One ship of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
has borne the name HMS ''Whelp'', while another was planned. Another twelve have borne the name ''Lion's Whelp'':
* HMS ''Whelp'' was to have been a modified
W-class destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
, ordered but cancelled in 1919.
* was a
W-class destroyer launched in 1943. She was sold to the
South African Navy
The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force.
The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery prot ...
in 1953 and was renamed SAS ''Simon van der Stel''. She underwent a limited conversion to a
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
in 1963, and was sold in 1976.
''Lion's Whelp''
* was a vessel of unknown type, lost at sea in 1591.
* was an 11-gun
ketch
A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch fr ...
purchased in 1601 and given away in 1625.
* Ten 14-gun
sloops
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
were built for
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and possibly also a lover of King James I of England. Buckingham remained at the ...
in 1627. They were all named ''
Lion's Whelp'', and numbered one to ten. They were acquired by the navy after the Duke's death:
** ''Lion's Whelp I'' was sold in 1651.
** ''Lion's Whelp II'' was sold in 1650.
** ''Lion's Whelp III'' was lost in 1648.
** ''Lion's Whelp IV'' was lost in 1636.
** ''Lion's Whelp V'' was wrecked in 1637.
** ''Lion's Whelp VI'' was wrecked in 1628.
** ''Lion's Whelp VII'' was blown up in 1630.
** ''Lion's Whelp VIII'' was hulked in 1645.
** ''Lion's Whelp IX'' was wrecked in 1640.
** ''Lion's Whelp X'' was sold in 1654.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelp, Hms
Royal Navy ship names