HMS Lion

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Eighteen vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Lion, after the lion, an animal traditionally associated with courage, and also used in several heraldric motifs representing England and the British Monarchy.

The first Lion was a 36-gun ship of 120 tons captured from the Scots in 1511 and sold 1513.
The second Lion was a 50-gun ship of 160 tons, built in 1536 and listed in records until 1559.
The third Lion was a Scottish ship captured in 1549 and later lost off Harwich.
The fourth Lion was originally the 50-gun Golden Lion, and "rebuilt" four times, in 1582, 1609, 1640, 1658, and sold in 1698. (Instead of being a remarkable example of longevity, most likely only a few timbers from the old ship were reused in each rebuild.)
The fifth Lion was a 6-gun ketch captured from the Dutch in 1665, sold 1667, repurchased 1668 and sunk as part of Sheerness construction in 1673.
The sixth Lion was an Algerian fifth-rate captured in 1683 and sold the same year.
The seventh Lion was a 4-gun hoy purchased in 1702 and in the records until 1737.
The eighth Lion was a 60-gun third-rate launched in 1709, rebuilt 1738 and sold 1765.
The ninth Lion was a transport launched in 1753, hulked in 1775, and sold 1786.
The tenth Lion was a cutter purchased in 1763 and sold in 1771.
The eleventh Lion was a discovery vessel in service from 1774 to 1785.
The twelfth Lion was a 64-gun third-rate launched in 1777, and sold for breakup in 1837.
The thirteenth Lion was a schooner purchased around 1781 and sold in 1785.
The fourteenth Lion was a 4-gun vessel, originally a Dutch hoy, purchased in 1794 and sold the next year.
The fifteenth Lion was a schooner in service from 1823 to 1826.
The sixteenth Lion was an 80-gun second-rate launched in 1847, converted to screw propulsion in 1859, a training ship after 1871, and sold for breakup in 1905.
The seventeenth Lion, launched in 1910, was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers. She served as Rear Admiral David Beatty's flagship at the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland, and was sold in 1924.
Lion, laid down in 1938, was to have been the name ship of the Lion class of four battleships. Only two of the ships were started and neither was completed — Lion herself was scrapped whilst under construction in 1941.
The eighteenth Lion (C34) was a Tiger-class cruiser launched in 1944 (as HMS Defence) but not completed until 1960. She was placed in reserve in 1964 and scrapped in 1975.

References

J. J. Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy

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