List of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy

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 H -I -J -K -L -M - N O -P -Q -R -S -T -U V -W -X -Y -Z

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

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

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

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

See also

• List of destroyer classes

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