The type 23 frigate or duke class is a class of frigates built for the united kingdoms royal navy. Hms iron duke, like all type 23 frigates, is one of the royal navy s most versatile warships, embarking on a wide variety of operations, all over the world. Trumbull ii frigate naval history and heritage command. British and commonwealth warship camouflage of wwii. The majority served with the royal navy rn and royal canadian navy rcn, with some serving in the other allied navies. Destroyers, frigates, escorts, minesweepers, coastal warfare craft. These ships are armed with vl standard missile 2 block iiia. After world war ii, the royal hellenic navy was significantly strengthened by the concession of british and italian ships. Hancock, renamed iris, served the british navy so effectively that her new owners boasted of her as the finest and fastest frigate in the world. During the 1980s, the ran began plans to replace the riverclass destroyer escorts based on the british leander class with a midcapability patrol frigate, and settled on the. Some of these were legacies of world war i, some were designed during the inter war years and the rest were the result of wartime experience and conditions. The royal navy lost 50,758 men killed in action, 820 missing in action and 14,663 wounded. Captainclass frigate designation given to 78 frigates of the royal navy. All frigates built for the royal navy up to 1877 when the admiralty recategorised all frigates and corvettes as cruisers are listed below.
At the beginning of the 1950s, us military aid formed the core of the countrys armed forces. Britishbuilt and designed vessels were also supplied to and built by allied navies, primarily the australian and canadian navies. Part 1 is, in effect, the index to part 2, which identifies ships sunk and damaged, land battles, how killed or died etc. Canadian women first served in the rcn during the second world war. As some rn ships also served with other dominion and allied navies, the last figure is. Their instructor was a former assistant commissioner of the shanghai police named william fairbairn, and he surprised the commandos by giving each in turn a. Find out more about her history, role and crew here. These were rapidly built ships meant to counter the nazi threat to great britain by protecting convoys.
The uboat war in world war two kriegsmarine, 19391945 and world war one kaiserliche marine, 19141918 and the allied efforts to counter the threat. The british captain class frigates were 46 buckly and 32 evarts class destroyer escorts transferred from the united states to the royal navy during world war ii. Royal navy simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The patrol frigate story the tacomaclass frigates in. The royal navy was very important in making britain the superpower of that time. Pages in category royal navy officers of world war ii the following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 435 total. Four of their captures were loyalist privateers operating out of britishheld new york. The type 61 salisbury class were a class of four british aircraft direction ad or radar picket frigates built for the royal navy in the 1950s. The naval service is made up of the royal navy, royal. The other was the royal navy sloop of war hms thorn.
The list of ships of world war ii contains major military vessels of the war, arranged. List of royal navy losses in world war ii wikipedia. Levy reminds his readers of something that is quite easy to forget. The patrol frigate story the tacomaclass frigates in world war ii and the korean war 19431953. These captains were usually the most aggressive in the service, chosen for their ability to think and act in both war and peace. The term frigate was resuscitated in world war ii and subsequent classes are listed at the end of this article, but the individual ships within those classes are not listed in this article. The list also includes fictional vessels which have prominently featured in literature about the royal navy. Documentary following hms sirius f40 a royal navy leanderclass frigate during aaw and asw exercises.
This guide will help you find records at the national archives relating to royal navy operations and actions that took place between 1939 and 1945. As such it differed from the war office and the air ministry where conduct of operations was devolved to the appropriate. The ships are named after british dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the duke class. List of frigate classes of the royal navy wikipedia. The most famous of the many prizes which made her officers wealthy men was the american 24gun ship trumoull, captured 8 august 1781. After world war ii, the navy focused naming warships for famous battles, cities, states, u. The river class frigates served with the uk, free french, australian and canadian navies in world war ii and later. The german navy s sachsen class is one of the most expensive frigate classes, costing around 2. Navybooks specialist publishers of royal navy books and warship world magazine. Royal navy roll of honour, between the wars 19181939 by name, by dateship by don kindell. Forced to run before the wind, the frigate separated from the convoy and their escorts, and soon found herself engaged with the frigate hms iris, the former continental frigate hancock, and the 18gun ship general monk, the former continental privateer general washington. Some frigates are specialised in airdefense, because of the major developments in fighter jets and ballistic missiles. Welcome to navybooks a leading online maritime bookseller and publisher. As some rn ships also served with other dominion and allied navies, the last figure is a minimum.
Made during world war ii, corvettes profiles the royal navy s ships of the same name. The total of some 1060 ship names includes 22 ran, 41 rcn, 5 rin, 9 rnzn, 3 sanf, 2 dutch, 1 french, 7 greek, 10 norwegian, 6 polish and 14 russian, leaving 940 royal navy. The home fleet of the royal navy was an important formation during world war ii and james levy tells the story of its history well. Indeed the change to multirole frigates started just before the falklands war with the type 22 broadsword frigates and fine ships they were. The river class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as antisubmarine convoy escorts in the north atlantic. Yes, the british royal navy does want two aircraft carrier. During that time, the two frigates met and took eight prizes. The finest navy in the world because it had to be although many nations had frigates in their fleets, those of the royal navy set the standard for excellence during the napoleonic wars. The aircraft carrier hms ark royal sinking after being torpedoed by a german submarine in november 1941, the assisting destroyer hms legion was sunk in 1942. At the start of world war ii, the royal navy operated a range of destroyer classes. The list includes frigate class ships, such as us navy destroyer escorts, and british escort destroyers and sloops. Hms affleck k 362 of the royal navy british frigate of.
It is the oldest part of the british fighting forces. However, to me and also a former royal navy captain that i have the privilege to know, believe that their successors, the stretched type 22 batch 2 frigates, the first being hms boxer, were the. Note that us navy escort destroyers, are destroyer class vessels and found in that list. Royal navy commandos in world war ii in 1942 a group of commandos gathered for a class in inveraray, a small village in the highlands of scotland. Leadership, control and management of the royal navy was vested in the board of admiralty which was responsible for both the administration of the naval service and for the command of british naval operations world wide.
World war 2 service histories by name and by type and class right the total of some 1060 ship names includes 22 ran, 41 rcn, 5 rin, 9 rnzn, 3 sanf, 2 dutch, 1 french, 7 greek, 10 norwegian, 6 polish and 14 russian, leaving 940 royal navy. The womens royal canadian navy service wrcns whose members were commonly called wrens, after the womens royal navy was launched in 1942 to recruit women to work in support roles in the navy so more men would be available for sea duties. From the 18th century until world war ii, it was the largest and strongest navy in the world. Ships of the flower class are seen being launched and joining a convoy, and then practicing antiaircraft gunnery, and conducting a uboat patrol as part. Navybooks specialist publishers of royal navy books and. The patrol frigate story the tacomaclass frigates in world war ii and the korean war 19431953 hendrickson, david on. I felt that the account of septimius severus invasion of scotland by simon elliott that showed just how the largest scaled military operation mounted on british soil could be forgotten was a revelation but, armed with better records, accounts and photographs, david hobbs book about the royal navy air service in world war one does an ever more. Boston ii frigate naval history and heritage command. Britains fleet needs numbers and cant wait much longer as its older ships get longer in the tooth, however, there is a danger in making up for a shrinking frigate fleet with stretched corvettes that are good for little else but maritime security work. Because it is the oldest, it is called the senior service. As only onethird of warship are available for operations at any given time, in the royal navy a single carrier strike group easily could account for more than half the deployable frigates and. Naval events of world wars 1 and 2, warships lost, and the military background to their losses royal navy and world war 2 naval history homepage and site search. They served in world war ii as convoy escorts, antisubmarine warfare vessels and coastal forces control frigates. The book also explains why the british could not play the part they wished in the eastern and pacific war.
The powerful frigates of the british royal navy warfare. During the years preceding world war ii the navy s highest rank was fourstar admiral. The royal navys next frigate is not a frigate war is. The 16gun packet sandwich carried british army officers as passengers and they were made prisoners of war. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
The organisation also changed in line with modern naval doctrines of that era after the entrance into nato in 1952. Hancock ii frigate naval history and heritage command. The anzac class also identified as the anzac class and the meko 200 anz type is a ship class of ten frigates. Navybooks is the home of the prestigious warship world magazine and the. This is an alphabetical list of the names of all ships that have been in service with the royal navy, or with predecessor fleets formally in the service of the kingdom of england or the commonwealth of england. The captain class were 78 frigates of the royal navy, constructed in the united states, launched in 19421943 and delivered to the united kingdom under the provisions of lendlease. The first type 23, hms norfolk, was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, hms st albans was commissioned in june 2002. This is a list of royal navy ships and personnel lost during world war ii, from 3 september 1939 to 1 october 1945. Navy leaders sink ship names proposed in secnav modlys. Royal navy roll of honour, world war 1, part 2 by date and shipunit by don kindell.