HMS Vanguard

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.