The earliest example of the use of HMS as an abbreviation is a reference to HMS Phoenix in 1789.
Ships
Phoenix, a 20-gun ship purchased in 1546, rebuilt in 1558, and sold in 1573.
Phoenix, a 20-gun ship launched in 1613 and in the records until 1624.
Phoenix, a 38-gun ship launched in 1647, in Dutch hands for several months in 1652, and wrecked in 1664.
Phoenix, a Dutch ship captured in 1665 and sunk as a blockship in 1667.
HMS Phoenix, a 42-gun fifth rate launched in 1671. She was upgraded to a 42-gun fourth-rate in 1674, but reverted to a 36-gun fifth rate in 1691. She was burnt in 1692 to prevent her capture.
HMS Phoenix, an 8-gun bomb vessel purchased in 1692 and sold in 1698.
HMS Phoenix, an 8-gun fire ship launched in 1694, rebuilt in 1709 as a 24-gun sixth-rate and rebuilt again in 1727. She was hulked in 1742 and sold in 1744.
HMS Phoenix, a 24-gun post ship launched in 1743, used as a hospital hulk after 1755, and was sold in 1762.
HMS Phoenix, a 44-gun fifth rate launched in 1759 and lost in a hurricane off Cuba in 1780.
HMS Phoenix, a 36-gun fifth rate launched in 1783 and wrecked in 1816 in the Bay of Chisme near Smyrna when a sudden change of wind threw her on the shore.
HMS Phoenix, a wooden paddle sloop launched in 1832, converted to screw propulsion in 1845, and sold in 1864.
HMS Phoenix, a composite Doterel-class screw sloop launched in 1879 and wrecked on the east point of Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1882, with no loss of life.
HMS Phoenix, a Phoenix-class sloop launched in 1895 and capsized 1906 in a typhoon at Hong Kong.
HMS Phoenix, a Pearl-class cruiser launched in 1889. She was renamed HMS Tauranga in 1890 and was sold in 1906.
HMS Phoenix, an Acheron-class destroyer launched in 1911 and sunk 1918 by the Austro-Hungarian submarine SM U-27.
HMS Phoenix, a Parthian-class submarine launched in 1929 and sunk by an Italian torpedo boat in 1940.
Shore establishments
HMS Phoenix, a Royal Navy aircraft repair yard in Egypt, in commission between 1941 and 1946.
HMS Phoenix was the name initially selected to replace HMS Ferret, the anti-submarine school at Londonderry. HMS Sea Eagle was used instead.
HMS Phoenix, a fire fighting training establishment in Portsmouth, in commission between 1946 and 1993.
