HMS Agincourt renamed HMS Achilles prior to completion, cue right-wing foaming at the mouth. Also, even if it was about not pissing off the RN’s key ally and only peer equivalent navy in Europe when your main ally is going isolationist, this is not a bad reason IMO. - ThreadSky

nickhewitt4.bsky.social • 32 days ago

HMS Agincourt renamed HMS Achilles prior to completion, cue right-wing foaming at the mouth. Also, even if it was about not pissing off the RN’s key ally and only peer equivalent navy in Europe when your main ally is going isolationist, this is not a bad reason IMO.

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jmcsms.bsky.social•32 days ago

There's a considerable minority who are on the side of the ally going isolationist, without having a Scooby what that will mean.

They appear to believe that we're bezzers so it will all be fine....

nickhewitt4.bsky.social•32 days ago

The kindest interpretation of that take is “naive” 😆

normagraham.bsky.social•32 days ago

Thank you for explaining so succinctly. I agree with your take. Why cause bad feelings unnecessarily?

finch4077.bsky.social•32 days ago

I was wondering if we should have kept it and just let the French name a ship after a British defeat as a free hit.

kingludd.bsky.social•32 days ago

So very true!

squid.aureanus.co.uk•32 days ago

It's interesting to mention that of the 5 Agincourts, 1 was cancelled before construction (the last of the QEs) 3 had name changes and only 1 was scrapped with the name she was commissioned with.

So it's not a new thing at all

profgsheffield.bsky.social•32 days ago

I've seen a report that ship was originally going to be HMS Ajax (River Plate and all that) but was renamed Agincourt as wizard wheeze by the Brexity now thankfully ex-government, and re-named Achilles in part as a charm offensive aimed at the Kiwis.

profgsheffield.bsky.social•32 days ago

The only HMS Agincourt I know about was the dreadnought being built for the Ottomans by the UK, commandeered by Churchill in 1914 and renamed HMS A, which infuriated the Turks & helped drive them into the arms of Germany. Then Gallipoli etc happened...

normagraham.bsky.social•32 days ago

Wow. People sure take ship names seriously. I had no idea! (One of about a million things about which I had no idea. 🤷🏼)

profgsheffield.bsky.social•32 days ago

Mostly people couldn't care less but it is part of the Right's tedious culture war

normagraham.bsky.social•32 days ago

Anything to create a wedge issue to distract the electorate from their grifting.

profgsheffield.bsky.social•32 days ago

and to create a stick with which to beat the Labour government

finch4077.bsky.social•32 days ago

HMS Armagedon a bit to on the nose ?

curatorian.bsky.social•32 days ago

This sounds like diplomatic 3D chess - too clever by half.

profgsheffield.bsky.social•32 days ago

The Tories renaming the ship to annoy the French sounds all too plausible

stephencobden.bsky.social•32 days ago

Whilst the Brexity part of the renaming seems plausible, I can't help but wonder if their was a slight blowback in the Royal Navy about naming a ship after a victory won by the antecedents of their most consistent adversary: the army.

triplezero.bsky.social•32 days ago

As a grumpy Scot, part of me thinks that naming a ship after a battle where some of your own people were more than likely on the wrong side is nicht sehr gut, but mostly, I just think Achilles is a more noble name in RN history.

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