The exchange begins with Canada's first Arctic and offshore patrol ship, Harry DeWolf, as an example of a politically meaningful naval name. HMS Warspite then shows how a prestigious name carries expectations created by earlier ships. An offshore patrol vessel is suggested as a less contentious home for Warspite than a ballistic-missile submarine because the Warspites repeatedly acquired a reputation for acting independently. The judgment concerns the fit between a ship's role and the inherited character of the name, while the response explicitly respects submarine crews. Victory may be more famous, but Warspite remains among the Royal Navy's most prestigious names because of the varied service attached to it. The fit between a name and a ship's role depends on institutional memory as much as prestige.
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How Harry DeWolf and Warspite link names to ship roles
Starting with Canada's Harry DeWolf, a discussion of modern ship names explains why inherited reputation can make some roles better fits for a famous name than others.