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Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named Warspite.
The origins of the name are unclear, although it is probably a pun on
the word 'spite', in part embodying contempt for the Navy's enemies, but
also the common name for the green woodpecker, suggesting the
'Warspite' would poke holes in enemy ships' (wooden) hulls. Until 1919 a woodpecker was used as the ships' crest; the official
badge was a cannon, although the woodpecker continued to be used on the
ships' tompions or gun muzzle plugs.
