boring. There's an entire Ships' Names and Badges Committee that labours over these choices (or possibly picks with a pin). You could keep the badges side of things, but otherwise sack the lot and give the job to me, I'd do it much better.
Why is an alternate name for Dreadnought required, may I ask? Knowing that would help in picking one to suggest.
archaeogeek
Banned
Sans Pareil was a 74 captured during the french revolution. It was also the french name of Nonesuch palace.
Invincible, Superb, Ark Royal, Hood, Warspite or whatever the Monarchs name was at the time would be my choices.
Unless its got historical signifcance or is named after part of the UK like Cornwall, Sheffield, Exeter ect the best RN names sound like they belong to bad Sci-Fi Empires as said before.
Unless its got historical signifcance or is named after part of the UK like Cornwall, Sheffield, Exeter ect the best RN names sound like they belong to bad Sci-Fi Empires as said before.
It would be a bit hard to get past this one, still in commission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victory
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
My two pence is HMS Formidable. It conveys the right idea, is traditional and sounds cool. The only problem was the name was in use on a relatively new pre-dreadnought in 1906 and thus not available.