Eight ships 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 ...
have borne the name HMS ''Union'':
* was a
fifth rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower.
Rating
The rating system in the Royal ...
of unknown origin, possibly a hired vessel. She was burnt in 1693 to avoid being captured by the French.
* HMS ''Union'' was a 90-gun
second rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns ...
, previously named . She was renamed HMS ''Union'' in 1709, was rebuilt in 1726 and broken up in 1749.
* was a 90-gun second rate launched in 1756. She was converted into a
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...
in 1799 and was renamed HMS ''Sussex'' in 1802. She was broken up in 1816.
* was a 3-gun
gunvessel
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-stea ...
purchased in 1794 and listed until 1798.
* was a
cutter in service in 1806 and broken up in 1810.
* was a 98-gun second rate launched in 1811 and broken up in 1833.
* was the mercantile ''City of Kingston'' that the Navy purchased in 1823 for service as a 3-gun
schooner; she was wrecked in 1828.
* was a
U-class submarine launched in 1940 and sunk in 1941.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Union, Hms
Royal Navy ship names