HMS Vanguard

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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, sunk in 1703 but raised in 1704, rebuilt twice and broken up in 1769.
• 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.