USS Ariel

USS Ariel

Five ships of the United States Navy have been named Ariel, after the sprite Ariel of The Tempest.

• The USS Ariel (1777), a 16-gun sloop-of-war, was originally the British HMS Ariel captured by the French in 1779, loaned to the Americans in 1780, and given back to the French the following year.

• The USS Ariel (1813), was a schooner launched on Lake Erie in 1813 and active in operations that year.

• The USS Ariel (1831), was also a schooner, in use from 1831 to 1833.

• The USS Ariel (1862), was a schooner captured in the American Civil War and used by the Navy until 1865.

• The USS Ariel (AF-22), was a cargo ship leased from the United Fruit Company and used from 1942 to 1946.