HMS Goliath

Six ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Goliath after the Biblical giant, Goliath.

• The first HMS Goliath (1781) was a 74-gun third-rate that fought in the Battle of the Nile.
• The second HMS Goliath was renamed in 1826 prior to completion, becoming HMS Clarence, an 84-gun ship of the line completed in 1827 and burnt in 1884.
• The third HMS Goliath (1842) was an 80-gun ship of the line, built in 1842. She was converted to screw propulsion in 1857 and burnt in 1875.
• The fourth HMS Goliath (1898) was a battleship launched in 1898 and sunk by the Ottoman torpedo boat Muavenet-i Milliye in 1915.
• The fifth and sixth Goliaths were tugs requisitioned for use during World War II.