HMS Danae

HMS Danae was the name of several ships of the British Royal Navy. The name commemorates the Danae of Greek mythology. The most notable ships to bear the name include:

• HMS Danae (1779): A 38-gun fifth-rate frigate launched in 1779. She saw action in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. She was wrecked in 1800.

• HMS Danae (D44): A Danae-class light cruiser launched in 1918. She served throughout the interwar period and saw action in World War II, including service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Oceans. She was decommissioned in 1946 and sold for scrap in 1948.

• HMS Danae (F47): A Leander-class frigate launched in 1965. She served throughout the Cold War and was sold to the Ecuadorian Navy in 1991, where she was renamed BAE Morán Valverde. She remained in service until 2008.

The Danae-class of light cruisers, of which HMS Danae (D44) was the lead ship, formed a significant group of warships that saw extensive service in the 20th century.