HMS Hecla

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS "Hecla", after the volcano Hekla in Iceland.

* The first "Hecla" was a 10-gun bomb vessel purchased in 1797. She participated in the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) and was broken up in 1813.
* The second "Hecla", launched in 1815, was a "Hecla"-class bomb vessel; she was later converted to an exploration ship and was commanded by William Edward Parry during his exploration of the Arctic.
* The third "Hecla" was a wooden paddle sloop launched in 1839 and sold in 1863.
* The fourth "Hecla" was a depot ship purchased in 1878 modernised in 1912 and sold in 1926.
* The fifth "Hecla" was a Destroyer Depot Ship launched in March 1940 and sunk off Casablanca on 12th November 1942 by U-515
* The sixth "Hecla" was a repair ship launched in 1944 and transferred to the United States Navy as USS "Xanthus" (AR-19).
* The seventh "Hecla" (A133), launched in 1964, was a "Hecla"-class survey vessel sold in 1997.

References

*Colledge