List of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy
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This is a list of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, organised chronologically by entry into service.
- For further information on naming conventions, please see the article naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy
Ships of the Royal Navy |
A - B - C - D - E - F - G |
aircraft carriers |
amphibious assault shipping |
battlecruisers |
battleships |
corvettes and sloops |
cruisers |
destroyers |
frigates |
mine countermeasure vessels |
monitors |
patrol and attack craft |
Royal Yachts |
submarines |
support ships |
survey vessels |
fleet bases |
shore establishments |
hospitals and hospital ships |
air stations |
aircraft wings |
fleets and major commands |
squadrons and flotillas |
Contents |
[edit] Torpedo Boat Destroyers
In 1913, the large heteogeneous array of older Torpedo Boat Destroyer types were organised into the A, B, C and D classes according to their design speed and the number of funnels they posessed.
- A class; (27-knot classes)
- Havock class — 2 ships, 1893
- Daring class — 2 ships, 1893–1894
- Ariel class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Charger class — 3 ships, 1894
- Haughty class — 2 ships, 1895
- Janus class — 3 ships, 1895
- Snapper class — 2 ships, 1895
- Banshee class — 5 ships, 1893–1894
- Fervent class — 2 ships, 1895
- Conflict class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Handy class — 3 ships, 1895
- Opossum class — 3 ships, 1895
- Rocket class — 3 ships, 1894
- Sturgeon class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Swordfish class — 2 ships, 1895
- B class (4-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
- Quail class — 4 ships, 1895
- Earnest class — 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Spiteful class — 2 ships, 1899
- Myrmidon class — 2 ships, 1900
- C class (3-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
- Star class — 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Avon class — 3 ships, 1896–1897
- Brazen class — 4 ships, 1896–1898
- Violet class — 2 ships, 1897
- Mermaid class — 2 ships, 1897–1898
- Gipsy class — 3 ships, 1897
- Bullfinch class — 3 ships, 1898
- Fawn class — 6 ships, 1897–1899
- Falcon class — 2 ships, 1899–1900
- Greyhound class — 3 ships, 1900–1901
- Thorn class — 3 ships, purchased 1901
- Hawthorn special type — 2 ships, 1899, steam turbine specials
- Thornycroft special — 1 ship, 1898
- Armstrong-Whitworth special, — 1 ship, 1900
- D class; (2-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
- Desperate class — 4 ships, 1896
- Angler class — 2 ships, 1897
- Coquette class — 3 ships, 1897–1898
- Stag special type — 1 ship, 1899
- Taku type — 1 ship, 1900, ex-Chinese prize
[edit] Conventional destroyers
In 1913, lettered names were given to all Royal Navy destroyers, previously known after the first ship of that class. The River or E class of 1913 were the first destroyers of the Royal Navy with a recognisable modern configuration.
- River or E class — 33 ships, 1903–1905
- Tribal or F class — 13 ships, 1907–1909
- Beagle or G class — 16 ships, 1909–1910
- Acorn or H class — 20 ships, 1910–1911
- Acheron or I class — 23 ships, 1910–1915
- Acasta or K class — 20 ships, 1912–1913
- Swift type — 1 ship, 1907, large leader prototype
- Laforey or L class — 22 ships, 1913–1915
- Arno type — 1 ship, 1914, ex-Portuguese purchase
- Admiralty M class — 74 ships, 1914–1917
- Hawthorn M class — 2 ships, 1915
- Yarrow M class — 10 ships, 1914–1916
- Thornycroft M class — 6 ships, 1914–1916
- Talisman class — 4 ships, 1914–1916, ex-Turkish purchases
- Medea class — 4 ships, 1915, ex-Greek purchases
- Faulknor class leader — 4 ships, 1914, ex-Chilean purchases
- Marksman class leader — 7 ships, 1915–1916
- Anzac class leader — 6 ships, 1916–1917
- Admiralty R class — 39 ships, 1916–1917
- Yarrow Later M class — 7 ships, 1916–1917
- Thornycroft R class — 5 ships, 1916–1917
- Admiralty modified R class — 11 ships, 1916–1917
- Admiralty S class — 55 ships, 1916–1924
- Yarrow S class — 7 ships, 1917–1919
- Thornycroft S class — 5 ships, 1917–1919
- Admiralty V class — 28 ships, 1916–1918
- Admiralty W class — 19 ships, 1916–1918
- Thornycroft V and W class — 4 ships, 1918
- Thornycroft modified W class — 2 ships, 1918–1924
- Admiralty modified W class — 15 ships, 1918–1922
- Admiralty type leader — 8 ships, 1917–1919
- Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class — 5 ships, 1917–1921
- Ambuscade type — 1 ship, 1926, Yarrow prototype of new design
- Amazon type — 1 ship, 1926, Thornycroft prototype of new design
- Inter-war standard classes
- A class — 9 ships, 1928–1931
- B class — 9 ships, 1929–1931
- C class — 5 ships, 1930–1934
- D class — 9 ships, 1931–1933
- E class — 9 ships, 1933–1934
- F class — 9 ships, 1933–1935
- G class — 9 ships, 1934–1936
- H class — 9 ships, 1935–1937
- I class — 9 ships, 1936–1937
- ex-Brazilian H class — 6 ships, 1938–1940, ex-Brazilian purchases
- ex-Turkish I class — 2 ships, 1939–1941, ex-Turkish purchases
- Tribal class — 27 ships, 1936–1944
- J, K and N class — 24 ships, 1938–1941
- Hunt class — 83 ships (20 Type I, 33 Type II, 28 Type III, 2 Type IV), 1939–1942, "escort destroyers"
- L and M class — 16 ships, 1939–19
- Town class — 50 ships from three classes of United States Navy destroyers, built 1917–1920, transferred 1940
- World War II War Emergency Programme classes
- O and P class — 16 ships, 1941–1942
- Q and R class — 16 ships, 1941–1942
- S and T class — 16 ships, 1942–1943
- U and V class — 16 ships, 1942–1943
- W and Z class — 16 ships, 1943–1944
- C class — 32 ships, (8 Ca-, 8 Ch-, 8 Co-, 8 Cr-), 1943–1945
- Battle class — 23 ships (16 Group I, 7 Group II), 1943–1946
- Weapon class — 4 ships, 1945–1946
- Daring class — 8 ships, 1949–1952
[edit] Guided-missile destroyers
- County class — 8 ships (4 Batch I, 4 Batch II), 1961–1967
- Type 82 — 1 ship, 1969
- Type 42 — 14 ships (6 Sheffield, 4 Exeter, 4 Manchester), 1971–1983
- Type 45 — 8 ships, scheduled for commissioning 2007–2014