Ship Name Histories - Database of histories of ship names beginning with letter D.

Name Origin: In Greek mythology an inventor and promoter to the arts of sculpture and architecture.  He is said to have built for King Minos of Crete the labyrinth, which confined the Minotaur.  Imprisoned by Minos, he made wings for himself and his son Icarus, with which they escaped from the island.  The latter was drowned, but Daedalus safely landed in Italy.

Dagmar

Name Origin: Margaret of Bohemia, the first wife of King Waldemar I., died in 1212.  She was grwatly beloved by the Danes for her gentle kindliness and beauty, and they surnamed her Dagmar, “Day’s Maiden.”

Name Origin: James Ramsay, tenth Earl and first Marquis of Dalhousie; born 1812, died 1860.  He was Governor General of India from 1847 to 1856, and created Marquis in 1849 for his services in that capacity.  On his return home he was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Name Origin: Dalmatia, a kingdom and Crown Land of the Austrian empire, lying along the eastern shore of the Adriatic.  Originally part of the roman province of Illyria, it was the native country of the Emprtot Diocletian, who resided at Spalato after his abdication.  Overrun and its civilisation destroyed by Goths, Huns, and Croatians, it became during the middle ages the cause of unceasing struggles for its possession between Hungary and Venice.  After the fall of the latter, Dalmatia was ceded to Austria by the treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, and raised to a kingdom within the Empire in 1816.

Name Origin: A patrician family of Venice that gave three doges to that republic.  The most celebrated of these was Enrico Dandolo, born about 1108, died 1205.  He was the founder of Venice’s superiority in the Mediterranean.  In 1173, whilst Venetian Ambassador at Constantinople, the Emperor Manuel had him blinded, but his eyesight escaped complete destruction.  Elected doge until 1192, Dandolo subdued Dalmatia and fought victoriously with Padua and Pisa.  At the age of ninety-five he, at the head of a crusading expedition, captured Trieste, conquered the Albanian coast and the Ionic Islands, and twice victoriously entered Constantinople in 1203 and 1204.  There he assisted in setting up the Latin kingdom, and gained for Venice three-eighths of the former Imperial Byzantine territory.  He died and was buried at Constantinople.

Dannebrog

Name Origin: The name of the Danish national flag, which, according to legend, fell down from heaven during King Waldemar II’s crusade in Estonia, in the midst of a great battle which the Danes were fighting against the heathen in 1219.

Danton

Name Origin: Geroges Jacques Danton born 1759, died 1794, one of the most prominent leaders of the first French Revolution.  When it broke out in 1789 Danton was an obscure lawyrer in Paris.  His commanding presence, stentorian voice, and thrilling eloquence soon brought him into the forefront of the popular and insurrectionary movement.  In august 1792, after the fall of the monarchy to which he had so greatly contributed, he became Minister of Justice, but reined this post on the assembling of the National Convention.  The part played by him during the prison massacre in September 1792 has remained obscure, and is still debated.  Danton was one of the original nine members of the Committee of Public Safety, invested with dictorial powers, and was repeatedly sent on missions to the Republican armies in Belgium, whose zeal and courage his eloquence inflamed.  As the extreme revolutionary elements gained in popular favour, Danton, considered too moderate, began to lose it, and when Robespierre, his rival became the idol of the masses, he was sent to the guillotine in April 1794.

Dard

Name Origin: Dart

Name Origin: Dart.

The seventh “DART” was a 5-gun twin-screw gun vessel launched at Millwall in 1860.  She was of 570 tons, 336 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 146ft., 25ft., and 12ft.  In 1865 the “Dart,” commanded by Commander Frederick W. Richards, while at Akatoo on the West Coast of Africa, received notice of a rumour to the effect that the natives were about to plunder the British factories.  One factory had been actually looted, and a schooner had been stripped and set adrift.  Commander Richards landed some men from his ship and from the “Lee,” to protect British interests.  Several boats were capsized in the surf, and two men were drowned.  Commander Richards succeeded in restoring order, with a loss of only one seaman wounded. The eighth “DART” is a 2-gun screw surveying vessel, launched as “Cruiser” at Barrow in 1882 for the Colonel Office, and purchased by the Admiralty.  She is of 470 tons, 250 horse-power, and 9 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 133ft., 25ft., and 12ft.  This vessel was leant to the New South Wales Government for training purposes in 1904, and in 1912 she was sold at Sydney for £1010.

Dasher

The third “DASHER” was a twin-screw torpedo-boat destroyer, launched at Poplar in 1893.  She was of 255 tons, 3182 horse-power, and 27 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 190ft., 18ft., and 5ft.  In 1912 this destroyer was sold at Chatham for £1630.

D'Assas

Name Origin: Chavalier Nicolas d’ Assae, Captain in the Regiment d’Auvergne.  During the war with Frederick the Great of Prussia in Silesia he was on outpost duty on the night of October 15^th 1760.  Whilst reconnoitring he was surprised, who were coming on for a night attack.  Though threatened with death if he uttered a sound, D’Assas gallantly shouted, “This way, Auvergne; here is the enemy!”  He was immediately cut to pieces; but his cry had been heard, the alarm was given, and the Prussians had to retreat.

Davout

Name Origin: Louis Nicholas Davout, Duc d’Auerstadt, Prince d’Eggmuhl, born 1770, died 1823, one of Napoleon’s most celebrated Marshals.  He fought at the battle of Jemappes 1792, under Dumouriez, accompanied Bonaparte in his Egyptian campaign, and was made prisoner by the English on the voyage back and detained for a month at Leghorn.  At the battle of Marengo 1800, he commanded a division. Promoted to Marshal and General in command of the Imperial Guards in 1804, he defeated the Duke of Brunswick at Auerstadt 1806, and the Austrians at Eggmuhl 1809.  He distinguished himself greatly in all the subsequent campaigns-retook Hamburg in 1813, and held it till 1814.  On Napoleon’s return from Elba he was made Minister of War, and after the battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s deposition was Commander-in-chief of the Army.  He surrendered to the Government of Louis XVIII.

Decidee

Name Origin: Decided.

Dee

The third “DEE” was a twin-screw 3-gun gunboat, launched at Jarrow in 1877.  She was of 363 tons, 330 horse-power, and 9 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 110ft., 34ft., and 7ft.  The fourth “DEE” is a twin-screw torpedo-boat destroyer, built at Palmers Yard at Jarrow and launched on the Tyne in 1903.  She is of 545 tons, 7000 horse-power, and 27 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 225ft., 23ft., and 10ft.  In September 1905 the “Dee,” while commanded by Lieutenant and Commander Harold E. Sulivan, and in company with the “Exe,” demonstrated her good qualities by successfully passing through a severe typhoon between Wei-hai-wei and Shanghai.  At the beginning of the passage the barometer stood at 30.20, and there was only a slight breeze.  In two days the glass had dropped to 27.78 and the wind had increased to force 11.  By the third day the barometer and wind were both normal.  An observer in the “Exe,” who was watching the “Dee,” noted that “. . .The extraordinary attitudes she assumed, and the conditions she went through, were more interesting than re-assuring.  At times she would be poised on her crest of a sea, her fore part high and dry (so to speak), leaving her keel visible up to the conning tower; the after part also naked, showing her propellers racing in the air.  The she would take a dive, an intervening wave would blot out this merry picture, and then to one’s relief as the wave passed by, a mast would appear waving on the other side until, thank goodness, one would catch sight of her funnels and then her hull, still above water. . .”  The “Dee,” was sighted at a bad period f the typhoon by a passing mail steamer.  The passengers gave the little ship up as lost, and it is said that a clergyman among them offered up prayers for the repose of their souls. The commanding officer of the “Dee,” was much struck by the contrast afforded by the blue sky and comparative calm which he experienced in the centre of the storm, and by the number of kingfishers and other land birds which took refuge on board the ship when she got into this calm vortex.  The ship was in situation of considerable peril for some forty-eight hours, and was only saved by good work of her builders, and the seamanlike skill of her Commander.  The whole affair reflected the greatest possible credit on the British destroyer officers, and the reader who wishes to read fuller details will find them in the second edition of Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock’s Whispers from the fleet, where they appear in the form of a letter from Commander Allan F. Everett of the “Exe,” who was the senior officer of the two vessels.

Defence

           On September 18^th, 1798, nineteen seamen of the “Defence” were sentenced to death for mutiny, and six to flogging and imprisonment for the same offence.   In 1798 the “Defence,” commanded by Captain John Peyton, was one of a fleet of 14 vessels under Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, with his flag in “Vanguard,” which utterly defeated the French fleet at the battle of the Nile.  The French, under Brueys with his flag in “Orient,” consisted of 17 ships, 2 brigs, 3 bombs, and several gunboats.  Nelson, with his fleet, chased and searched for three months, starting at Cadiz on May 2^nd, and eventually found the French fleet at anchor in the Bay of Aboukir on August 1^st at 1p.m..  Standing into the Bay at 5.30, Nelson formed line of battle, and at 6p.m. the action began by the British attacking the French van and centre while they anchored by stern.  The “Culloden” grounded while coming into harbour, and was unable to take part in the action.  The “Defence” attacked the “Peuple Soverain” and soon drove her from her position, and then attacked the “Franklin,” which was soon silenced with a loss of her main and mizzen-masts.  At 10p.m. the French flagship “Orient” blew up, having caught fire an hour previously.  The action continued through the night, and at 6a.m. four French ships escaped under Rear-Admiral Villeneuve.  The British lost 218 killed and 678 wounded, which included one Captain killed and Admiral Nelson and other officers wounded.  The French lost in killed, wounded, burned, drowned, and missing, about 3500, which included among the killed Vice-Admiral Brueys and four Captains.  Of the French ships 9 were captured, 3 were burned, and 4 escaped.  Three of the prizes were eventually burned as useless.  Nelson’s popularity had been under a cloud, but he was now given a barony, a pension of £3000, and a present of £10,000 from the East India Company.  The first lieutenants of all ships were promoted, and the British and Irish Houses of Parliament voted thanks to the whole fleet.  The 2Defence” lost 4 killed and 11 wounded.  In 1799 the “Defence,” commanded by Captain Lord H. Paulet, was engaged in the blockade of Cadiz.   On July 2^nd, 1800, the boats from the “Defence,” assisted by those from the “Renown” and “Fishguard,” attacked and destroyed the French 20-gun ship “Therese” in Bourgneuf Bay.  A 12-gun lugger, two 6-gun gunboats, and a 6-gun cutter were burned at the same time.  The French gunboat “Nochette” had been taken a few days previously.   In 1801 the “Defence,” commanded by Captain Lord Henry Paulet, was in a fleet of 24 ships, 7 bombs, 2 fireships, and 6 gun brigs, commanded by Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson with his flag in “Elephant” which took part in the battle or bombardment of Copenhagen.  The fleet forced a passage of the Ore Sound on March 30^th, and after encountering various navigational difficulties, anchored under fire opposite Copenhagen on April 3^rd.  The Danish defences, besides forts, consisted of 18 men-of-war, armed hulks, and floating batteries, moored in a 1 mile line opposite the town.  Two British men-of-war ran aground, and the six brigs were unable to get into action owing to tide.  The action began at 10 and was general at 11:30.  A furious cannonade followed, during which time Nelson put his blind eye to his telescope when advised by the Commander-in-Chief four miles away to discontinue the action.  When Nelson disregarded this advice the “Defence” and two other ships were despatched to assist the Vice-Admiral by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker.  By 3.30p.m. letters were exchanged under flags of truce and the fighting ceased, most of the Danish ships and forts being silenced.  The Danes lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners, about 6000 men.  The British fleet lost 255 killed and 688 badly wounded.  Fourteen Danish ships were captured, burned, blown up, driven on shore, or otherwise taken from the enemy.  A fourteen-weeks armistice was then agreed to.  The Danes mounted 696 guns on this occasion against the British 1014 guns and carronades.  The approach of the “Defence” and her two consorts acted as a further menace to the enemy, and assisted to induce the Danes to bring the hostilities to a conclusion.  Nelson was elevated to the dignity of Viscount for this victory.  In 1801 the “Defence” captured the French 14-gun privateer “L’Enfant Carnival” off Lisbon.  On October 21^st, 1805, the “Defence,” commanded by Captain George Hope, took part in the battle of Trafalgar.  The English fleet consisted of 27 ships, 4 frigates, and 2 small craft under Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson with his flag in “Victory.”  The Franco-Spanish fleet consisted of 33 ships, 5 frigates, and 2 small craft under Vice-Admiral Villeneuve and Admiral Don Frederico Gravina.  At daybreak the enemy were discovered 11 miles to leeward.  The British fleet stood down to the attack in two lines, and the French opened fire on the leader of the lee line at noon.  At 12.10 Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood broke the enemy’s line and at 1p.m. Lord Nelson did the same.  As soon as the light wind permitted, the remaining British ships came up and engaged, and by 1.30 the battle was at its height.  The “Defence,” as fourteenth ship of the lee column, was very late in getting into action.  She first engaged the French “Berwick” and then attacked the Spanish “San Ildefonso,” which struck after an hours action.  At 1.25p.m. Lord Nelson was mortally wounded while walking the “Victory’s” quarter-deck with his flag-captain, and by 3p.m. the firing had diminished.  At 4.40p.m.  Having learned of the completeness victory, the British Commander-in-Chief quietly and without a struggle ceased to breathe.  By 5p.m. the fight was over, the fleet being 8 miles N.W. by W. of Trafalgar.  The British lost 449 killed, which included Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, 2 captains, and 34 officers; and 1241 wounded which included 106 officers.  The British ships suffered severely in the hulls, and many were wholly or partially dismasted.  The Franco-Spaniards lost 18 ships captured, of which 1 blew up.  It appears that the enemy lost about 7000 killed and wounded, which included two admirals and seven captains killed.  The remainder of the allied fleet managed to escape, and six months afterwards the French commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Villeneuve, died at Rennes (it is said by his own hands), and was buried without military honours.  Of the 17 prizes 2 sank, 6 were wrecked and lost in a storm after the battle, 2 were burned, and 1 was destroyed.  The eldest surviving brother of Lord Nelson was created an earl with £5000 a year settled on the title in perpetuity, and given £99,000 to buy en estate.  A annuity of £2000 was assigned to Lady Nelson, and a sum of £15,000 was given of each of his two sisters.  Vice-Admiral Collingwood was created a Peer with £2000 a year, and Flag-Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy was made a Baronet.  A large number of lieutenants were promoted, and the fleet received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament.  The “Defence” lost 7 killed and 29 wounded.   In 1807 the British Government observed that Napoleonic scheming tended to coerce Denmark into hostility against England.  Accordingly a fleet of 65 vessels under Admiral Gambier, with his flag in “Prince of Wales,” was despatched against Denmark, and they anchored about four miles from Copenhagen in August, and established a blockade.  The “Defence,” commanded by Captain Charles Ekins, joined the fleet on August 9^th.  A large army of men under General Lord Cathurt were landed and laid siege to the city of Copenhagen.  On the 23^rd a flotilla of 25 small bombs, mortar boats, and gunbrigs attacked Copenhagen from seaward, while the army got ready their batteries against the town.  After much firing the Danes capitulated and surrendered their entire fleet of 70 vessels to the English.  The big ships took no part in the engagement.  The Naval loss in the small vessels was only 4 killed and 13 wounded, while the army lost about 200 killed, wounded, and missing.  The fleet received the thanks of Parliament, Admiral Gambier was given a peerage, and Vice-Admiral Stanhope a baronetcy on account of these operations.   During the last months of 1807, the “Defence,” commanded by Captain Charles Ekins, took part in the blockade of Lisbon.  In July 1809 the “Defence,” commanded by Captain David Atkins, sailed from the Downs in a fleet of 246 men-of-war of various kinds commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan with his flag in “Venerable.”  Four hundred transports accompanied the expedition, carrying some 40,000 troops under the earl of Chatham.  Many of the men-of-war removed their lower-deck guns and carried horses.  The expedition set forth to destroy all the French ships in the Schelde, and at Antwerp; to demolish the dockyards at Antwerp, Flushing, and Ter Neuze; and to render the Schelde no longer navigable for big French ships.  This affair was of a Military rather than a Naval character.  The fleet assisted by bombarding and the landing of a Naval Brigade, in the capture of the island of Walcheren, and in the bombardment, siege, and capture of flushing.  But the Earl of Chatman was fonder of his own personal comfort than of work, and after the Island of Walcheren with its batteries, basins, and arsenals had been reduced the British forces withdrew.  On December 24^th, 1811, after some minor services in the Baltic, the “Defence,” commanded by Captain David Atkins, was wrecked and lost on the coast of Jutland, 593 men being lost out of 597.  The “St. George,” with Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Revnolds, had gone ashore, which circumstance was reported to Captain Atkins by the master of the “Defence.” . . .  The Captain enquired whether the Admiral had made the signal to part company; upon being answered in the negative, he replied.  “I will never desert my Admiral in the hour of danger and distress.”  Shortly afterwards the “Defence” too struck.  The sea swept completely over the “Defence,” and the masts had to be cut away.  Minute-guns were fired, but the guns soon broke adrift.  The waves forced numbers of the men down the hatchways.  The booms were washed away, and with them nearly one hundred men who were clinging to the different spars.  The guns, which had broken loose, crashed from side to side, killing and maiming those who could not get out of their way.  The boats were all stove in except the pinnace.  Twenty men got into her, but she capsized, and all perished.  Another sea lifted a spare anchor and threw it up on end, and in its fall upon the forecastle it killed about thirty men.  The Danes behaved with great kindness to the survivors, and also attended to the burial of all the bodies that were washed ashore, including that of Captain David Atkins, whom they subsequently exhumed and placed in a vault with the honours of war.  The fourth “DEFENCE” was a 74-gun ship, launched at Chatham in 1815.  She was of 1754 tons, and carried a crew of 590 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 176ft., 48ft., and 18ft.  This vessel ended her days as a convict ship at Woolwich, and she was broken up in 1857. The fifth “DEFENCE” was a 60-ton coastguard cruiser, launched in 1848.  In 1847 the “Defence” was sold.  The sixth “DEFENCE” was a 60-ton coastguard cruiser, launched in 1848.  In 1869 the “Defence” was sold for £391. The seventh “DEFENCE” was a 16-gun screw battleship, launched at Jarrow in 1861.  She was of 6150 tons, 2600 horse-power, and 11 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 280ft., 54ft., and 26ft.  For many years the “Defence” acted as a coastguard ship at Holyhead, but her name was eventually changed to “Indus,” and she acted as a mechanician’s training-ship at Plymouth.  The eighth “DEFENCE” is a 14-gun twin-screw cruiser, launched at Pembroke in 1907.  She is of 14,600 tons, 27,000 horse-power, and 23 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 490ft., 74ft., and 26ft.  From November 1911 to February 1912 the “Defence,” commanded Henry H. Bruce, had the honour of acting as one of the escort to H.M.S. “Medina.”  The “Medina,” flying the Royal Standard, was conveying the King Emperor, His Majesty King George the Fifth, to India, where his Majesty’s Coronation Durbar was helld at Delhi on December 12^th, 1911.

Defiance

The twelfth “DEFIANCE” is a 91-gun screw wooden ship, launched at Pembroke in 1861.  She is of 5270 tons, 3350 horse-power, and 12 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 255ft., 56ft., and 18ft.  This ship, however, was never commissioned until December 1884, when she was appropriated as the stationary Torpedo School Ship at Devonport, and various vessels have been attached to the establishment from time to time, under the general name of “Defiance.”

Delfinen

Name Origin: Dolphin.

Name Origin: Dolphin.

Name Origin: Dolphin.

Name Origin: Dolphin.

Name Origin: Lieutenant of the 1^st Rifle Battalion, killed during the war with turkey in the battle of Grivitza, September 6^th 1877.

Name Origin: Major of the 4^th Regiment of Dorobants, killed during the war with Turkey at the capture of Rahova, November 7^th 1877.

Democratie

Name Origin: Democracy.  The word is derived from a Greek compound word meaning, literally, “People’s rule.”

Name Origin: An active volcano on the island of Sumatra.

D'Entrecasteaux

Name Origin: Joseph Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux, born 1739, died 1793.  He entered the Navy in 1754.  In 1786 he was appointed to the command of the East India squadron.  In 1789, with the Recherche, and Esperance (Captain Kermadec), he was sent in search of the missing expedition of La Perouse.  He searched the coasts of Australia and Tasmania, and visited many islands in the Pacific, touching at places, which no one had ever visited before.  He succumbed at last to the fatigues and anxiety of the druitless search, dying of scurvy in July 1793, on the island of Waigon off New Guinea; Kermadec had died two months previously.

Name Origin: Michael Adrianzoon de Ruyter, born 1607, died 1676, the greatest seaman of his age.  He entered the Merchant Service as a Cabin boy at the age of eleven, changed over into the States Navy, and attained the rank of Captain in 1635.  From 1642 to 1652 he served again in the Merchant Service, but on war breaking out with Great Britain, he received the command of a squadron and fought Sir G. Ayescue off the Lizard on august 26^th 1652, and assisted Tromp in defeating Blake off Dover on November 30^th of the same year.  In 1653 De Ruyter was made Vice Admiral of Holland, and fought under Tromp and De Witt at the battles off Portland, February 18^th-20^th; off Soleby, June 2^nd-3^rd; and off the Texel, July 29^th-31^st.  Peace having been concluded, De Ruyter was sent to the assistance of the Danes against the Swedes.  He blockaded the Swedish coast and took Nyborg and Funen.  At the conclusion of this war in 1600 the King of Denmark ennobled him. In 1661 and 1662 he was employed fighting the pirates on the North African coast.  In 1664 hostilities were renewed with England.  De Ruyter captured Goree and other ports on the Guinea coast, and harried British trade in the West Indies.  In 1665, he was made Commander in chief of the Dutch Navy, and June 1^st-4^th 1666, fought the four days battle off the North Foreland against Monk and Prince Rupert.  The British were the first to retire.  On July 25^th another battle ensued, in which the British had the advantage.  In June 1667 De Ruyter, in command of a strong fleet, sailed up the Thames as far as Gravesend, destroyed the royal ships lying at Chatham and in the Medway, and took Sheerness.  Peace ensued until 1672.  On May 26^th of that year De Ruyter fought the allied English and French fleets under the Duke of York and Admiral D’Estrees, but was forced to retire.  In 1673 he defeated the allied fleets on June 4^th off Schooneveldt, and again on August 11^th off Helder.  In 1675 De Ruyter was sent with a small squadron to assist the Spaniards against the French in the Mediterranean.  He met and fought Duquense off the island of Stromboli in January 1676, and on April 22^nd fought him once more off Agosta in Siciliy, in which action he was mortally wounded.  He died a week later at Syracuse. 

Derwent

The first “DERWENT” was an 18-gun brig sloop, launched at Turnchapel in 1807.  She was of 382 tons, and carried a crew of 121 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 100ft., 30ft., and 10ft.  On July 4^th, the “Derwent,” commanded firstly by Commander Frederick Parker, and later by Commander Joseph Swabey Tetley, sailed from Goree, in a fleet of about 20 vessels, under Captain Edward Henry Columbine in “Solebay.”  Several unarmed Colonial vessels accompanied the expedition to give an appearance of force.  They anchored off the bar at Senegal on July 7^th to attack the headquarters of a nest of privateers.  On the following day 330 sailors, marines, and soldiers got over the bar after many difficulties which involved the loss of two schooners and a sloop, and the drowning of Commander Parker of the “Derwent.”  On the 9^th the enemy retired and took post at Babaque, an island battery which covered seven armed vessels, and commanded a boom spanning the whole river.  The “Derwent” and other vessels bombarded Babaque with such good effect that the enemy expressed a desire to capitulate, and on the 13^th Senegal was formally surrendered. In 1817 the “Derwent” was sold.

Desaix

Name Origin: Louis Charles Antoine Desaix de Voygoux, born 1768, died 1800.  During the wars of the Republic he fought under Carnot, and was wounded at the battle of Lanterburg.  During Moreau’s masterly retreat through the Black forest he greatly distinguished himself.  In 1798 he accompanied Napoleon to Egypt and was deputed by the latter to conquer Upper Egypt, which he did in eight months, remaining there in military occupation.  He returned to Europe just in time to reinforce Napoleon at Marengo, where his timely appearance changed the fortunes of the day, but he was shot through the heart at the moment of victory.  He was buried at the Convent of Mount St. Bernard.

Descartes

Name Origin: Rene Descartes, born 1596, died 1650, celebrated French philosopher and mathematician.  He is the author of the Cartesian system of philosophy, the name of which is derived from his name (Descartes = Cartesius in Latin), and is the originator of the modern system of mathematics.

The second “DESPERATE” was an 8-gun screw ship, launched at Pembroke in 1849.  She was of 1037 tons, 400 horse-power, and carried a crew of 140 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 192 ft., 34 ft., and 11 ft.  In March 1854 the “Desperate,” commanded by Captain C. J. D’Eyncourt, proceeded to the Baltic directly war with Russia was imminent, and joined the fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier with his flag in “Duke of Wellington.”  Beyond a reconnaissance of some of the batteries, the “Desperate” performed no service of note before the British fleet quitted the Baltic. On March 28^th, 1855, the “Desperate,” commanded by Commander Richard Dunning White, sailed from the Downs in a fleet of 88 steam vessels of various kinds commanded by Rear-Admiral the Hon. R. S. Dundas with his flag in “Duke of Wellington.”  They made for the Baltic to take part in the campaign against the Russians, and at once established a blockade of the coast of Courland. On June 20^th the “Desperate” and one other ship destroyed five coasting sloops off Pernau, in the Gulf of Riga. On July 17^th the “Desperate” and one other ship had a engagement with the batteries and gunboats in the Gulf of Riga. On July 23^rd the “Desperate” and one other ship landed a party of men, and captured the town of Arensburg in the Island of Osel.  On August 6^th the “Desperate” and one other ship landed a party of men near Domenaes, and having destroyed a Russian sloop and Government buildings, repulsed a body cavalry.  On August 8^th the “Desperate” and one other ship had a sharp engagement with some batteries and gunboats near the mouth of the Dwina. On September 20^th the “Desperate” and three other ships had a further engagement with the Dwina Batteries. On October 3^rd the boats from the “Desperate” and one other vessel destroyed some small vessels and some government stores at the mouth of the River Rua, before finally quitting the Baltic.  In 1860 the “Desperate,” commanded by Commander John Francis Ross, acted against Mexico and occupied Vera Cruz, the Mexicans having postponed the payment of indemnities to persons who may of suffered in recent revolutions.  Without pressing their claims to a definite conclusion, the British forces decided to withdraw.  In 1865 the “Desperate” was broken up.

D'Estrees

Name Origin: Jean D’Estrees, born 1624, died 1707.  Little is known of his earlier naval career, but by 1670 he had risen to the rank of Vice Admiral in the King’s service.  At the battle of Solebay May 28^th 1672, he commanded the French fleet, allied to that of England, under the Duke of York, when the Dutch fleet, under Ruyter, was defeated.  D’Estrees subsequently served in the West Indies, where he recaptured Cayenne and Tobago Island from the Dutch.  In 1682 he was made Marshal of France, and in 1686 Viceroy of the American Colonies.

Name Origin: Destroyer.

Devastation

Name Origin: Devastation.

Name Origin: A maritime county in the southwest of England, which has given birth to many eminent seamen, such as Raleigh, Drake, Hawkins, and Monk.  It contains one of the three principal naval ports, Plymouth-Devonport.

The third “DIADEM” was a 32-gun screw frigate launched at Pembroke in 1856.  She was of 2483 tons, 800 horse-power, and carried a crew of 250 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 240ft., 48ft., and 15ft.  On March 12^th, 1862, the “Diadem,” while returning home from Bermuda with half the crew of the wrecked “Conqueror,” met the American ship “C.W. Connor,” dismasted and helpless, and was able to rescue the crew, who were in a sore plight. The “Diadem” was subsequently reduced to a 16-gun ship, and under the new rating in 1874 was of 3803 tons and 2979 horse power. In 1875 this vessel was sold. The fourth “DIADEM” is a 16-gun twin-screw cruiser launched at Govan in 1896.  She is of 11,000 tons, 16,500 horse-power, and 20 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 435ft., 69ft., and 26ft.

The twelfth “DIAMOND” was a 14-gun screw corvette launched at Sheerness in 1874.  She was of 1970 tons, 2150 horse-power, and 13.7 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 220ft., 37ft., and 18ft.  In 1889 the “Diamond” was sold.  The thirteenth “DIAMOND” is a 12-gun twin-screw cruiser launched at Birkenhead in 1904.  She is of 3000 tons, 10,066 horse-power, and 22 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 360ft., 40ft., and 14ft. For some years this cruiser was employed in connection with the east coast of England torpedo boat destroyer flotillas, being based on both Chatham and Harwich for this purpose.

The eighth “DIANA” was a 10-gun cutter.  On August 6^th, 1808, the “Diana,” commanded by Lieutenant William Kempthorne, captured the Dutch 6-gun vessel “Vlieg” off java. On September 10^th, 1809, the “Diana, Commanded by Lieutenant William Kempthorne, discovered the Dutch 14-gun brig “Zefir” at anchor off Amurang in the island of Celebes.  The “Zefir” sailed after dark, and was chased by the “Diana.”  A hot engagement began, in which the damage was all on one side, as the Dutch failed to hit their target.  After seventy minutes fighting the “Zifir” surrendered, with a loss of 5 killed and 8 wounded.  Lieutenant Kempthorne was promoted to commander for this service. In May 1810 the “Diana,” commanded by Lieutenant William Kempthorne, was wrecked and lost on the island of Rodriguez, but the crew were saved. The eleventh “DIANA” is an 11-gun twin-screw cruiser launched at Govan in 1895.  She is of 5600 tons, 9600 horse-power, and 19 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 350ft., 54ft., and 21ft. 

Name Origin: An ancient Italian divinity, identified by the Romans with the Greek Artemis.  She was the moon goddess and also the goddess of the chase.

D'Iberville

Name Origin: Lemoyne d’lberville, born 1642, died 1706, a Canadian, one of seven brothers Lemoyne, who distinguished themselves in the defence of Canada, then a French possession, against the English croaches.  His youth was spent in border warfare.  Visiting France in 1691, he laid before the Government a scheme of defence, which received its sanction, and he was given the rank of Commander in the Navy and the command of the two ships.  In 1695, together with M. de Brouillon, he invaded Newfoundland and captured St John and most of the settlements on that island.  In 1697 he retook Fort Nelson, formerly Bourbon, on the Hudson Bay, and with his 50-gun ship, the Pelican, fought and defeated three English ships, capturing a 32-gun frigate, sinking 12-gun brig, and beating off the other 32-gun frigate.  In 1699 he received the command of an expedition which explored the Mississippi and several of its confluents, founding various settlements and erecting several forts.  For these services he received the rank of Post Captain in 1702.  four years later he commanded a small squadron, which captured the island of Nevis in the West Indies, and died at Havana on the eve of an expedition he was organising for the capture of Jamaica.

Diderot

Name Origin: Denis Diderot, born 1713, died 1784; a brilliant and original writer on many subjects, and a philosopher of the school of Voltaire.  The great work of his life was the editing of the Encyclopaedia in twenty-eight volumes, based on Ephraim Chamber’s work in 1727, and which occupied him over twenty years.  Though very prolific as a writer, he was constantly in money difficulties, and in order to provide a dower for his daughter he decided to sell his library.  The Empress Catherine of Russia, hearing of his straits, bought the entire collection, but requested the philosopher to keep it in Paris until required by her, and to continue himself her librarian at a yearly salary, which was paid him for fifty years in advance.

The fourth “Dido” was a 12-gun screw corvette, launched at Portsmouth in 1869.  She was of 1760 tons, 2520 horse-power, and 13.6 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 212ft., 36ft., and 16ft.  In 1871 the “Dido,” commanded by Captain William Cox Chapman, an officer of great tact and good temper, was instrumental in settling without bloodshed a dispute among the Kings of New Calabar, Bonny, and Ekrika, on the Niger, and in procuring safety for British trade in that river.  In 1873 the “Dido” was similarly successful in settling a number of difficulties which had arisen in Fiji between the natives and the white settlers.  In 1874 the “Dido” was present at the formal transfer of the Fiji Islands to the British flag, and was so unfortunate as to introduce measles among the native population, which resulted in a lamentable loss of life.   In 1876 the “Dido” returned to England after a five-years commission full of valuable though unostentatious work.  In 1881 the “Dido,” commanded by Captain Compton Edward Domvile, took part in the first Boer War.  After the battle of Laing’s Nek, the “Dido” contributed to a Naval Brigade of 50 men and two field guns, which went to the front under Lieutenant Henry Ogle of the “Dido.”  This brigade shared in the disaster at Majuba on February 27^{th ,}  where the “Dido’s” lost 3 killed and wounded 3, and the “Boadicea’s” lost 11 killed, 6 mortally wounded, and 10 severely wounded.  Captain Compton Domvile then proceeded to the front to take charge of the Naval Brigade, but no further took place before a peace was concluded.  This vessel’s name was subsequently changed to “Actaeon,” and she was merged into the Torpedo School at Sheerness, after some service as a mine depot on the Forth.  The fifth “DIDO” is an 11-gun twin-screw cruiser launched at Glasgow in 1896.  She is of 5600 tons, 9600 horse-power, and 19.5 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 350ft., 54ft., and 21ft. At her launch on March 17^th an unusual accident occurred.  As the ship was moving into the water the ground under the ways suddenly sank, and the ship was thrown out of the cradle, sustaining serious damage.  She lay half in and half out of the water for three days before she was finally floated.  In 1900 the “Dido,” commanded by Captain Philip Francis Tillard, played a minor part in the third China War or Boxer Riots.  

Name Origin: Diligent, active.