Historic Warships
Historic Warships

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and a component of His Majesty’s Naval Service. The Royal Navy is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service) and is charged with the national defense at sea, protection of shipping, and fulfillment of international military agreements.

From the early 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, it was the largest and most powerful navy in the world, helping to establish the British Empire as the dominant power of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. During the Cold War, it was transformed into primarily an anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, being mostly active in the North Atlantic Ocean. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, its role for the 21st century has returned to focus on global expeditionary operations.

The Royal Navy is the second largest navy in the world in terms of gross tonnage. There are currently around 70 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy, including aircraft carriers, submarines, mine counter-measures and patrol vessels as well as the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Logo of the Royal Navy

The Royal Navy Ship prefix and naming

Royal Navy ships in commission are prefixed since 1789 with His Majesty’s Ship (or “Her Majesty’s Ship”, when the monarch is a queen), abbreviated to “HMS”; for example, HMS Beagle. Submarines are styled HM Submarine, also abbreviated “HMS”. Names are allocated to ships and submarines by a naming committee within the MOD and given by class, with the names of ships within a class often being thematic (for example, the Type 23s are named after British dukes) or traditional (for example, the Invincible-class aircraft carriers all carry the names of famous historic ships). Names are frequently re-used, offering a new ship the rich heritage, battle honours and traditions of her predecessors. Often, a particular vessel class will be named after the first ship of that type to be built. As well as a name, each ship and submarine of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is given a pennant number which in part denotes its role. For example, the destroyer HMS Daring (D32) displays the pennant number ‘D32’.

Royal Navy Fleet

All ships of his Majesty’s Naval Service are part of the Surface Ships Fleet Service, so all submarines belong to the Submarine Service. Over the centuries, various types of ships and submarines have been part of these Services.

Type of ships that were part of the Surface Fleet:

  • Aircraft carriers
  • Amphibious warfare ships
  • Battleships
    • Pre-dreadnought battleships
    • Dreadnought battleships
  • Battlecruisers
  • Bomb vessels
  • Cruiser classes
  • Destroyers
  • Fast patrol boats
  • Frigates
  • Corvettes and Sloops
  • Gunboats and Gunvessels
  • Gun-brigs
  • Ironclads
  • Monitors
  • Mine countermeasure vessels (includes minesweepers and mine hunters)
  • Prison ship
  • Fleet Auxiliary ship
  • Ships of the line
  • Submarines
  • Survey vessel

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ship_names_of_the_Royal_Navy