List of classes of British ships of World War II

This is a list of all British ship classes that served in World War II. This list includes all British ship classes including those which did not serve with the Royal Navy or British military in general.

Fleet carriers

 * HMS Eagle (1918)
 * Courageous-class aircraft carrier
 * HMS Ark Royal (91)
 * Illustrious-class aircraft carrier
 * Implacable-class aircraft carrier

Light aircraft carriers

 * HMS Argus (I49)
 * HMS Hermes (95)
 * HMS Unicorn (I72)
 * 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier

Escort carrier

 * HMS Pretoria Castle (F61)
 * HMS Audacity
 * HMS Archer (D78)
 * Avenger-class escort carrier
 * Attacker-class escort carrier
 * Ruler-class escort carrier
 * HMS Activity (D94)
 * Nairana-class escort carrier

Merchant aircraft carriers

 * Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) were grain ships or tankers with a flying deck mounted on top; they were operated by civilian crew with some naval personnel.

Seaplane carriers

 * HMS Pegasus - used as training ship and aircraft transport
 * HMS Albatross - ex-RAN, converted to "Landing Ship (Engineering)" to be repair ship for invasion of France

Catapult equipped ships

 * Fighter catapult ship - convoy escorts fitted with a catapult to launch a fighter
 * CAM ship - civilian ships equipped with a catapult to launch a fighter

Battleships

 * Queen Elizabeth-class battleship
 * Revenge-class battleship
 * Nelson-class battleship
 * King George V-class battleship

Battlecruisers

 * Renown-class battlecruiser
 * HMS Hood

Cruisers
Heavy cruisers were defined by international agreement pre-war for the purposes of arms limitation as those with guns greater than 6 in; ships of guns of 6-inch or less were light cruisers.

Heavy cruisers

 * Hawkins-class cruiser
 * County-class cruiser
 * York-class cruiser

Light cruisers

 * C-class cruiser
 * Danae-class cruiser
 * Emerald-class cruiser
 * Leander-class cruiser
 * Arethusa-class cruiser
 * Town-class cruiser
 * Dido-class cruiser
 * Fiji-class cruiser
 * Minotaur-class cruiser

Armed merchant cruisers


Armed merchant cruisers

Monitors

 * Erebus-class monitor
 * Roberts-class monitor

Destroyer leaders

 * Thornycroft type destroyer leader
 * Admiralty type flotilla leader

Destroyers

 * R-class destroyer - HMS Skate only
 * V and W-class destroyer
 * S-class destroyer
 * HMS Ambuscade (D38)
 * HMS Amazon (D39)
 * A- and B-class destroyer
 * C and D-class destroyer
 * E and F-class destroyer
 * G and H-class destroyer
 * I-class destroyer
 * Tribal-class destroyer
 * J-, K- and N-class destroyer
 * L and M-class destroyer
 * Hunt-class destroyer
 * Town-class destroyer
 * O and P-class destroyer
 * Q and R-class destroyer
 * S and T-class destroyer
 * U and V-class destroyer
 * W and Z-class destroyer
 * C-class destroyer
 * Battle-class destroyer
 * Weapon-class destroyer

Frigates

 * River-class frigate
 * Captain-class frigate
 * Colony-class frigate
 * Loch-class frigate
 * Bay-class frigate

Corvettes

 * Flower-class corvette
 * Castle-class corvette

Sloops

 * 24-class sloop
 * Bridgewater-class sloop
 * Hastings-class sloop
 * Banff-class sloop
 * Shoreham-class sloop
 * Grimsby-class sloop
 * Kingfisher-class sloop
 * Bittern-class sloop
 * Egret-class sloop
 * Black Swan-class sloop

Minelayers

 * HMS Adventure (M23) - minelaying cruiser
 * HMS Plover (M26)
 * Linnet-class minelayer
 * HMS Teviot Bank - auxiliary minelayer
 * HMS Agamemnon (M10) - auxiliary minelayer
 * HMS Menestheus - auxiliary minelayer
 * HMS Port Quebec - auxiliary minelayer
 * HMS Port Napier
 * HMS Southern Prince - auxiliary minelayer
 * Abdiel-class minelayer - also used as fast transports

Minesweepers

 * Hunt-class minesweeper
 * Halcyon-class minesweeper
 * MMS-class minesweeper – MMS stands for motor minesweeper.
 * Bangor-class minesweeper
 * Algerine-class minesweeper
 * Auk-class minesweeper – known as Catherine class in British service
 * Cybele-class mine destructor vessel
 * BYMS-class minesweeper

Submarines

 * H-class submarine
 * L-class submarine
 * Odin-class submarine
 * Parthian-class submarine
 * Rainbow-class submarine
 * S-class submarine
 * River-class submarine (also known as the Thames class)
 * Grampus-class submarine minelaying submarines
 * T-class submarine (also known as the Triton class)
 * U-class submarine
 * P611-class submarine
 * V-class submarine
 * Amphion-class submarine

Midget submarines

 * X-class submarine
 * XE-class submarine

Naval trawlers



 * Mersey-class trawler
 * Isles-class trawler
 * Tree-class trawler
 * Dance-class trawler
 * Shakespearian-class trawler
 * Round Table-class trawler

Small armed boats

 * Ml 117 FL8598.jpg Launch
 * Fairmile A motor launch
 * Fairmile B motor launch
 * Harbour Defence Motor Launch
 * Motor torpedo boats
 * Vosper 73 ft motor torpedo boat
 * Fairmile D motor torpedo boat
 * Motor gun boats
 * Fairmile C motor gun boat
 * Steam Gun Boat
 * High-speed launch
 * High-speed launches type boats or HSL were operated only by the Royal Air Force Marine Branch to rescue downed RAF aircrew at sea
 * Type Two 63 ft HSL
 * Type Two 63 ft HSL

Other

 * Ocean boarding vessels

Gunboats

 * Insect-class gunboat
 * Dragonfly-class river gunboat

Salvage vessels

 * King Salvor-class salvage vessel

Repair and maintenance ships

 * Beachy Head-class repair ship

Boom defence

 * Bar-class boom defence vessel

Tugs
Several classes of Admiralty tug were operated as well as other vessels obtained
 * Rescue tugs operated by His Majesty's Rescue Tug Service and civilians through Ministry of War Transport
 * Saint
 * Rollicker
 * Brigand
 * Assurance
 * Favourite
 * Bustler
 * Nimble
 * Envoy
 * Director
 * Harbour tugs, operated by Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service,
 * Robust
 * West
 * Alligator
 * TID-class tug

General purpose ships

 * Empire ship
 * Empire F coaster
 * Channel Tanker (CHANT)
 * Heavy lift ships
 * "Ocean"-type tanker
 * Norwegian-type tanker
 * Wave-class oiler
 * Three Island type cargo ship
 * Malta type cargo ship
 * Tank landing ships
 * Ocean going tugs
 * Convoy rescue ship
 * Empire Maple-class tug
 * Ramped cargo lighter

Oilers and tankers

 * Dale-class oiler
 * Ranger-class tanker
 * Sprite-class tanker
 * Ol-class tanker
 * War-class oiler
 * Spa-class coastal water carriers
 * Fresh-class water tank vessels

Stores

 * Fort-class stores ship

Amphibious warfare vessels

 * Landing ship, infantry
 * Landing Craft Assault
 * Fairmile H landing craft
 * LCPL
 * LCM 1
 * Landing Ship, Tank
 * Maracaibo-class tank landing ship
 * Boxer-class


 * Headquarters ships
 * LST1 tank landing ship - later fighter direction ship
 * Headquarters ship

Civilian ships

 * Sunday 4 April, Ramsgate, Dunkirk Little ship Sundowner.JPG owned by Charles Lightoller which participated in the Dunkirk evacuation as a little ship. ]]Little Ships of Dunkirk