List of Eastern Fleet ships

The Eastern Fleet was a World War II formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formed from the ships and installations of the East Indies Station and the China Station (which are included in this list), with headquarters at Singapore, moving between Trincomalee and Kilindini after the Japanese advances in south east Asia made Singapore untenable as a naval base. See main article for details.

The following lists the warships and support ships of the Fleet, with dates served, fate and nationality.

Battleships ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentAugust 9,1944September 1945November 1944January 1946Joined British Pacific FleetJoined Home FleetJuly 1945September 1945Joined Home FleetDecember 194110 December 1941Sunk by air attackJanuary 1944July 1945ReserveFebruary 1942October 1943June 1942December 1943Damaged at Diego Suarez, repaired at Durban and Plymouth, then Home FleetJoined Home FleetMarch 1942September 1943ReserveAugust 1941September 1943ReserveApril 1944March 1945October 1944May 1945Toulon October 1941October 1943January 1943December 1943Refit in USAReserve and transfer to USSRAugust 1942January 1944 January 1943August 8, 1944Joined Mediterranean FleetRepairs following damage in drydock collapse August 8, 1944 at TrincomaleeMarch 1942March 1943Joined Mediterranean Fleet

Battlecruisers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentJanuary 1944March 1945Joined Home FleetDecember 194110-December 1941Sunk by air attack

Fleet aircraft carriers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignment<September 1939March 1941May 1940May 1941Mediterranean FleetSouth Atlantic and Africa StationMarch 1942August 1942Operation Torch<March 19429 April 1942Sunk by Japanese air attack off Ceylon (Sri Lanka)May 1942January 1944January 1943November 1944Joined Mediterranean FleetJoined British Pacific FleetNovember 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1942July 1944July 1942November 1944Joined Mediterranean FleetJoined British Pacific FleetApril 1944May 1944USA for refitJanuary 1944December 1944Joined British Pacific Fleet. Usually used as an aircraft maintenance shipJuly 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific Fleet

Escort aircraft carriers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentApril 1945September 1945to UK into reserveJune 1944October 1945Returned to USNMay 1944December 1944Joined USN for operations SW PacificApril 1945September 1945Returned to USNNovember 1943December 1944Joined Home FleetApril 1944June 1945January 1945October 1945Refit on ClydeReturned to USNMarch 1945November 1945Returned to USNFebruary 1945November 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNMarch 1945October 1945Returned to USNFebruary 1945September 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNAugust 1945November 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNAugust 1945August 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNApril 1944September 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNMarch 1945October 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNOctober 1945October 1945Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USNJuly 1945January 1946Returned to UK for pay-off, then to USN

Heavy cruisers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentJuly 19271936Joined Mediterranean Fleet<May 1940<December 1941US Pacific Fleet (Task Force 17)December 1927<September 1939April 1941<1938December 19395 April 1942UK for RefitSouth Atlantic and Africa StationSunk by Japanese air attackDecember 1927<1938March 194419351938November 1945UK for reconstruction2nd Cruiser SquadronJoined Home FleetDecember 1941April 1942January 1942March 1943Refit at Norfolk Naval ShipyardRefit, then Home Fleet1937November 1940March 1942October 1939December 19405 April 1942South Atlantic and Africa StationAtlanticSunk by Japanese air attack1925<September 1932Joined Home Fleet1926March 19421926March 1944Joined Mediterranean FleetJoined Home Fleet1919December 1929September 1932 < February 1941May 1942November 1928May 1930April 1935 > December 1941February 1944Refit in UKReserveReserveRefit at PortsmouthJoined Home Fleet for D-dayJune 192819381937August 1940ReconstructionJoined Mediterranean FleetMarch 1944June 1949Paid offFebruary 1928April 1943<October 1939<March 1948Joined Home FleetJoined Home Fleet>February 1943 July 1945April 1944 >Sept 1945to UK for refit April 1944 Rejoined Eastern Fleet July 1945

Light cruisers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentJune 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1938September 1939Refit at Malta, then Home Fleet19201927America and West Indies StationAugust 1940September 1942Joined Home FleetJuly 1934<August 194019 June 1942August 1938<April 1941 > October 1942UK, RefitHome FleetDecember 1926July 1930 > February 19421944<September 1927<October 1934June 1943<April 1946UK, RefitReserveSouth Africa StationUK, scrappedMarch 1919<August 19401928<March 1941RefitMediterranean FleetJuly 1938April 1939ReserveApril 1940October 1943Mediterranean FleetNovember 1943November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJune 1919July 1932<August 194019261935June 1942America and West Indies StationReserveUK for conversionAugust 1936February 1942July 1943January 1938July 1942December 1943Joined Home FleetModernisation in UKJoined Home FleetDecember 1939August 1942February 1942February 1945Refit at PortsmouthReserve19261928June 19221927America and West Indies Station192219351925March 1936New Zealand SquadronReverted to Royal Navy, placed in ReserveOctober 1926January 1941December 1928November 1942UK, RefitHome Fleet<March 1940 > June 1943>August 1942November 1943Repairs at New York, Refit PortsmouthUK, ReserveJanuary 1926August 1934<April 1941April 1943July 1933September 1937August 1942<June 1944RefitReserveRefitJoined Home FleetApril 1926January 1936January 1941<July 1934December 1937December 1942ReserveJoined Home FleetRefit at ClydeFebruary 1942November 1944Joined British Pacific Fleet<September 1939<May 1941<April 1940>June 1941PacificJanuary 1944>February 1945<1931>1945Damaged in the Battle of Kolombangara<September 1939>January 1940<September 1939<May 1940February 1942April 1943Joined Mediterranean FleetApril 1942May 1943May 1942March 1945Joined Mediterranean FleetJoined British Pacific FleetFebruary 1944December 1945Refit<November 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1944 February 1945September 1944

August 1945Refit at Sydney Australia

Joined British Pacific Fleet

Anti-aircraft cruisers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentNovember 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetNovember 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1945January 1945Joined British Pacific FleetMarch 1942December 1943June 1944September 1945March 1945>September 1945

Armed merchant cruisers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentSeptember 1939November 1940South Atlantic StationSeptember 1942April 1944Converted to troopshipMarch 1942August 1942South Atlantic StationMarch 1942April 42Sunk by air attack in Colombo harbourMarch 1942January 1943Used as troopship1943Converted to landing ship infantry

Destroyers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignment<1942<May 1942<May 1942<February 1944Joined Mediterranean Fleet<June 1942<June 1943April 1944May 1944Pacific<September 1939September 1939Joined Home Fleet<September 1939September 1939Joined Home Fleet<September 1939<June 1940<September 1939<June 1940<September 1939<June 1940<September 1939<April 1941<September 1939<February 1940<September 1939<December 1939January 1935 > March 1941September 19391942Repairs, then joined Home FleetJoined Home FleetApril 1944May 1944Pacific1 March 1942Sunk<May 1945November 1941February 1943Refit in UKApril 1944May 1944PacificMarch 1942September 1942April 1942November 1942Dry dock at Simonstown, South AfricaApril 1942May 1943to UK for conversion to long-range ASW escortDecember 1944February 1945Joined British Pacific FleetApril 1942 July 1942May 1942 October 1942to Mediterranean Fleet

to UK for conversion to long-range ASW escortSeptember 1942September 1943January 1943December 1943Dry dock at Simonstown, South AfricaReturned to Home FleetApril 1942May 1942Refit at Southampton<June 1941April 1942May 1942to Mediterranean FleetApril 1942May 1942to Mediterranean FleetNovember 1944<May 1942July 1942to Mediterranean Fleet<May 1942July 1942to Mediterranean Fleet<May 1942July 1942to Mediterranean FleetFebruary 1942February 1945July 1942March 1945Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1942June 1942Sunk in Mediterranean, during Operation VigorousJanuary 1942November 1944January 1942February 1945Joined British Pacific Fleet<May 1945April 1942May 1942to Mediterranean FleetMarch 1942 February 1944May 1942 >May 1945to Mediterranean Fleet<April 1942May 1942to UK for refit/Home Fleet dutyFebruary 1944February 1945ReserveFebruary 1944September 1944to UK for refitFebruary 1944August 1944to UK for refitMarch 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetMarch 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetMarch 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetMarch 1943November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetMay 1943October 1944March 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetJanuary 1944April 1944>January 1945March 1944>January 1945March 1944<September 1943>February 1944February 1944September 1943>May 1945<December 1943March 1945June 1945to Simonstown for repair<September 1939<March 1946Feb 1945Nov 1945?<September 1939April 1942Sunk by air attack in Colombo harbour<September 193927 January 1942Sunk by Japanese destroyers off east coast of Malaya<September 1939December 1941Run aground at Hong Kong; salvaged by the IJN, repaired and recommissioned on 25 November 1942 as Patrol Vessel No.101Feb 1944October 1944to UK for convoy defenceMay 1945December 1944February 1945Joined British Pacific FleetDecember 1944February 1945Joined British Pacific FleetDecember 1944February 1945Joined British Pacific FleetFebruary 19429 April 1942Sunk by Japanese air attack off Ceylon (Sri Lanka)June 1942November 1944to UK for convoy defenceAugust 1945Joined British Pacific FleetMarch 1945>August 1945March 1945>September 1945February 1945>August 1945January 1945>September 1945February 1945>September 1945September 1944January 1945Joined British Pacific FleetSeptember 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetSeptember 1944November 1944Joined British Pacific FleetOctober 1944January 1945Joined British Pacific Fleet

Frigates ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentAvonMarch 1944December 1944 to British Pacific Fleet<November 1943December 1945transferred to Royal Indian Navy; renamed TirDerg<November 1943DeveronOctober 1944late 1945Transferred to Royal Indian Navy<May 1944Joined British Pacific FleetInver>July 1943JedNovember 1944Kale<December 1943June 1944<August 1944Parrett<August 1944November 1943Taff<August 1944September 1943TeviotNovember 1944June 1945Transferred to the South African Navy June 1945TrentSeptember 1943April 1946 Transferred to the Royal Indian Navy April 1946

Corvettes ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignmentApril 1942May 1942Mined and sunk off Diego SuarezFritillaryJune 1942March 1944<May 1942>February 19439 April 1942Sunk by Japanese air attack off Ceylon (Sri Lanka)November 1943Integrity<December 1943Jasmine<December 1943December 1943March 1946returned to USN<August 1943<December 1943

Minesweepers ShipNationalityDate joinedDate leftFate/ next assignment<September 1939<March 1947<September 1939<April 1942<September 1939<April 1945June 1941August 1944Australia<November 1942>Feb 1944>September 1942September 1942December 1944Joined British Pacific FleetNovember 1942January 1945Joined British Pacific FleetDecember 1942January 1945Joined British Pacific FleetApril 1945<September 1939<April 1941<September 1939<February 1941January 1943 October 1943April 1943 January 1945to Mediterranean