HMS Hermes

Ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS "Hermes", after Hermes, the messenger god of Greek mythology, while another was planned:

*HMS|Hermes|1796|6 was a 12-gun brig-sloop, originally the Dutch "Mercurius", captured in 1796 by HMS "Sylph". She foundered in 1797.
*HMS|Hermes|1798|6 was a 22-gun ship purchased in 1798 and sold in 1802.
*HMS|Hermes|1803|6 was a 16-gun sloop, originally the civilian "Majestic". She was purchased in 1803 and sold in 1810.
*HMS|Hermes|1811|6 was a 20-gun sixth-rate launched in 1811 and burned in 1814.
*HMS "Hermes" was a wooden paddle packet, originally in civilian service as "George IV". She was purchased in 1830 as HMS|Courier|1830|6, renamed HMS "Hermes" in 1832, became a coal hulk and was renamed HMS "Charger" in 1835, and was broken up in 1854.
*HMS|Hermes|1835|6 was a wooden paddle sloop launched in 1835, rebuilt in 1842 and broken up in 1864.
*HMS "Hermes" was a 74-gun third-rate launched in 1816 as HMS|Minotaur|1816|6, renamed HMS "Hermes" in 1866, and broken up in 1869.
*HMS|Hermes|1898|6 was a "Highflyer" class cruiser launched in 1898, converted into an experimental seaplane tender in 1913 and sunk by a German U-boat in 1914.
*HMS|Hermes|95|6 was the first purpose built fleet aircraft carrier in the world to be launched, in 1919. She was sunk in a Japanese air attack in 1942.
*HMS "Hermes" was to have been a "Centaur" class aircraft carrier, but was cancelled in 1945.
*HMS|Hermes|R12|6 was a "Centaur" class aircraft carrier, originally planned as HMS "Elephant", but renamed in 1945. She was launched in 1953, and sold to the Indian Navy in 1986 and recommissioned as INS "Viraat".

References

*Colledge