HMS Vanguard

At least ten ships of the British Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Vanguard, meaning the forefront of an action or movement.The first Vanguard was a galleon launched in 1586, rebuilt twice, and broken up in 1630.The second Vanguard was a 56-gun second-rate launched in 1631, active in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and scuttled in 1667.The third Vanguard was a 90-gun three-decker second-rate launched in 1678 and wrecked in 1703.The fourth Vanguard was a 70-gun third-rate launched in 1748 and sold in 1774.The fifth Vanguard was a 74-gun third-rate built in 1787 at Deptford. She saw much action before being broken up in 1821.The sixth Vanguard was a 78-gun second-rate launched in 1835, renamed Ajax in 1867, and broken up 1875.The seventh Vanguard was an ironclad battleship of 1869, wrecked in a collision in 1875.The eighth Vanguard was a St. Vincent-class battleship, launched in 1909, in action during World War I, and lost in an explosion in 1917.The ninth Vanguard (23) was the last battleship to be built by the Royal Navy, in service from 1946 to 1954.The tenth Vanguard (S28) is a ballistic missile submarine launched in 1992.
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