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Ship Name Histories - Database of
histories of ship names beginning with letter C. |
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Cacheu 
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Name Origin: A small village in Portuguese Guinea. |
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Cacongo
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Name Origin: Cisongo, or hither Congo, a territory on the
northern side of the Lower Congo in Africa, part of which belongs to
Portugal since 1885. |
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Cadmus  |
| Name Origin: In Greek mythology the founder of Thebes. |
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Caesar |
| Name Origin: Caius Julius Caesar, the great Roman conqueror
and statesman, born about 102 B.C, died 44 B.C. He conquered the greater part of the Gaul, and made two
expeditions to Britain. He
defeated Pompey, his rival, at the battle of Pharsalus, and as Dictator
of the Roman Empire introduced innumerable important reforms in all
branches of the administration. The
members of the strict Republican Party, who dealed his making himself
king in name, as he was in fact, murdered him.
During his short Dictatorship he laid the foundations of the
Roman Empire. As an author
he is celebrated for the account he wrote of his Gallic wars, and the
civil war. None of his
other works on a variety of subjects have come down to us. |
Caiman
 |
Name Origin: Cayman, alligator. |
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Calabria 
|
Name Origin: Southernmost province of Italy, the ancient
Bruttium. |
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Calliope
|
Name Origin: In Greek mythology one of the nine Muses; the
Muse of Epic Poetry. |
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Calypso |
| Name Origin: In Homer’s Odyssey a goddess inhabiting the
Island of Ogygia, supposed to have been Malta.
She became enamoured of Odysseus (Ulysses), who was shipwrecked
on her island, and promised him immortality if he would remain and marry
her. Though she succeeded
in retaining him seven years the gods at last ordered her to let him go. |
Calypso
|
Name Origin: In homer’s Odyssey a goddess inhabiting the
island of Ogygia, supposed to have been Malta.
She became enamoured of Odysseus (Ulysses), who was shipwrecked
on her island, and promised him immortality of he would remain and marry
her. Though she succeeded
in detaining him seven years, the gods at last ordered her to let him
go. |
Camaeleon
 |
| Name Origin: Chameleon. |
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Cambrian |
| Name Origin: Inhabitant of ancient Wales the “Britannia
Secunda” of the Romans. “Cambria”
is derived from “Cymry” or “Kymey,” the name by which the Welsh
have always called themselves. |
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Cambridge |
| Name Origin: Capital of the county of that name, and one of
the oldest and most celebrated of the English universities.
It is situated on the river Cam, tributary of the Ouse. |
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Camoxim
 |
Name Origin: Small seaport town situated in the State of Ceara |
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Camperdown |
| Name Origin: Admiral Adam Duncan, Viscount
Duncan of Camperdown; born 1731, died 1804.
His early naval career was uneventful.
Having become Captain in 1761, he commanded the Valiant, bearing
Commodore’s Keppel’s broad pennant, at the reduction of Havannah the
following year. In 1780, still a Captain, and in command of the Monarch, he
took part in Rodney’s victory over the Spaniards under Langara, off
Cape St. Vincent, on January 16th.
Having reached flag rank in 1787, he was promoted Vice-Admiral in
February 1795, and appointed to the command of a squadron destined for
the blockade of the Dutch coast. For
the next years and eight months, with rare and short intervals, he kept
such close watch on that treacherous coast as to completely paralyse the
trade of the Dutch and keep their fleet in port.
When during his temporary absence, to refit at the Nore, the
Dutch at last came out, he promptly returned and fell upon them, and on
October 11th 1797, totally defeated them off Kamperduin (Camperdown),
capturing 9 of their 16 ships of the line.
For these services he was created Baron Duncan of Lundie, and
Viscount Duncan of Camperdown. |
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Canada
 |
Name Origin: Discovered Cabot in 1497, it was taken possession
of by France in 1534, the first settlement being made at Quebec in 1608.
After the British under Wolfe had captured that city in 1759, the
Traty of Paris 1763 ceded the whole of Canada to Great Britain.
Nova Scotia had been ceded by the Traty of Utrecht 1713. |
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Cananea
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Name Origin: Small seaport town situated in the State of San
Paulo |
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Canning
 |
Name Origin: Charles, Earl Canning; born 1812 died 1862.
In 1856 he succeeded Lord Dalhousie as Governor General of India,
and after having suppressed the Mutiny of 1857, he became the first
Viceroy of India. He
retired in 1862. |
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Canopo
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Name Origin: A star of the first magnitude in the Southern
Hemisphere. The name was
borne by an Egyptian god, and also by the legendary pilot of King
Menelaus. |
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Canopus |
| Name Origin: Commemorates the capture at the Battle of the
Nile, August 1st 1798, by Sir Horatio Nelson’s squadron, of
the French 80-gun ship Franklin, Captain M, Gillet, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Du Chayla. She
was anchored as sixth ship in the French line and struck about midnight,
after having most gallantly fought the Swiftsure, Orion, Defence and
Leader, and having been set on fire by the debris of the Orient, which
had shortly before blown up close to her.
The Franklin was taken into the Royal Navy, after having been, at
Nelson’s suggestion, renamed Canopus, the name of an ancient Egyptian
city, famous for its temple of Serphis which once stood near the site of
the present town of Aboukir, and from which the canopic mouth of the
Nile derived its name. |
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Capello
|
Name Origin: H. A. Brito Capellio, a
naval officer born in 1839. In
1860 he took part in an exploring expedition in Angola (West Africa).
From 1877 to 1879 he led an expedition through Coango, and in
1885 crossed the African continent from Angola to the Mozambique. |
Capitaine
Cuny |
Name Origin: Army officer, who fell in the attack on Son Tay
in 1883. |
Capitaine
Mehl |
Name Origin: Army officer, who fell in the attack on Son Tay
in 1883. |
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Caprera
|
Name Origin: small island off the
north point of Sardinia, to which Garibaldi retired in 1854, which he
purchased, and where he died and was buried in 1882. |
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Carabina
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Name Origin: Rifle. |
Carabine
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Name Origin: Carbine, small rifle. |
Carabinier
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Name Origin: Mounted soldier armed with a carbine. |
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Carioca
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Name Origin: Small River at Rio de Janeiro, which provides the
capital with drinking water. The
name is the native one for Brazilians born at Rio de Janeiro. |
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Carlo Alberto
|
Name Origin: Charles Albert, king of Sardinia 1831-1849.
He reformed the constitution and was a liberal minded sovereign.
He headed the movement and directed the first war for the
delivery of Northern Italy from Austrian rule.
The present King of Italy is his great grandson. |
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Carnarvon |
| Name Origin: A maritime county of North Wales.
Edward II of England, the first Prince of Wales, was born at
Carnarvon in 1284, and was presented by Edward I to the Welsh as their
Prince. |
Carnot
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Name Origin: This ship
commemorates the name of Lazare Carnot, “the organiser of victory,”
and Sadi Carnot, his grandson, late President of the French Republic.
(1) Lazare N. M. Carnot, born 1753, died 1823.
He served as a young man in the Engineers, then joined the
revolutionary movement, and was a prominent member of the Convention and
one of those who voted for the death of Louis XVI.
He was employed as Government representative at the headquarters
of several of the Republican armies, and in 1793 became the head of the
military Department. In
this capacity he reorganised the whole military system of republican
France, introduced the levie en masse, and was hereby mainly
instrumental in bringing about the successful issue if various
campaigns. A strict
Republican, he opposed Bonaparte’s election to the Consulship for
life, and resigned his post of Minister of War, retiring into private
life. When, after the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig 1813, France
was threatened with invasion, he offered him his services and undertook
the defence of Antwerp. Napoleon
then created him a count, and gave him the Ministry of the Interior. He opposed Napoleon’s abdication after the battle of
Waterloo, and was banished from France by the bourbons, dying in exile.
(2) M. F. Sadi Carnot, born 1837,
died 1894, grandson of the former.
He was Under-Secretary of State for Public Works in 1878,
Minister of Finance in 1885, and President of the French Republic from
1887 to 1894, when an anarchist at Lyons stabbed him to death.
During his whole public career he was distinguished for his great
integrity and sincerity. |
Caronade
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Name Origin: Carronade, a short large calibre gun throwing a
heavy shot at shorter ranges than the ordinary guns of the period.
It was invented in 1779, and took its name from the Carron
Company in Scotland, by whom the first were cast. |
Carquois
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Name Origin: Quiver. |
Casabianca
|
Name Origin: (1) Louis,
Comte de Casabianca; born 1755, died 1798/
He was Flag Captain to Admiral Bruyes in the Orient at the Battle
of the Nile, and was mortally wounded during the action.
His son, a boy of ten was onboard with him when the Orient caught
fire, and when it was seen that the flames could not be extinguished,
the boy, it is said, refused to abandon the ship with the rest of the
crew, and remained with his father.
They were both killed in the explosion, which destroyed the
ill-fated vessel.
(2) Raphael, Comte de Casabianca, borrn 1738, died 1825, was a
brother of the former, and served in the Army.
In 1794 he was charged with the defence of Calvi in Corsica, and
held if for thirty nine days with a force of 600 men, only capitulating
when the place had been half destroyed by bombardment and he had but
eighty men left. |
Cassard
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Name Origin: Jaques Cassard born 1672, died 1740, a celebrated
privateer in the reign of Louis XVI. During the famine of 1709 he equipped two royal ships at his
own expense, and successfully convoyed a transport of grain to
Marseilles, though he had twice to beat off the attack of a squadron of
five English ships. During
the second fight his ships suffered so much that the transports got into
Marseilles before him, and the Magistrates therefore refused to refund
him his outlays. In 1711 he
again safely convoyed a transport of grain from Constantinople.
His last exploits were in the West Indies, where he successfully
harried the Portuguese and English trade, and captured two small English
men-of-war. Though rewarded for these exploits with the rank of Post
Captain in the Royal Navy, he was left to die in penury. |
Cassini
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Name Origin: Four generations of a celebrated family of
astronomers and cartographers bore this name in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. |
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Cassiopea
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Name Origin: In Greek mythology the wife of Cepheus, king of
the Aethiopians, and mother of Andromeda.
At her death the gods transferred her to the heavens, where she
is represented by the constellation bearing her name. |
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Castelfidardo
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Name Origin: Village in the province of Ancona, where, on
September 18th 1860, the Sardinian troops under Fanti
defeated the Papal troops under Lamoriciere. |
Castor
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Name Origin: In Greek mythology one of the Dioscuri, the twin
brother of Pollux, and son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Leda.
Custor was famous for his skill in training and managing horses.
Zeus, at their death, placed the brothers amongst the stars as
“Gemini.” They were
considered to be the guardian spirits of all seafaring men. |
Castor
 |
| Name Origin: The star a Gemini. |
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Cataluna 
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|
Name Origin: Catalonia, the northern part of Spain to the east
of Aragon along the Mediterranean.
It was formerly an independent principality, and together with
Castille became part of the Spanish monarchy in 1479. |
Catapulte
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Name Origin: Catapult or ballista, an engine of war used in
ancient times, chiefly against besieged cities, foe throwing stones and
other missiles. |
Catinat
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Name Origin: Nicolas de Catinat, one of Louis XIV’s
Marshals; born 1637, died 1712. He
defeated the Duke of Savory, conquered Piedmont, and commanded the
French forces in Flanders, where he captured the town of Ath.
Hampered by orders from the Court, he fought unsuccessfully
against Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1701, and falling into discredit with
the King, retired from the service. |
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Centauro
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Name Origin: Centaur. In
Greek mythology a fierce, dissolute race of beings, half man, half
horse, inhabiting the mountains of Thessaly. |
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Centella
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Name Origin : Sentinel
The Centella was a Ferre Class torpedo boat
launched 1880 - 1882 and discarded around 1910. |
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Centurion |
| Name Origin: Title borne in ancient Rome by the officer
commanding a “century” or company of a hundred men. Sixty centuries made up a legion.
The fourth Centurion built and in 1740
she was the flagship of Commodore George Anson in a squadron of 7 ships
who were brought up to complement by 500 superannuated and Chelsea
out-pensioners, who all died during the voyage. They sailed on Anson's
famous circumnavigation of the world in September 1740. They touched at
Madeira and Port St Julian, and off Cape Horn in March 1741 the squadron
were dispersed by a succession of gales. Scurvy broke out and the
Centurion buried 43 men. She reached Juan Fernandez in June 1741 with 130
men on the sick list, besides having buried 200 men on the passage. Here a
prize was captured, and the squadron set sail for the South American
coast, capturing another prize on the way. They arrived in Payta Bay in
November and surprised the town. Plunder to the value of £32,000 and
other stores were taken; the town was set on fire and six vessels in the
bay were sunk. In May 1742 the Commodore sailed for China. In August the
Centurion anchored off one of the Ladrone Islands and landed 128 sick men,
many of whom died. In November the ship arrived off Macao and wintered. In
April 1743 Anson put to sea in an attempt to capture the large Spanish
galleon trading between Acapulco and Manilla. On June 20th she was sighted
off the Island of Samar, and proved to be the long-sought ship Nuestra
Senora de Cavadonga. An action followed and lasted nearly two hours, at
the end of which the Spaniard struck with a loss of 67 killed and 84
wounded. The Centurion lost only 2 killed and 17 wounded. The cargo of the
prize included nearly one and a half million dollars, besides 36,000
ounces of silver and other merchandise. On July 10th the squadron reached
Canton, and in December sold the prize at Macao. Numerous difficulties
with the Chinese were experienced. In December 1743 the Centurion turned
homewards, and reached Spithead on June 15th 1744. Thus ended Commodore
George Anson's circumnavigation of the globe, a great naval exploring
expedition with war-like objects, carried out with the greatest skill,
patience and perseverance. As the Admiralty declined to confirm Anson's first Lieutenant as
captain, Anson returned his own commission as Rear-Admiral of the Blue,
and went on half pay as a captain for six months. There is not a doubt
that Anson was in the wrong. A change of Government taking place some ten
months afterwards, Anson became a Lord of the Admiralty, and being
promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White received two steps at once. The figurehead of this centurion was a big lion some sixteen feet
high. It was presented to the Duke of Richmond by King George III when the
Centurion was broken up. While serving as an inn sign at Goodwood it was
much admired by King William IV, who begged it from the Duke, and used it
as a staircase ornament at Windsor Castle. The King later on presented it
to Greenwich Hospital, with directions to place it in one of the wards,
which he desired should be called the Anson Ward. It remained there until
1871 when it was removed to the playground of the Naval School, where
owing to the action of the weather it unfortunately crumbled to pieces. At
one time the following lines were inscribed beneath it:-
Stay,
traveller, a while, and view
One who
has travelled more than you;
Quite
round the globe, thro' each degree,
Anson
and I have ploughed the sea.
Torrid
and frigid zones have pass'd
And-safe
ashore arrived at last-
In ease
with dignity appear,
He in
the House of Lords-I here.
In 1746 the Centurion was cut down to a 50 gun ship. In 1747 the
Centurion commanded by Captain Peter Denis, was in an English fleet of 17
ships under the command of Vice-Admiral George Anson, who flew his flag in
Prince George. The French fleet, under Admiral de la Jonquiere, consisted
of 14 men-of-war and a convoy of 24 ships, and was sighted on May 23rd
about 70 miles from Cape Finisterre. The French made off and Anson chased.
A running fight of 3 hours followed, in which 13 French ships were
captured, while a small detached squadron captured six of the French
convoy. Night saved the rest. A topical song of the time expresses in the
following verses the part played by the Centurion:
The
Centurion first led the van, (bis)
And
held 'em till we came up;
Then we
their hides did sorely bang,
Our
broadsides we on them did pour, (bis)
We gave
the French a sower drench,
And
soon their topsails made them lower.
And
when they saw our fleet come up, (bis)
They
for quarters call'd without delay,
And
their colours they that moment struck
O! how
we did rejoice and sing, (bis)
To see
such prizes we had took,
For
ourselves and for George our King.
The French lost 700 killed and wounded, and the English 520,
including one captain killed. Specie to the value of £300,000 was taken
from the prizes. This victory was valuable if not brilliant. Vie-Admiral
Anson was created a Peer and the captured men-of-war were all added to the
British Navy. In June 1751 the Centurion, flying the broad pennant of Commodore
the Hon. Augustus Keppel, proceeded to Algiers, and smoothed over some
difficulties with the Dey. The story goes that the Dey angrily expressed
surprise that the King of Great Britain should have sent a beardless boy
to treat with him. Keppel replied: "Had my master supposed that
wisdom was measured by the length of the beard, he would have sent your
Deyship a he-goat." After threatening Keppel with death, the Dey
consented to treat. In 1754, the Centurion, Captain the Hon. Augustus
Keppel, in company
with the Norwich, escorted to North America a large number of troops,
destined to assist the colonials in the suppression of the Indians, who
with France behind them as moral support, were rising against the English
whites. In 1759 the Centurion, commanded by Captain William Mantell, was in
a fleet of 49 ships besides transports under Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders
with his flag in Neptune. They left Spithead on February 17th and, having
secured pilots by a ruse, they anchored a few miles below Quebec on June
26th with nearly 10,000 troops. On June 28th the French sent down seven
fireships and two firerafts, but these were grappled and towed clear by
the activity of the seamen. On September 13th under cover of the guns of
the Centurion, the troops were landed and attacked Quebec. The seamen
assisted with guns. On this day both General Wolfe and the Marquis of
Montcalm, the English and French Commanders-in-Chief of the troops were
mortally wounded. After some fighting the French retired. Additional ships
were brought up to bombard, and on the 17th the enemy offered to
surrender. On the 18th Vice-Admiral Saunders was one of the signatories to
the surrender. In May 1762 the Centurion, commanded by Captain James Galbraith, was
in the English fleet proceeding to Havana against the Spaniards, which
consisted of 53 ships, besides storeships, hospital ships and transports,
with 15,000 troops. Admiral Sir George Pocock, with his flag in Namur, and
George, Earl of Albemarle, were the naval and military
Commanders-in-Chief. On May 27th the fleet of 200 sail in all stood away
for the Old Strait of Bahama, which was safely navigated by marking the
dangerous shoals and reefs with boats. During the passage two Spanish
ships were captured. On June 6th the fleet arrived off Havana, and while a
feint was made elsewhere the troops were landed under cover of the guns of
the fleet. Moro was bombarded, although the Spaniards made a most gallant
defence, Havana fell, and the British took complete possession on August
14th 1762. Specie and stores to the value of three million pounds were
captured; thirteen Spanish men-of-war were destroyed, three were sunk, and
two on the stocks were burned. While on the passage to Havana some ships
were detached and captured two ships in the harbour of Mariel. The British
lost 1790 killed and wounded. The division of the prize money caused some
heartburning. It worked out as follows: Admiral £123,000, captain £1600,
petty officer £17, seaman or marine £4. In 1769 the Centurion was broken up at Chatham.
The seventh “CENTURION” was an 80-gun ship,
launched at Pembroke in 1844. She
was of 2590 tons, and carried a crew of 750 men.
Her length , beam, and draught were 190ft., 57ft., and 19ft.
The “Centurion” was fitted with a screw and engines of 400
horse-power in 1856. In
1870 the “Centurion” was sold for £8200.
The eighth “CENTURION” was a
14-gun twin-screw battleship, launched at Portsmouth in 1892.
She was of 10,500 tons, 13,214 horse-power, and 18 knot speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 360ft., 70ft., and 25ft.
In 1900 the “Centurion,” commanded by Captain John R.
Jellicoe, and flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hobart Seymour,
took part in the third China War or “Boxer Riots.”
Sir Edward Seymour was the senior flag-officer of the Eight
Nationalities assembled in the Far East, and as such presided over their
Councils. On June 9th
a detachment from the “Centurion” proceeded in a Naval Brigade of
mixed nationalities, 2000 strong, with 19 guns, for the relief of
Peking, under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Seymour.
This expedition went through some very severe fighting, and
suffered a loss of 2 officers and 63 men killed, and 20 officers and 210
men wounded before withdrawing. Captain
Beyts, R.M.A., of the “Centurion,” was killed, and Captain John. R.
Jellicoe, who behaved with great gallantry, and 4 other officers of the
same ship were wounded. From
June 26th to July 11th, a detachment of officers
and men from the “Centurion” assisted in the capture and defence of
Tientsin, and during this period lost 5 killed and 14 wounded.
In August the “Centurion” contributed a number of officers
and men to a British Naval Brigade, which advanced to the final and
satisfactory relief of Peking, with 20,100 troops under
Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee.
In 1910 this “Centurion” was sold at Portsmouth for £26,200.
The ninth “CENTURION” is a 10-gun
turbine battleship, launched at Devonport in 1911.
She is of 25,000 tons, 30,000 horse-power, and 21 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 555ft., 89ft., and 28ft. |
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Ceram 
|
Name Origin: Serang one of the
largest of the Molucca Islands. |
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Cerberus
 |
Name Origin: (Victoria)-In Greek mythology the dog guarding
the entrance to Hades, represented with three heads and a serpent’s
tail. Orpheus charmed him
by the magic of his lyre, and Hercules fought him and dragged him to the
upper world. |
|
Cerberus
|
Name Origin: In Greek mythology the
watchdog guarding the entrance to Hades.
He is represented with three heads and a serpent’s tail. |
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Chaimite
|
Name Origin: Name of a kraal in Portuguese East Africa, where
Gungunhana, king of the Vatuas, was taken prisoner by Mousinho de
Albuquerque in 1895. The
latter afterwards became governor of Portuguese East Africa. |
|
Challenger |
The sixth Challenger
was a Hermes class cruiser launched 1902 and scrapped 1920.
The seventh Challenger was a survey ship launched
1931 and scrapped 1954.
The eighth Challenger was a diving vessel, launched
1981, laid up 1994 and sold 1998. |
|
Champion |
|
The fifth “CHAMPION”
is a 14-gun screw corvette, launched at Glasgow in 1878.
She is of 2380 tons, 2300 horse-power, and 13 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 225ft., 44ft., and 19ft.
In August 1891 the “Champion,” commanded by Captain Frederick
St. Clair, co-operated with some American, French, and German vessels in
landing men at Valparaiso in order to protect the consulates during a
Chilian revolution. The
officers of the international parties placed themselves in front of the
muzzles of some machine guns with which the president-elect had intended
to decimate the civilian populace. After
some years service in the training squadron the “Champion” became a
strokers’ training-ship at Chatham. The sixth
“CHAMPION” is a
turbine light cruiser, laid down at Messrs.
Hawthorn Leslie’s yard on the River Tyne in 1913. |
Chamois
|
|
|
Champlain
|
Name Origin: Samuel de Champlain, French Governor of Canada
and founder of Quebec; born 1567, died 1635. |
Chang
 |
|
Name Origin: Spread. |
| Chapman
|
| Name Origin: Frederick Henrikaf Chapman, distinguished naval
architect of English extraction; born 1721, died 1808.
He first applied the parabolic method in ship construction.
To the present day most sailing ships in the Swedish Navy are
built from his designs. He
was the author of a standard work of its time, Architectura Navalis.
In 1783 he was appointed Admiral superintendent of Carlskrona
Dockyard. |
|
Charger |
The third Charger
was a Charger class destroyer, launched 1894 and scrapped 1912. The
fourth Charger is an Archer class
patrol craft, launched 1986. |
Charlemagne
|
Name Origin: Charles the Great; born 742, crowned at Rome on
Christmas Day 800 as the first Emperor of the “Holy roman empire,”
died 814. He was the
founder of a great Frank empire, which fell to pieces after his death. It had included France, Western and Southern Germany, Italy,
and the North of Spain. Alike
distinguished as a conqueror, legislator, and administrator, he became
after his death the centre of a whole cycle of romances. |
Charles
Martel |
Name Origin: Grandfather of Charlemagne, and “Major-domo”
(Regent) of France for the effeminate kings of the House of Clovis.
He defeated the invading hordes of Saracens at the battles of
Tour and Narbonne, whence his surname Martel, i.e. Hammer-the hammer
that crushed the infidels. He
died 741. |
| Charlotte
|
| Name Origin: Hereditary Princess of Saxe Meiningen, born 1860,
eldest daughter of the late Emperor Frederick and the late Empress,
Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland. |
|
Charybdis |
|
Name Origin: In Homer’s Odyssey Charybdis and Scylla were
two sea-monsters, dwelling on opposite sides of a narrow strait.
Charybdis, who dwelt under a cliff, three times a day sucked down
the waters of the sea and threw them up again, causing whirlpools fatal to
all passing craft. Odysseus
(Ulysses) successfully passed between these two monsters, but Scylla, who
had six long necks and mouths with treble rows of teeth, snatched six men
off his ship. The name was
later given to the “races” of rapide in the Straits of Messina.
The 3rd “CHARYBDIS” was a 17-gun screw
corvette, launched at Chatham in 1859.
She was of 2250 tons, 1400 horse-power , and 11 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 200ft., 40ft., and 20ft.
In May 1874, in company with two other vessels, the “Charybdis,”
commanded by Captain Thomas Edward Smith, proceeded up the Lingie River
near Malacca, which was a focus of piratical activity.
Some stockades were burned at Bukit Tiga, and the River Lingie was
reopened to the trade with the rich tin mines in the interior.
In September 1874 the “Charybdis,” with the “Hart” in
company, took part in an expedition to the Indian River and composed some
differences between the rulers of Johore and Pahang.
In November 1874 the “Charybdis,” with the “Hart” in
company, took part in an expedition to the Lukit River to intervene in
serious disputes which had arisen between the Rajah of Sungei Ujong and
one of his feudatories named Bandar.
It was decided to support the Rajah, and a small naval brigade of
73 officers and men were landed with troops on November 26th.
After some grief fighting the Malay feudatory abandoned Campayang,
and escaped into the bush. One
sailor was mortally wounded and 50 of the enemy’s coolies were killed.
Search parties were sent out invarious directions, but they failed
to catch Bandar, who did not surrender until some weeks later.
In 1880 this vessel was handed over to the Canadian Government as a
training ship, and in 1884 she was sold at Halifax.
The fourth “CHARYBDIS”
is a 10-gun twin-screw cruiser, launched at Sheerness in 1893.
She is of 4360 tons, 9000 horse-power, and 19 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 320ft., 49ft., and 19ft. In 1896 the “Charybdis,” commanded by Captain John McQuhae, was
one of a squadron of six ships which was specially commissioned as a reply
to a congratulatory telegram from the German Emperor to President Paul
Kruger on the occasion of Dr. Jameson’s raid.
The ships were called the Particular Service Squadron, and were
commanded by Rear-Admiral Alfred Taylor Dale with his flag in
“Revenge.” In December
1902 the “Charybdis,” flying the broad pennant of Commodore R.A.J.
Montgomerie, was at the head of a combined English and German fleet which
established a blockade of the Venezuelan coast which they divided between
them for the purpose. This
retaliatory measure was taken on account of outrages on British ships and
subjects for which no satisfaction could be obtained.
Nine Venezuelan gunboats or small craft were seized by the boats of
the fleet, and two were taken to sea and sunk.
Presidents Castro immediately imprisoned all British and German
subjects, but he was forced to release them by the American Consul.
A British merchant ship was seized by the mob at Puerto Cabello,
but the “Charybdis” at once proceeded to the place, and having
released the ship, bombarded the fort.
After an eight weeks blockade the Venezuelans consented to
arrangements, that brought the blockade to a conclusion, Commodore
Montgomerie having acted with great tact and firmness throughout.
A small Italian force also assisted in the blockade. |
Chasseloup
Laubat |
Name Origin: (1)
General Marquis Francois de Chasseloup Laubat, born 1754, died 1833.
A distinguished engineer under Napoleon I, he directed amongst
others the sieges of Colberg, Danzig, and Stralsund, and fortified
Peschiera, Mantua and Alessadnria.
He was Engineer in Chief during the campaign in Russia in 1812.
On the fall of Napoleon he went over to the Bourbons, and was
created a Marquis and Peer of France.
(2) The son of the above; under the Second Empire he was twice
Minister of Marine, a post he filled with great distinction.
He was subsequently governor General of Algeria. |
Chasseur
|
Name Origin: Literally, “hunter”; but in this case it
means “rifleman” in the military sense. |
Chateau
Renaud |
Name Origin: The Marquis of Chateau Renaud, born 1637, died
1716. He began his career
in the Army, but entered the Navy in 1661.
He rose to be “Chef d’Escarde” in 1673, and as such
blockaded the Texel and fought De Ruyter.
In 1677, with a squadron of 6 ships, he chased a Dutch squadron
of 16 sail under Evertsen into Cadiz.
He served under Tourville at the bombardment of Algiers in 1688,
and was then sent to Ireland with reinforcements for James II, fighting
the English fleet in the battle of Bantry Bay 1689. The
following year he commanded with signal success the van of Tourville’s
fleet in the battle of Bevezieres (Beachy Head), having previously
brought the Toulon fleet to Brest. In 1694 he fought under Tourville in the Mediterranean
succeeding him at his death as vice Admiral,.
He brought home the great silver fleet from Havannah in 1702, but
chased into Vigo by a superior English squadron, was there attacked on
October 12th by Admiral Rooke, and forced to destroy those of
his galleons, which were not captured.
He became Marshal of France 1703, and died as Lieutenant General
of Brittany. |
|
Cheerful |
The third Cheerful
was a Mermaid class destroyer, launched 1897, and mined in 1917. The
fourth Cheerful was
an Algerine class minesweeper, launched 1944, scrapped 1963. |
|
Chelmer |
Name Origin: River in Essex.
It rises in the northwest of the county, near the source of the
Blackwater, and flows past Chelmsford into the estuary of the latter. |
Chen
|
|
Name Origin: Star |
Chen-Tao
|
|
Name Origin: To commands the waves. |
|
Cherwell |
Name Origin: River rising in the southwest of Northamptonshire;
it joins the Thames at Oxford, after flowing past Banbury.
(Pronounced Charwell, which was the old spelling.) |
Chevalier
|
Name Origin: Knight |
Chidori
 |
| Name Origin: The dotterel plover. |
Chihaya
|
| Name Origin: The name of a hill fortified by the celebrated
Kusunoki Masashige, famed in Japanese history. |
|
Childers
|
Name Origin: (Victoria)-The Right
Hon Hugh Childers; born 1827, died 1896.
In 1850 he went to Australia, where he soon became a member of
Victoria Government. As Finance Minister in 1852 he was instrumental in founding a
University at Melbourne. Returning
to England in 1857, he acted as Agent General for the Colony, and was
elected into Parliament three years later.
He subsequently held the officers of First Lord of the Admiralty,
Secretary for War, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary. |
Chimere
|
Name Origin: Chimera, a fabulous monster of Greek mythology
which was slain by Bellerophon. It
was supposed to have had a lion’s head and forepart, a goat’s body,
and a dragon’s tail. |
Chin-Yen
|
| Name Origin: Literally, “Guardian of the remote regions.”
The word is the Japanese rendering of Chen-Yuen, which was the
name, the vessel born in the Chinese Navy.
She was one of the spoils of the war of 1894-5. |
|
Chioggia
|
Name Origin: an island and town in the Venetian lagoon. |
|
Chiri
|
Name Origin: A river in the Portuguese territory of Goa in
India. |
Chitose
|
| Name Origin: A thousand years. |
Chiyoda
|
| Name Origin: Literally, “The field of a thousand
generations,” a fanciful title bestowed in ancient times on the old
castle in Yedo, which was occupied by the Shoguns, on the site of which
stands nowadays the Imperial Palace. |
Cho-Kai
|
| Name Origin: Literally, “Sea of the birds.”
It is the name of a mountain in Ugo province, 7000 feet high. |
|
Christiaan Cornelis
|
Name Origin: A sailor, one of the crew of a small merchant
ship which had been captured by a French privateer in 1794.
He succeeded in recapturing her on July 31st. |
Chu-Tai
|
Name Origin: The safety of the Chu Provinces (“Chu” is the
general name for the provinces of Hu-Nan and Hu-Peh, which are situated
on the south and north respectively of the Tong-Ting Lake). |
Chu-Tung
|
Name Origin: Chu’s equality. |
Chu-Yu
|
Name Origin: Chu’s
possession. |
|
Cigno
|
Name Origin: In Greek mythology Cignus, the son of the King of
Liguria, was changed into a swan and placed amongst the stars by Apollo,
when the latter saw his grief at the loss of his friends Phaeton,
Apollo’s son. |
Cigogne
|
Name Origin: Stork. |
|
Circe |
Name Origin: In Homer’s Odyssey the daughter of the sun god
Helios (Apollo). She lived
in the island of Aeaea, where by magic arts she transformed all who
became her guests into beasts. Odysseus
resisted and vanquished her charms, inducing her to release her captives
and restore them to human form. |
Circe
|
Name Origin: In homer’s Odyssey the daughter of the sun god
Helios (Apollo). She lived
in the island of Aeaea, where by magic arts she transformed all who
became her guests into beasts. Odysseus
resisted and vanquished her charms, inducing her to release her captives
and restore them to human form. |
|
Citta di Milano
|
Name Origin: City of Milan. |
| Claes
Horn |
| Name Origin: Claes Christersson Horn, Baron of Amiune; born
1517, died 1566. He served
with distinction both as an Admiral and a General.
From 1556 to 1560 he was Governor of Viborg. Between 1560 and 1562 he conquered Livonia and Esthonia and
thus became the founder of Swedish dominion in the Baltic provinces.
During the war with Denmark 1563-1570, in command of the Swedish
fleet, he repeatedly defeated the Danish Lubeck fleet under Herluf
Trolle and others. |
| Clas
Uggla |
| Name Origin: Born 1614, died 1676. After fighting for a time as a soldier in the “Thirty years
war,” he entered the Navy and served with distinction in the battle
off Oeresund against the Dutch 1658.
Two years later he became “Lieutenant Admiral,” and as such
commanded one of the squadrons in the unfortunate battle of June 1st
1676, off Oeland against the allied Danish and Dutch fleets under Juel
and Tromp. Towards the end of the battle the flagships of the two
hostile Admirals boarded his flagship.
Although the ship was on fire he kept up the fight, declining to
surrender. When at last he
saw that the flag that he refused to strike had been burned, he leaped
overboard and was drowned with the large majority of the crew, who went
down with the ship. |
Claymore
|
Name Origin: The heavy two handed Scotch sword; the term is
often applied to the basket hilted broadsword of the eighteenth century. |
|
Clio |
|
Name Origin: One of the nine Muses, the Muse of history.
The second “CLIO” was a 22-gun screw corvette,
launched at Sheerness in 1858. She
was of 2306 tons, 400 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 200ft., 40ft and 16ft.In 1860
the “Clio,” commanded by Captain Thomas Miller, was instrumental in
saving the city of Panama from capture by a mob and in protecting some
French subjects from infuriated negro rioters.
On one occasion while in the Pacific this ship was dismasted by a
hurricane, and, having run short of coal, she had to remain in one of
the Pacific islands until her crew had cut sufficient wood to enable her
to reach the nearest port. While
on the Australian station the “Clio” ran on a pinnacle rock in Bligh
Sound, New Zealand, which knocked a hole of considerable size in her
bows. She was beached with
difficulty and was afterwards taken to Sydney to undergo repairs.
In 1877 this vessel became a training-ship for boys at Bangor,
under the North Wales, Chester, and Border counties training ship
society, in which capacity she still acts. The third “CLIO”
is a 6-gun screw sloop, launched at Sheerness in 1903.
She is of 1070 tons, 1400 horse-power, and 13 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 185ft., 33ft., and 12ft. |
|
Clio
|
Name Origin: In Greek mythology one of the Nine Muses; the
Muse of History. |
|
Clive
|
Name Origin: Robert, Lord Clive, the creator of the Indian
Empire; born 1725, died 1774. Entering
the H.E.I. Co’s service in 1743, he soon saw a great deal of fighting.
In 1751 he successfully defended Arcot, and gained the victories
of Arni and Kaveripak. On
June 23rd 1757, he obtained the great and decisive victory of
Plassey. Created Lord Clive
in 1762, he left India five years later, and was subjected to much
persecution by his political and was subjected to much persecution by
his political opponents during the few remaining years of his life. |
|
Clyde |
|
Name Origin: River and Firth of that name on the west coast of
Scotland. Glasgow stands on
its banks, and it is famous for its shipbuilding industry.
The fifth “CLYDE,” known as the “Lord Clyde,” was a 36-gun
iron-screw ship, launched at Pembroke in 1864. She was of 7842 tons, 6000 horse-power, and 13 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 280ft., 59ft., and 20ft. In
1885 the “Lord Clyde” was sold. he sixth “CLYDE” is a 6-gun sloop which was launched at Glagow as
the “Wild Swan” in 1876. She
is of 1130 tons, 950 horse-power, and 11 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 170ft., 36ft., and 15ft. Her
name was subsequently to “Clyde,” and she became the Royal Naval
Reserve drill ship at Aberdeen. In
1912 her name was again changed, this time to “Columbine,” and she
became the depot vessel of the King’s Harbour Master at Rosyth, and
then the flagship of the Vice-Admiral commanding the Scottish Coast.
|
|
Coatit
|
Name Origin: A place in Abyssinia where, on January 13th
1893, the Italians under Arattieri defeated the natives. |
|
Cobra 
|
|
|
|
Cochrane |
| Name Origin: Admiral Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald,
a brilliant sea officer; born 1775, died 1860.
Joining the Navy in 1793, he obtained in 1800 his first command,
the Speedy, sloop, with which, on May 6th 1801, he fought and
took by boarding the Spanish frigate Gamo, 32-an unprecedented feat. A few months later he was captured by a French squadron, but
speedily exchanged and promoted. After
six months study at Edinburgh University he again went to sea and made
£75,000 in prize money between February and April 1805. The next few years were spent in harassing the enemy’s
coasts; a prominent incident being his defence of a half ruined fort at
Rosas with a handful of British and Spanish sailors.
After a brief interval in Parliament he was, in April 1809,
selected to destroy with fire ships a French squadron blockaded by Lord
Gambier in Aix roads. Though
Cochrane broke the boom, the fire ships failed.
The dread of them however caused most of the French ships to run
aground, four of which he destroyed next morning single handed, Lord
Gambier having failed to support the attack.
Rewarded with the knighthood of the Bath, Lord Cochrane returned
to Parliament and attacked naval abuses.
In 1814 he found himself arranged, with two companions, the real
culprits on a charge of fraudulent stock jobbing.
Though innocent, he was condemned to one year’s imprisonment,
besides a heavy money fine; was expelled from Parliament and the Navy,
and deprived of his knighthood. After
fruitless attempts at rehabilitation, He left in disgust for South
America in 1818, joining the Chilean revolt.
Eventually, in 1832, he received a free pardon from William IV,
and was reinstated in the Navy. He
had the satisfaction of flying his flag as Commander-in-Chief of the
North America and West Indies station from 1848-1851.
Lord Dundonald might have been another Nelson if he had given the
opportunities, and he had much in common with Drake and his great
companions. |
|
Cocodrilo
|
|
Name Origin: Crocodile. |
Cocyte
|
Name Origin: Cocytus- A river in Epirus and tributary of the
Acheron. They were both
supposed to disappear beneath the earth and flow into the nether
regions. |
|
Codore
|
Name Origin: Condor. |
Cognee
|
Name Origin: Axe, Hatchet. |
|
Collingwood |
| Name Origin: Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Lord
Collingwood born 1748, died 1810. He
joined the Navy as a volunteer in 1761, because Master’s Mate in 1767,
and in 1774 accompanied Admiral Graves to North America. There he took part the following year in the battle of
Banker’s Hill, which gained him his Lieutenants commission. During the San Juan expedition 1780, he relieved Nelson in
command of the Hinchinbrook. At
the outbreak of the war with France 1793, he joined Lord Howe’s fleet
as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Bowyer, and took part in the battle of
June 1st 1794. Soon
after, he took command of the Excellent in the Mediterranean.
In her he distinguished himself in the battle off Cape St.
Vincent, February 14th 1797, second only to Nelson by his
daring and skill. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1799, he served under Lord Keith
in his fruitless chase after Admiral Bruix in the Mediterranean; he then
took part in the long and trying blockade of Brest, instituted by Lord
St. Vincent on his relieving Lord Bridport in command the Channel Fleet. When war broke out a fresh in 1803, he returned to be a
similar task under Admiral Cornwallis.
On Nelson taking command before Cadiz in 1805, Collingwood became
his second. As such he led
the lee line into action in the great battle of Trafalgar, being the
first to engage the enemy. For
his services on this occasion he was raised to the Peerage.
Nelson’s death gave him the command of the Mediterranean Fleet,
which he continued to hold until his death (in harness) five years
later. Collingwood was
distinguished for his unflinching devotion to duty, modesty, and
simplicity. Always a humans
man, his ships were famed for their state of discipline, even when
mutiny was rife around him. |
|
Colne |
| Name Origin: River in Essex, which rises in the north of the
county, flows past Colchester, and enters the North Sea by an estuary.
(2) River in Herefordshire, a tributary of the Thames, which it
joins not far from Staines. |
| Comet
|
| |
|
Comet
|
|
|
Commodoro
Py |
|
Name Origin : Commodore Py commanded the Guardia
Nacional, principal ship of the Argentine Navy, at the battle of Cuevas,
August 6th 1865, and in other actions during the war with Paraguay, 1864
to 1869.
The Commodoro Py was a Commodoro Py class torpedo
boat, launched 1890. |
|
Commonwealth |
| Name Origin: The Commonwealth of Australia came into existence
on January 1st 1901. It
is an indissoluble Union or Federation of six “States,” formerly
separate British colonies, viz: New South Wales, Victoria, Queenland,
South Australia, West Australia, and the Island of Tasmania. |
Conde
|
Name Origin: The name of a distinguished French family, a
branch of the house of Bourbon. Louis
de Bourbon, brother of King Antoine of Navarre, the father of Henri IV,
King of France, was the founder of the branch.
The two most celebrated members of this family were; Henri I,
Prince of Conde, Duke of Enghien 1552-1588, who fought with distinction
in the religious wars on the side of the Huguenots; and Louis II
1621-1686, surnamed “the Great Conde,” a grandson of the former.
He defeated the Spaniard’s at Rocroi in 1643, played a leading
part in the early troubles of Louis XIV’s reign, conquered the Franche
Comte in 1672, and gained the victory of Seneffe over the allied
Spanish, Austrian, and Dutch forces in 1674.
The last Prince of Conde died soon after the accession of Louis
Philippe to the French throne, leaving his great possessions, including
the beautiful castle of Chantilly, to his godson, the Duc d’Aumale,
Louis Philippe’s fourth son. |
| Condor
|
| |
|
Condor
|
|
|
Condorcet
|
Name Origin: Marie Jean A. N. C. Marquis de Condorcet; born
1743, died 1794. As a youth
he displayed great genius for mathematics, and at the age of twenty-two
prepared a treatise on integral calculus which was highly thought of.
His intellect was many sided, and he was the author of several
biographies of note. When
the Revolution broke out, he threw himself into the fray with enthusiasm
as a supporter of democracy. He
sat in the Legislature as one of the representatives of Paris, and held
the post of one of its secretaries.
At the trial of Louis XVI he voted for any punishment short of
death. His denunciation of
the arrest of the Girondists led to his being accused of conspiracy
against the Republic. He
was condemned and declared to he hors de la loi.
For some time an asylum was found for him at the house of a
Madame Vernet, but afraid of exposing her to the terrible consequence of
harbouring such as him, he once more wandered about as an outcast, and
after great sufferings was eventually seized and thrown into a prison
cell where he was found dead in the morning.
His fame as a Philosopher is based chiefly on the work he wrote
whilst lying concealed at Madame Vernet’s house. |
|
Conflict |
| The sixth Conflict
was a Conflict class destroyer, launched 1894 and scrapped 1920. |
|
Constance
|
|
Name Origin : Countess of Derby, daughter of the Earl of
Clarendon, and wife of the sixteenth Earl of Derby, who as Lord Stanley
of Preston, was Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893.
|
|
Constantine Ene 
|
|
Name Origin: Major of the 6th Regiment of Dorobants,
killed during the war with turkey at the capture of Rahova, November 7th
1877. |
|
Constitucion
|
|
Name Origin : Constitution
The Constitucion was a Pilcomayo Class gunboat,
launched 1875 and scrapped around 1915. |
|
Contest |
| The seventh Contest
was a Forester class gunboat, launched 1874 and scrapped 1889.
The eighth Contest
was a Banshee class destroyer, launched 1894 and scrapped 1911.
The ninth Contest was
an Acasta class destroyer, launched 1913 and sunk 1917.
The tenth Contest was a
C class destroyer, launched 1944 and scrapped 1960. |
|
Coquette |
|
Name Origin: French for “flirt.” The ship name commemorates the capture of the French
Coquette, 28, by the Resistance on March 2nd 1783.
The fifth “COQUETTE”
was a 4-gun screw gunboat, launched at Pembroke in 1876.
She was of 430 tons, 406 horse-power, and 9 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 125ft., 23ft., and 9ft.
In 1882 the “Coquette,” commanded by Lieutenant Lennox
Napier, took part in the Egyptian War.
In August 1883 a landing party from the “Coquette” and other
ships, consisting of 565 officers and men, occupied the town of Ismailia
in the Suez Canal after some slight fighting.
The “Coquette” further assisted in the seizure of the Suez
Canal, an operation necessary in order to secure a safe passage for the
British troops who were going to use Ismailia as a base.
In February 1884 a landing party from the “Coquette,”
Lieutenant Fritz Eden Crowe. And
two other ships went ashore at Suakin, and assisted in the defence of
that place by manning the fortifications.
In March 1885 a Naval Brigade from the “Coquette” and four
other ships joined a field force of 13,000 men under Lieutenant General
Sir Gerald Graham which marched out of Suakin.
They occupied Hasheen on March 20th, where the Royal
Marines specially distinguished themselves, and on the 22nd,
under Major-General Sir J.C. MacNeill, they fought the battle of Tofrik,
where the Arabs after a temporary advantage were repulsed with a loss of
a thousand dead. The Naval
Brigade in this action lost 7 killed and 5 wounded.
The Naval Brigade burnt a number of huts in the khor Ghob, and
re-embarked again on April 6th.
In 1889 the “Conquette” was sold
The sixth “COQUETTE”
is a twin-screw torpedo-boat destroyer, launched at Thornycroft’s Yard
inn 1897. She is of 355
tons, 5700 horse-power, and 30 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 210ft., 19ft., and 7ft. |
| Cormoran
|
| Name Origin: Cormorant. |
|
Cormorant |
|
The
seventh “CORMORANT” was a 6-gun paddle sloop, launched at Sheerness
in 1842. She was of 1057
tons, 300 horse-power, and carried a crew of 145 men.
Her length, beam, and draught were 180ft., 36ft., and 9ft.
In 1849 the “Cormorant,” commanded by Commander Herbert
Schomberg, was engaged in the suppression of the slave trade on the
South-East coast of America. In
the summer of 1850 the “Cormorant,” sent her boats under Lieutenant
Luckraft into the Rio Frio. They
captured and destroyed the famous slaver “Rival,” and left the river
under a sharp musketry fire from the banks.
On June 29th the “Cormorant” proceeded to
Paranagua and ascended the river for 15 miles to attack the
head-quarters of some slavers. The
boats were sent away and captured the “Campadora,” “Donna Anna”
and “Serea,” all noted slavers.
On July 1st the “Cormorant” proceeded down the
river, when she was suddenly attacked by a 14-gun fort with which she
had exchanged civilities on entering the river.
A brisk action then followed, but the “Cormorant” managed to
get away with five shot in her hull, and 1 man killed and 2 wounded.
In 1853 the “Cormorant” was broken up. The tenth “CORMORANT”
is a 6-gun screw sloop, launched at Chatham in 1877.
She is of 1130 tons, 950 horse-power, and 11.3 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 170ft., 36ft., and 15ft.
In 1879 white men were being murdered in the New Hebrides, and a
boats crew belonging to the British trader “Mystery” had been
massacred. The “Cormorant,” commanded by Commander James Andrew
Bruce, was one of five ships, under Commodore John Crawford Wilson with
his broad pennant on “Wolverene,” which proceeded to the islands on
a punitive expedition and inflicted severe punishment on the natives.
The “Cormorant” subsequently became receiving ship at
Gibraltar. |
|
Cornwall |
|
Name Origin: A maritime county forming the southwestern
extremity of England, and the southernmost portion of the British Isles.
The great wealth of Richard of Cornwall, brother of Henry III,
and titular German Emperor, was delivered from the Cornish tin mines,
which then supplied all Europe. The eldest son of the reigning sovereign is Duke of Cornwall.
The fifth “CORNWELL” was a 72-gun ship,
launched at Bombay in 1813 as the “Wellesley.”
She was out of 2917 tons, and in 1868 she was renamed
“Cornwall” and became a juvenile training ship at Purfleet.
The sixth “Cornwall”
is a 14-gun twin-screw cruiser, launched at Pembroke in 1902.
She is of 9800 tons, 22,000 horse-power, and 23 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 440ft., 66ft., and 24ft.
On August 6th, 1911 the “Cornwall,” while
commanded by Captain James C. Ley, had the misfortune to run aground on
Pinnacle Rock, off Cape Sable, while going to the assistance of H.M.
Canadian ship “Niobe,” which had also run aground in the vicinity.
Both cruisers were soon afloat again. |
|
Cornwallis |
|
Name Origin: Admiral the Hon. Sir William Cornwallis, younger
son of Earl Cornwallis; born 1743, died 1819.
Entering the Navy in 1753, he became Post Captain in 1766.
In command of the Lion, 64, he took a distinguished part in the
battle of Grenada, July 6th 1779.
The following year, in command of
a small squadron, he fought two actions with superior French
forces in the West Indies. In
1782, in command of the Canada, 74, he distinguished himself in Admiral
Hood’s action off St. Kitts, and Admiral Rodney’s great victory of
April 12th. In
1789 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies. He became Rear Admiral in 1793 and Vice-Admiral the following
year. In June 1795, in command of a small squadron off the Penmarks he
encountered a French fleet three times his own strength and successfully
beat off the enemy’s attack ad made good his escape without loss-a
feat, which at once stamped him as a great sea officer.
Promoted to Admiral in 1799, he hoisted his flag as
Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet in 1801.
On the renewed outbreak of war in 1803 he at once commenced a
rigorous blockade of Brest, Rochefort, Loruient, and Ferrol, which he
maintained with ton determination for close on three years, when Lord
St. Vincent relieved him in his command.
This blockade will always rank as a very great achievement; it
effectually paralysed all Napoleon’s ambitious schemes at sea,
preventing the junction of the separated French fleets for the purpose
of crushing once and for all the sea power of Great Britain.
The fifth “CORNWALLIS” was a 74-gun ship,
launched at Bombay in 1813. She
was of 1809 tons, and carried a crew of 590 men.
Her length, beam, and draught were 177ft., 48ft., and 18ft.
There is a fine model of this vessel in the Museum of the Royal
United Service Institution, Whitehall. On
April 27th, 1815, the “Cornwallis,” commanded by Captain
John Bayley and flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir George Burlton, met
the American vessels “Peacock” and “Hornet” in the Atlantic
Ocean. The “Peacock,” a
very fast sailor, got away, but the “Cornwallis, chased the
“Hornet” for forty-eight hours.
At daylight on the 29th the “Cornwallis” opened
fire, and throughout the day the “Hornet” was on the very edge of
capture, but she staved off that disaster by lightening ship, throwing
overboard by degrees all her spare spars, stores, anchors, shot, boats,
ballast, and all the guns but one.
The guns of the “Cornwallis” were very unskilfully served,
and only three shot struck the “Hornet.” In the afternoon the sloop was saved by a shift in the wind,
and as the wind grew fresher gradually left the “Cornwallis” hull
down. In 1842 the
“Cornwallis,” commanded by Captain Peter Richards, and flying the
flag of Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker, took part in the first China
War. Soon on arrival on the
station Sir William Parker transferred his flag to the “Wellesley.”
On March 14th, 1842, the boats of the “Cornwallis”
left Ningpo in an expeditionary force of 7 ships and boats carrying 350
seamen and marines. The
Naval Brigade was landed and joined the army in time to take part in a
victory over the Chinese troops at Seagon.
Four hundred and fifty Chinese fell, and the Naval Brigade only
lost 15 men. On April 14th,
1842, at Chusan, the boats of the “Cornwallis,” together with those
from six other ships, defeated a Chinese attempt to burn the shipping by
means of firerafts. On May 16th,
1842, the “Cornwallis,” arrived off Chapoo in a fleet of 11 ships,
and contributed to a Naval Brigade of seamen and marines which
co-operated with the troops. After
a three-hours struggle on the outskirts of the town Chapoo was captured.
On June 13th, 1842, the “Cornwallis” arrived off
Woosung in a fleet of 14 ships under Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker,
and three days afterwards the forts were bombarded.
After two hours’ firing, towards the close of which the Chinese
guns were nearly silent, detachments of seamen and marines were landed
and Woosung was captured, with a British loss of only 3 killed and 20
wounded. In July 1842 the “Cornwallis” took part in the
expedition into the Yang-tse-Kiang, which consisted of about 18
men-of-war, 9 East India Company’s paddle steamers, and 40 transports
carrying 9000 troops, under Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker.
On July 6th the movement was commenced, and on July 20th
the Chinese sent fire-rafts down the river against the fleet.
The troops were landed on the following day, accompanied by a
small Naval Brigade, and a few days later the town of Chingkiang was
captured. Many of the
Tartar defenders deliberately slew their wives and children and then
committed suicide. The
General burnt himself with all his papers in his house.
By September 15th everything was in readiness for an
attack on Nanking, but the Chinese sued for peace.
On the 29th the Traty of Nanking was signed, which
ceded Hongkong of Great Britain, promoted regular tariff regulations, |
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Corrientes
|
|
Name Origin : One of the provinces of the Argentine
Republic.
The first Corrientes was a Corrientes Class torpedo
boat, launched 1896 and stricken 23rd October 1930. The next
Corrientes was a Buenos Aries Class destroyer launched 21st September
1937, which was lost in collision with Almirante Brown, 3rd October
1941. |
Corsaire
|
Name Origin: Pirate. |
Cosmao
|
Name Origin: Julian Marie, Baron de Cosmao Kerjulien; born
1761, died 1825. In 1805,
in command of the Pluton, he captured the Diamond rock off Martinique.
A few months later he fought at the battle of Trafalgar October
21st. On October
22nd Cosmao, who had retired with Gravina to Rota, sallied
forth, though the Pluton was badly crippled, and accompanied by two
French and two Spanish ships, five frigates and two corvettes, succeeded
in delivering two captive ships from the English and bringing them
safely to Cadiz. For this
deed he was made a grandee of Spain and Rear Admiral.
He was forced to leave the Navy in 1815. |
|
Cossack |
|
Name History: The word “Cossack” is Turkish, and means a
“free man,” a “free lance.”
In the thirteenth century when the Tartars overran the greater
part of Russia, many inhabitants took refuge on the islands in the
Dnieper, and there formed the free and independent militarily organised
communities of “Cossacks.” Various
such communities sprang up in the following centuries.
Though the Cossacks have now lost their political independence,
they have retained their military organisation and a certain amount of
self-government. They form
special regiments of light cavalry in the Russian Army.
The second “COSSACK” was a 20-gun screw
corvette, launched at Northfleet in 1854.
She was of 1951 tons, 870 horse-power and carried a crew of 140
men. Her length, beam, and draught were 195ft., 39ft., and 9ft.
The “Cossack” was seized while building for the Russian
Government. On March 28th,
1855, the “Cossack,” commanded by Captain Edward Gennys Fanshawe,
sailed from the Downs in a fleet of 88 steam vessels of various kinds,
commanded by Rear-Admiral the Hon. R.S. Dundas with his flag in “Duke
of Wellington.” They made
for the Baltic, to take part in the campaign against the Russians, and
at once established a blockade of the coast of Courland.
On May 26th the boats from the “Cossack” and one
other vessel took and destroyed some Russian small vessels off Hango
Head, and met with little opposition.
On June 5th the “Cossack” anchored off Hango Head
and sent in the prisoners under a flag of truce.
Three officers stewards were injudiciously permitted to accompany
the boats, in search of provisions.
The men advanced under a flag of truce but were fired on by the
Russians, 7 being killed, 3 dangerously wounded, and 3 taken prisoners.
The “Cossack” at once bombarded Hango at 600 yards until
thick fog obliged the ship to haul off.
This affair made a great noise, but the “Cossack” was partly
to blame for not displaying a white flag in a conspicuous place.
The Russians contended that the whole affair was irregularly
conducted, and that they had not seen the white flag displayed by the
men. On July 21st
the “Cossack,” assisted by other vessels, attacked and silenced the
Russian batteries at Frederikshamm, after an hour and a half’s brisk
engagement, with a loss of only three men wounded.
Lack of troops prevented a landing and subsequent capture.
On July 26th the “Cossack” and other vessels
attacked and captured the Russian island of Kotka, and destroyed
barracks, stores, magazines, workshops, and supplies.
On the following day the squadron departed, leaving Captain
Fanshawe with the “Cossack” to garrison the island.
On August 9th the “Cossack” was one of a British
force of 54 vessels, mostly composed of bombs, which warped into
position for the bombardment of Sveaborg, and soon after 7a.m. began
firing. The “Cossack”
engaged the troops on Drumsio Island. A number of French bomb-vessels co-operated in the attack,
which lasted until the morning of the 11th, rocket-boats
annoying the enemy during the night.
Only one man on the British side lost his life, but a spy stated
that the Russians had lost 2000 killed, 23 vessels burned, and that the
dockyard, Government stores, and powder magazines were blown up and
completely destroyed. In
1875 the “Cossack” was sold. The third “COSSACK”
was a 6-gun twin-screw cruiser, launched at Clydebank in 1886.
She was of 1770 tons, 3500 horse-power, and 16.5 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 240 ft., 36ft., and 16ft.
In September 1890 nine German traders were murdered in Vitu, a
small about 230 miles north of Zanzibar.
On October 24th the boats from the “Cossack,”
Commander J.M. McQuahe, and those from two other ships proceeded to
Baltia and burned the village. On October 26th a Naval Brigade of 700 seamen and
marines was landed, under the personal command of Vice-Admiral the Hon.
Edmund Fremantle. Meeting with some brisk resistance en route, the expedition
captured the town of Vitu on October 27th. The town and the sultan’s house were burned, and the
brigade returned to their ships with 12 men wounded, and several cases
of sunstroke. From November
1902 to March 1903 the “Cossack,” commanded by Commander Montagu G.
Cartwright, was one of a squadron of six ships, under Rear-Admiral Sir
Charles Drurywith his flag in “Highflyer,” which took part in the
Somaliland campaign in various coastal capacities.
The ships assisted in landing troops and stores, transport work,
and in the prevention of delivery of munitions of war to the enemy. In 1905
the “Cossack” was sold. |
Couleuvrine
|
Name Origin: Culverin, light gun of long range, carried by
ships in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. |
Courbet
|
Name Origin: Amedee Courbet, born 1827, died 1885.
He entered the Navy in 1849.
As Captain he was governor of New Caledonia in 1873.
He commanded the French squadron in China 1883-1885, during the
war with the latter country. When
hostilities were imminent he took his squadron up the river Min, and
anchored off the dockyard fleet lying at anchor, completely destroying
it. The following day he
destroyed the dockyard, and then proceeded down the river, fighting and
silencing in turn the numerous forts protecting the lower reaches.
On the night of February 14th 1885, Admiral Courbet
sent two launches from his flagship to attack two Chinese ships lying
off sheipoo with outrigger torpedoes. This was successfully accomplished with a loss only of one
man, both ships being sunk. He
annexed the Pescadores in 1885, and died almost immediately afterwards
onboard his flagship, the Bayard. |
Coureur
|
Name Origin: Runner. |
Coutelas
|
Name Origin: Cutlas. |
|
Crescent |
| Name Origin: An emblem or badge representing the crescent or
increasing moon, which, tradition says, was first used at Constantinople
(Byzantium) when besieged by Philip.
It is still the badge of the Ottoman Empire. |
|
Cressy |
| Name Origin: Or Crecy-en-Ponthieu, a village in the French
Department of Somme, on the Maye. The
ship name commemorates the great victory gained near this place by
Edward III, on August 26th 1346, with 40,000 English soldiers
over a French army of 100,000 under the command of the Comte d’Alencon. The French losses, which amounted to 30,000, included the
flower of their chivalry. It
was here that the “Black Prince” gained his spurs with so much
distinction. |
| Crocodil
|
| Name Origin: Crocodile. |
|
Crusader |
| Name Origin: Crusades were holy wars undertaken by the various
powers of Christendom, at different times, to drive the infidels from
Jerusalem and the Holy Land; the first in 1095, the eighth and last in
1270. King Richard I took
part in the third crusade in 1190. |
|
Cuama
|
Name Origin: The old name for the Zambesi River, East Africa. |
|
Cumberland |
| Name Origin: A maritime border county of England, famous for
the beauty of its likes and mountains. |
|
Cumberland |
| Name Origin: In Homer’s Odyssey a race of giants whose chief
was Polyphemus. They
inhabited the island of Trinacria (Sicily).
They derived their name “Round eye” from the fact of having
only one big round eye, and that placed in the centre of his forehead. |
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Curlew
|
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Curtatone
|
Name Origin: Village in the province of Mantua where on May 29th
1848, the combined Neapolitan-Tuscan troops defeated the Austrians. |
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Custoza
|
|
Name Origin: Village near Verona, in Northern Italy, where the
Italians were twice defeated by the Austrians-first on July 23rd
1848, by field Marshal Radetzky; secondly on June 24th 1866,
by the Archduke Albrecht. In
the latter battle King Victor Emanuel commanded the Italians.
Austria was at the same time fighting against Prussia (Sadowa,
July 5th 1866). |
Cyclone
|
Name Origin: Cyclone, circular storm. |
|
Cycloop
|
Name Origin: Cyclops. In
homer’s Odyssey a race of giants whose chief was Polyphemus.
The inhabited the island of Trinacria (Sicily).
Their name, “Round eye,” was derived from the fact of their
having only one big round eye, and that placed in the centre of the
forehead. |
|
Cygnet |
|
The fifteenth “CYGNET”
was a 4-gun screw gunboat. Launched
at Sunderland in 1874. She
was of 455 tons, 457 horse-power, and 11 knots speed.
Her length, beam, and draught were 125ft., 24ft., and 10ft.
In June 1876 the “Cygnet,” commanded by Lieutenant Robert
Frederick Hammick, took part in a small expedition up the river Niger in
company with two other vessels under Commodore Sir William Hewett with
his broad pennant temporarily in “Sultan of Sokoto.”
The natives had been obstructing the river and preventing the
passage of the British trade. At
Akado three guns were captured, and after the natives of the town of
Sabogrega had shown hostile intent the town was bombarded for two
days. The boats were then
manned and armed, and dashed in under a galling musketry fire.
They dislodged the natives , burned the town, blew up the powder
store, and flung the heavy guns into the river.
The boats then proceeded and attacked Agberi, which was burned
without much resistance. The
squadron lost 1 marine killed and 5 officers and 9 men wounded.
In 1876 the “Cygnet,” commanded by Lieutenant Robert F.
Hammick, was one of a fleet of twelve ships, under Commodore Sir William
Hewett with his broad pennant in “Active,” which engaged in the
blockade of Dahomey on the Nigerian coast.
The blockade lasted for eleven months in a pestilential climate,
and at the end of that time King Gelele entered into negotiations and
the blockade was raised. In
1882 the “Cygnet,” commanded by Lieutenant Hugh Dudley Ryder, was
engaged in the bombardment of Alexandria in a fleet of 14 ships,
commanded by Admiral Sir Beachamp Seymour with his flag in
“Alexandra.” At7a.m. on
July 11th the “Alexandra” fired the first shot of the
bombardment. Owing to the
flagship’s draught the Commander-in-Chief temporarily hoisted his flag
in “Invincible.” All
ships were cleared for action with top gallant masts struck and
bowsprits rigged in. By
7.10a.m. the entire fleet was engaged, and such forts as could bring
their guns to bear replied with vigour.
By 5p.m. all guns ashore had been silenced and the fleet ceased
bombarding at 5.30p.m. The British casualties were 5 killed and 28
wounded. The Egyptian loss
has never been properly ascertained, but it is believed to have been
about 150 killed and 400 wounded, out of the two thousand men engaged in
the forts. The “Cygnet”
also assisted the “Condor” in the attack on Fort Marabout, anchoring
so close in that the enemy’s guns could not be
sufficiently depressed to reach her.
The Governor refused to surrender when summoned, but on the
following day the Egyptians fled, and Alexandria was occupied and
policed by the British. In 1885
the “Cygnet,” commanded by Lieutenant Alexander Gardiner, took part
in the Egyptian campaign and assisted in the defence of Suakin from the
Mahdists. In 1889 the
“Cygnet” was sold. |
|
Cynthia |
| Name Origin: Another name for Artemis (Diana), derived from
Mount Cynthos in the island of Delos, her birthplace. |
|
