List of Destroyer Classes of The Royal Navy - Conventional Destroyers

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
• Parker 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

Inter-war standard classes

• Ambuscade type — 1 ship, 1926, Yarrow prototype of new design.
• Amazon type — 1 ship, 1926, Thornycroft prototype of new design.
  • 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
    • ex-Brazilian H class — 6 ships, 1938–1940, ex-Brazilian purchases
  • I class — 9 ships, 1936–1937
    • 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, 1939–42
• 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