Unicorn History
Created by Captain Johnathan Reece on Tue Feb 6th, 2024 @ 10:33pm
While NX-151 is the first Starfleet vessel to carry the name “Unicorn”, she is by no means, the first ever to carry the name. While the starship has yet to build her own history, below, you will find a brief history of every Earth vessel that carried the name.
Note: due to records lost to time and wars, this is the only information that researchers have been able to uncover.
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•The first vessel to carry the name was the HMS Unicorn (1544 AD). She was an English Naval warship. She had 36 guns and fought to expand the reach of the British Empire, before she was captured from Scotland and sold in 1555 AD.
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•Next we find, in 1634 AD, the next HMS Unicorn, a 46 gun (at launch) second-rate Ship of the line in the English Navy. Launched from Woolwich, in 1634, she served the crown for nearly 54 years when, in 1688, she was sold. During her service life, She took part in eight major engagements. ==========
•In 1665, the captured Dutch, 16 gun fire ship, originally named Eenhoorn, was renamed HMS Unicorn, though she was given the nickname of “Little Unicorn”. She served only a short time, being expended on 4 June, 1666, in the Four Days Battle. •A few days later, a 6 gun vessel was purchased, christened HMS Unicorn, and later sunk, along with five other vessels, as a blockship, in the waters around Chatham, on 11 June 1666, in a futile attempt to block the Dutch from advancing up the River Medway. ==========
•In 1748, HMS Unicorn,was a 28-gun Lyme-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was originally ordered as a 24-gun ship to the draft of the French privateer Tyger. The third vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name, Unicorn, as well as HMS Lyme, which was a near-sister, were the first true frigates built for the Royal Navy. They were actually completed with 28 guns including the four smaller weapons on the quarterdeck, but the latter were not included in the ship's official establishment until 22 September 1756. The two ships differed in detail, Unicorn having a beakhead bow, a unicorn figurehead , two-light quarter galleries, and only five pairs of quarterdeck gunports, while Lyme had a round bow, a lion figurehead, three-light quarter galleries, and six pairs of quarterdeck gunports. This iteration of the Unicorn served the Crown honorably during the Seven Years War. During which time, she sailed to the Mediterranean at least twice, fought against several enemy vessels, sinking or capturing them. Finally, she reached the end of her life at the Sheerness Dockyard, when she was broken up in 1771.
•In 1776, the next HMS Unicorn was launched as a 20 gun post ship. Four years into her service, on 4 October, 1780, she engaged the French frigate, Andromaque. At the end of the battle, the Unicorn was captured by the French, who renamed her, La Licorne. She would sail under the French flag until April of 1781, when she was recaptured By the HMS Resource. She was then put back into service as the Unicorn Prize. She would remain under the British flag until she was broken up at Deptford, in 1787. ==========
•During this time, in 1782, a 36 gun, fifth rate ship was launched as HMS Unicorn. A year later, she was renamed, HMS Thalia, and that vessel was later broken up in 1814. ==========
•In 1794, the HMS Unicorn sailed again. This time as a 32 gun, fifth rate Pallas Class Frigate. She was launched from Chatham and served in both the French Revolutionary War (during wich she captured, or helped to capture 42 enemy vessels. One of those vessels captured, would become the forefather of Starfleet's Flagship, the Enterprise) and the Napoleonic War (during which she captured or helped capture 19 more vessels). She would end her life, being sold and broken up in Deptford, in March of 1815. ==========
•The next vessel to bear the name HMS Unicorn, was launched from Chatham, the end of March, 1824. She has the honor of being the last surviving Leda Class sailing frigates. She is listed as part of the British National Historic Fleet. She is a museum vessel now, located in Dundee, Scotland. She is the oldest ship in Scotland, one of the oldest ships on Earth, and one of the last intact warships from the Age of Sail. This HMS Unicorn was built in a time of peace. As she was built shortly after the naval war with Napoleon, she was never rigged, thus during her sea travels from Chatham to Dundee, she was under tow. For most of the next 140 years, she served as a hulk and depot ship. As her lack of sea duty left her timbers in near pristine condition, when 1960 rolled around, plans were begun to turn her into a museum ship. Over the next 30 years, steps were taken to preserve as much of her original construction as possible, at the cost of nearly £1.1 million (pre WWIII funds). During the Eugenic Wars And World War III, she was almost destroyed when Augment-loyal troops attacked the military installations near Dundee. In response, the British Government assigned special combat engineer units to both protect the Unicorn and repair any damage that she sustained. After the dust settled, she had only suffered minor damage, but had to be towed to the nearest surviving drydock, so all repairs could be made as easily as possible. ==========
•In the 1930s, the HMS Unicorn (I72), was an aircraft repair ship and light aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy. She was completed during WWII, and provided air cover over the amphibious landing at Salerno, Italy. At the end of that year, Unicorn was transferred to the Easter Fleet, in the Indian Ocean and supported the aircraft carriers of the fleet until the British Pacific Fleet was formed in November Of 1944. She would travel from Australia to the Admiralty Islands for the duration of the war, finally returning to the United Kingdom, to be decommissioned and placed into the reserves, in January of 1946. Decommissioned in 1949, she was tasked with supporting the light carrier of the Far East Fleet. She was in Singapore, unloading aircraft and supplies, when the Korean War began. She spent most of the war, transporting personnel, supplies and equipment for the Commonwealth operations in Korea. While she supported other carriers in the region, she would be the only aircraft carrier to conduct shore bombardment with her own guns, when she attacked North Korean observers on the shoreline. She again returned home to the UK, following the war, where she was again placed in reserve, until listed for disposal in 1958, and sold for scrap in 1959. ==========
•The last, terrestrial-based vessel, to hold the name, was the Upholder Class diesel submarine, HMS Unicorn (S43). Launched in 1992, she was one of the last submarine classes To be built, before the United Kingdom switched to an all-nuclear submarine fleet. Commissioned in 1993, she sailed the waters of the Middle East and India, before returning home, after serving for barely 16 months, and was decommissioned 16 October, 1994. She was then sold to the Canadian Navy, who renamed her HMCS Windsor (SSK 877) Before the Canadians could take possession, planned for 1998, the Eugenics War took place. A team of Augment loyalists stole the submarine and attempted to use her in an ambush attack of the US Navy's ships, as they launched from Norfolk. Thankfully, shortly after the Windsor was taken to depth, in an attempt to sneak along the Eastern Shelf, she suffered a hull breach, caused by undiagnosed rust along the seams under the engineering section. The sub sank to the bottom quickly, all hands lost. She was finally found, in August of 2025, when a team of marine biologists, Who were searching for the critically endangered, and feared extinct, humpback whales, stumbled upon the wreck with their sonar scans. ==========
•The latest generation of vessel to carry the name, is the newly launched SS Unicorn (NX-151). She is a Yorktown Class Battleship, though, in some circles of the Admiralty, she, along with her Sister, Yorktown (NX-150), are considered the first “Class-1” Heavy Cruisers. She begins her life during the Earth-Romulan War. What adventures she will see, losses she will suffer, triumphs she will celebrate, is up to Fate…
•Next we find, in 1634 AD, the next HMS Unicorn, a 46 gun (at launch) second-rate Ship of the line in the English Navy. Launched from Woolwich, in 1634, she served the crown for nearly 54 years when, in 1688, she was sold. During her service life, She took part in eight major engagements. ==========
•In 1665, the captured Dutch, 16 gun fire ship, originally named Eenhoorn, was renamed HMS Unicorn, though she was given the nickname of “Little Unicorn”. She served only a short time, being expended on 4 June, 1666, in the Four Days Battle. •A few days later, a 6 gun vessel was purchased, christened HMS Unicorn, and later sunk, along with five other vessels, as a blockship, in the waters around Chatham, on 11 June 1666, in a futile attempt to block the Dutch from advancing up the River Medway. ==========
•In 1748, HMS Unicorn,was a 28-gun Lyme-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was originally ordered as a 24-gun ship to the draft of the French privateer Tyger. The third vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name, Unicorn, as well as HMS Lyme, which was a near-sister, were the first true frigates built for the Royal Navy. They were actually completed with 28 guns including the four smaller weapons on the quarterdeck, but the latter were not included in the ship's official establishment until 22 September 1756. The two ships differed in detail, Unicorn having a beakhead bow, a unicorn figurehead , two-light quarter galleries, and only five pairs of quarterdeck gunports, while Lyme had a round bow, a lion figurehead, three-light quarter galleries, and six pairs of quarterdeck gunports. This iteration of the Unicorn served the Crown honorably during the Seven Years War. During which time, she sailed to the Mediterranean at least twice, fought against several enemy vessels, sinking or capturing them. Finally, she reached the end of her life at the Sheerness Dockyard, when she was broken up in 1771.
==========
•In 1776, the next HMS Unicorn was launched as a 20 gun post ship. Four years into her service, on 4 October, 1780, she engaged the French frigate, Andromaque. At the end of the battle, the Unicorn was captured by the French, who renamed her, La Licorne. She would sail under the French flag until April of 1781, when she was recaptured By the HMS Resource. She was then put back into service as the Unicorn Prize. She would remain under the British flag until she was broken up at Deptford, in 1787. ==========
•During this time, in 1782, a 36 gun, fifth rate ship was launched as HMS Unicorn. A year later, she was renamed, HMS Thalia, and that vessel was later broken up in 1814. ==========
•In 1794, the HMS Unicorn sailed again. This time as a 32 gun, fifth rate Pallas Class Frigate. She was launched from Chatham and served in both the French Revolutionary War (during wich she captured, or helped to capture 42 enemy vessels. One of those vessels captured, would become the forefather of Starfleet's Flagship, the Enterprise) and the Napoleonic War (during which she captured or helped capture 19 more vessels). She would end her life, being sold and broken up in Deptford, in March of 1815. ==========
•The next vessel to bear the name HMS Unicorn, was launched from Chatham, the end of March, 1824. She has the honor of being the last surviving Leda Class sailing frigates. She is listed as part of the British National Historic Fleet. She is a museum vessel now, located in Dundee, Scotland. She is the oldest ship in Scotland, one of the oldest ships on Earth, and one of the last intact warships from the Age of Sail. This HMS Unicorn was built in a time of peace. As she was built shortly after the naval war with Napoleon, she was never rigged, thus during her sea travels from Chatham to Dundee, she was under tow. For most of the next 140 years, she served as a hulk and depot ship. As her lack of sea duty left her timbers in near pristine condition, when 1960 rolled around, plans were begun to turn her into a museum ship. Over the next 30 years, steps were taken to preserve as much of her original construction as possible, at the cost of nearly £1.1 million (pre WWIII funds). During the Eugenic Wars And World War III, she was almost destroyed when Augment-loyal troops attacked the military installations near Dundee. In response, the British Government assigned special combat engineer units to both protect the Unicorn and repair any damage that she sustained. After the dust settled, she had only suffered minor damage, but had to be towed to the nearest surviving drydock, so all repairs could be made as easily as possible. ==========
•In the 1930s, the HMS Unicorn (I72), was an aircraft repair ship and light aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy. She was completed during WWII, and provided air cover over the amphibious landing at Salerno, Italy. At the end of that year, Unicorn was transferred to the Easter Fleet, in the Indian Ocean and supported the aircraft carriers of the fleet until the British Pacific Fleet was formed in November Of 1944. She would travel from Australia to the Admiralty Islands for the duration of the war, finally returning to the United Kingdom, to be decommissioned and placed into the reserves, in January of 1946. Decommissioned in 1949, she was tasked with supporting the light carrier of the Far East Fleet. She was in Singapore, unloading aircraft and supplies, when the Korean War began. She spent most of the war, transporting personnel, supplies and equipment for the Commonwealth operations in Korea. While she supported other carriers in the region, she would be the only aircraft carrier to conduct shore bombardment with her own guns, when she attacked North Korean observers on the shoreline. She again returned home to the UK, following the war, where she was again placed in reserve, until listed for disposal in 1958, and sold for scrap in 1959. ==========
•The last, terrestrial-based vessel, to hold the name, was the Upholder Class diesel submarine, HMS Unicorn (S43). Launched in 1992, she was one of the last submarine classes To be built, before the United Kingdom switched to an all-nuclear submarine fleet. Commissioned in 1993, she sailed the waters of the Middle East and India, before returning home, after serving for barely 16 months, and was decommissioned 16 October, 1994. She was then sold to the Canadian Navy, who renamed her HMCS Windsor (SSK 877) Before the Canadians could take possession, planned for 1998, the Eugenics War took place. A team of Augment loyalists stole the submarine and attempted to use her in an ambush attack of the US Navy's ships, as they launched from Norfolk. Thankfully, shortly after the Windsor was taken to depth, in an attempt to sneak along the Eastern Shelf, she suffered a hull breach, caused by undiagnosed rust along the seams under the engineering section. The sub sank to the bottom quickly, all hands lost. She was finally found, in August of 2025, when a team of marine biologists, Who were searching for the critically endangered, and feared extinct, humpback whales, stumbled upon the wreck with their sonar scans. ==========
•The latest generation of vessel to carry the name, is the newly launched SS Unicorn (NX-151). She is a Yorktown Class Battleship, though, in some circles of the Admiralty, she, along with her Sister, Yorktown (NX-150), are considered the first “Class-1” Heavy Cruisers. She begins her life during the Earth-Romulan War. What adventures she will see, losses she will suffer, triumphs she will celebrate, is up to Fate…
Categories: Unicorn History