Ships Timeline
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Timeline Events
16th Century
Mary Rose sunk in the Solent
1546
The Tudor warship Mary Rose capsizes and sinks during action against the French fleet
Ark Royal plays a key role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Related page: Ark Royal (1587)
17th Century
HMS Sovereign of the Seas launched
1637
A revolutionary first-rate warship symbolising royal naval power
Restoration navy reorganised
1660
Fleet structure and administration reformed following the Restoration
HMS Britannia at Barfleur
1692
Britannia serves in the fleet action against France at Barfleur
18th Century
HMS Royal Sovereign commissioned
1701
Royal Sovereign enters service as a first-rate ship of the line
HMS Victory ordered
1759
Construction of HMS Victory is authorised during the Seven Years' War
Related page: HMS Victory (1765)
HMS Sandwich at the Nore Mutiny
1797
HMS Sandwich becomes associated with the Nore Mutiny unrest
19th Century
HMS Victory at Trafalgar
21 October 1805
HMS Victory serves as Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar
Related page: HMS Victory (1765)
HMS Temeraire distinguished at Trafalgar
1805
HMS Temeraire plays a decisive role in close combat at Trafalgar
HMS Bellerophon receives Napoleon
1815
Bellerophon carries Napoleon Bonaparte into British custody after Waterloo
HMS Warrior launched
1860
The first iron-hulled armoured warship of the Royal Navy is launched
Related page: HMS Warrior (1860)
HMS Devastation enters service
1876
A turret ship without sails reflects new naval doctrine
20th Century
HMS Dreadnought enters service
1906
HMS Dreadnought transformed battleship design and gave its name to an entire era of naval competition.
HMS Dreadnought commissioned
1906
HMS Dreadnought revolutionises battleship design and naval strategy
HMS Warspite enters service
1915
HMS Warspite became one of the most celebrated British battleships of the twentieth century serving in both world wars.
HMS Queen Elizabeth enters service
1915
Fast battleship introduces new standards of speed and firepower
HMS Iron Duke at Jutland
31 May 1916
Iron Duke serves as Jellicoe’s flagship at the Battle of Jutland
HMS Vindictive in Zeebrugge Raid
1918
Vindictive takes part in the daring raid on Zeebrugge harbour
HMS Ark Royal enters service
1936
The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal represented the growing importance of naval aviation in modern warfare.
HMS Belfast is commissioned
1939
HMS Belfast entered Royal Navy service and later became one of the best known surviving warships in Britain.
HMS Illustrious joins the fleet
1940
HMS Illustrious entered service as a key fleet carrier during the Second World War.
HMS Hood is lost in action
1941
The loss of HMS Hood in the Denmark Strait shocked Britain and marked one of the most dramatic naval moments of the war.
HMS Prince of Wales enters active service
1941
HMS Prince of Wales became a major capital ship during the early years of the Second World War.
HMS King George V takes part in the Bismarck operation
May 1941
HMS King George V played a central role in the pursuit and destruction of the German battleship Bismarck.
HMS Hood sunk by Bismarck
24 May 1941
HMS Hood is destroyed in action with the German battleship Bismarck
Related page: HMS Hood (51)
HMS Prince of Wales sunk
10 December 1941
HMS Prince of Wales is sunk by Japanese aircraft off Malaya
Related page: HMS Prince of Wales (53)
HMS Sheffield was active in key wartime operations including Arctic convoy work and the hunt for major enemy units.
Related page: HMS Sheffield (D80)
HMS Belfast in Arctic operations
1943
HMS Belfast operates in Arctic convoys and fleet actions
HMS Duke of York fights at the Battle of the North Cape
1943
HMS Duke of York played a leading role in the destruction of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst.
HMS Warspite supports D-Day landings
6 June 1944
HMS Warspite provides naval gunfire during Operation Overlord
HMS Belfast supports the Normandy landings
1944
HMS Belfast provided naval gunfire support during Operation Overlord and the Normandy campaign.
HMS Indefatigable in Pacific operations
1945
Carrier operations expand British naval power in the Pacific
HMS Ark Royal modernised
1955
Carrier modernisation reflects jet aviation requirements
The commissioning of HMS Dreadnought as a nuclear submarine marked a major shift in Royal Navy undersea warfare.
Related page: HMS Dreadnought (S101)
HMS Daring class destroyers enter service
1960
Modern destroyers strengthen Cold War fleet capabilities
HMS Hermes serves as flagship
1969
Hermes operates as a key fleet carrier during the Cold War
HMS Sheffield entered Royal Navy service as a Type 42 destroyer and became associated with the Sea Dart missile system.
Related page: HMS Sheffield (D80)
The loss of HMS Sheffield during the Falklands conflict became one of the defining naval moments of the campaign.
Related page: HMS Sheffield (D80)
HMS Sheffield is struck by an Exocet missile and sinks
Related page: HMS Sheffield (D80)
Carrier HMS Invincible plays a central role in the campaign
Related page: HMS Invincible (R05)
A new HMS Ark Royal carried forward one of the Royal Navy's most famous ship names in the late Cold War period.
Related page: HMS Ark Royal (R07)
HMS Gloucester contributes to modern missile warfare at sea
1991
HMS Gloucester became notable for successful air defence operations during the Gulf War.
HMS Gloucester in Gulf War
1991
Gloucester intercepts incoming missiles during operations
21st Century
HMS Daring entered service as a modern Type 45 destroyer built around advanced air defence capabilities.
Related page: HMS Daring (D32)
Type 45 destroyer enters service with advanced air defence systems
Related page: HMS Daring (D32)
The largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy is launched
Related page: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)
The new aircraft carrier formally joins the fleet
Related page: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)
HMS Prince of Wales entered service as the second of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
Related page: HMS Prince of Wales (R09)
The carrier leads a global deployment demonstrating modern naval capability
Related page: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)