This is a list of Royal Navy submarines, arranged chronologically, that is, individual submarines are grouped according to their class and the classes are ordered chronologically according to when the first submarine of the class entered British service (for the first time); furthermore, the classes are grouped into historical eras, again chronologically according to when the first vessel of the class entered British service (for the first time). Within the class the indvidual submarines are chronologically ordered according to date of enter into British service (for the first time).
Submarines that are currently active and commissioned are shown below in bold.
Pre–First World War
Until 27 July 1914
, launched: 2 October 1901, decommissioned: 5 November 1913
, launched: 9 July 1902
B class 11 boats, 1904–1906
C class 38 boats, 1906–1910
First World War
28 July 1914 - 11 November 1918
D class
E class
F class
S class
V class
W class
G class
H class
Nautilus class
Swordfish class
J class
K class HMS K1 HMS K2 HMS K3 HMS K4 HMS K5 HMS K6 HMS K7 HMS K8 HMS K9 HMS K10 HMS K11 HMS K12 HMS K13 HMS K14 HMS K15 HMS K16 HMS K17 HMS K26 L class
M class HMS M1 HMS M2 HMS M3 HMS M4 R class
Interwar years
12 November 1918 - 31 August 1939 (for the purpose of this list, interwar period is understood to have started immediately after WW1 and lasted until WW2)
HMS X1
Odin class
Parthian class
Rainbow class
S (Swordfish) class
River or Thames class HMS Thames (N71) HMS Severn (N57) HMS Clyde (N12) Grampus class
T (Triton) class
U (Undine) class
Second World War
1 September 1939 - 2 September 1945
U (Uproar) class; first vessel commissioned 2 April 1941
U (Umpire) class (War Emergency Programme); first vessel commissioned 10 July 1941
Foreign Built; first vessel commissioned 5 October 1941 Graph (P715) – German Type VII U-boat N2 – German Type VII-C/41 U-boat X2 – Italian, Archimede-class submarine United States R-class submarine; first vessel commissioned 4 November 1941 HMS P511 HMS P512 HMS P514 P611 class; first vessel commissioned 1 December 1941
T (Tempest) class (War Emergency Programme); first vessel commissioned 6 December 1941
S (Safari) class (War Emergency Programme); first vessel commissioned 14 March 1942
V (Vampire) class; first vessel commissioned 19 August 1943
Amphion class; first vessel commissioned 27 March 1945 Amphion (P439/S39/S43) (laid down as Anchorite but name changed before launch) Astute (P447/S47/S45) Auriga (P419/S19/S69) Aurochs (P426/S26/S62) Alcide (P415/S15/S65) Alderney (P416/S16/S66) Alliance (P417/S17/S67) Ambush (P418/S18/S68) Anchorite (P422/S22/S64) Andrew (P423/S23/S63) Affray (P421) Aeneas (P427/S27/S72/SSG72) Alaric (P441/S41) Artemis (P449/S39/S49) Artful (P456/S56/S96) Acheron (P411/S11/S61) Ace (P414) Achates (P433)
Cold War 3 September 1945 - 26 December 1991 (for the purpose of this list, Cold War is understood to begin immediately after WW2)
To mid-1950s
3 September 1945 – 31 December 1956
Foreign Built Meteorite, commissioned/decommissioned: 1945–1949 – German Type XVII U-boat Stickleback class (midget submarines) X51 Stickleback, commissioned/decommissioned: 1954–1958 X52 Shrimp, c/d: 1954–1965 X53 Sprat, c/d: 1954–1958/1966 X54 Minnow, c/d: 1955–1966 Explorer class , commissioned/decommissioned: 1956–1965 , c/d: 1958–1968
Late 1950s to early 1990s
1 January 1957 - 26 December 1991
From HMS Porpoise Royal Navy submarines were given their own "S" pennant numbers.
Porpoise class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer) Porpoise, commissioned/decommissioned: 1958–1982 Narwhal, c/d: 1959–1977 Finwhale, c/d: 1960–1987 (harbour service from 1979) Cachalot, c/d: 1959–1979 Sealion, c/d: 1961–1987 Walrus, c/d: 1961–1986 Grampus, c/d: 1958–1978 Rorqual, c/d: 1958–1976 Oberon class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer) Oberon, commissioned/decommissioned: 1961–1986 Onslaught, c/d: 1962–1990 Orpheus, c/d: 1960–1990 (harbour service from 1987) Odin, c/d: 1962–1990 Otter, c/d: 1962–1991 Olympus, c/d: 1961–1989 Oracle, c/d: 1963–1993 Ocelot, c/d: 1964–1991 Otus, c/d: 1963–1991 Opossum, c/d: 1964–1993 Opportune, c/d: 1964–1993 Osiris, c/d: 1964–1989 Onyx, c/d: 1967–1991 Dreadnought (Nuclear-powered hunter-killer), commissioned/decommissioned: 1963–1980 Valiant class (PWR1 nuclear-powered hunter-killer) Valiant, commissioned/decommissioned: 1966–1994 Warspite, c/d: 1967–1991 Resolution class (PWR1 nuclear-powered ballistic missile) Resolution, commissioned/decommissioned: 1967–1994 Repulse, c/d: 1967–1996 Renown, c/d: 1967–1996 Revenge, c/d: 1969–1992 Churchill class (PWR1 nuclear-powered hunter-killer) Churchill, commissioned/decommissioned: 1970–1991 Conqueror, c/d: 1971–1990 Courageous, c/d: 1971–1992 Swiftsure class (PWR1 nuclear-powered hunter-killer) Swiftsure, commissioned/decommissioned: 1973–1992 Sovereign, c/d: 1974–2006 Superb, c/d: 1976–2008 Sceptre, c/d: 1978–2010 Spartan, c/d: 1979–2006 Splendid, c/d: 1981–2004 Trafalgar class (PWR1 nuclear-powered hunter-killer) Trafalgar, commissioned/decommissioned: 1983–2009 Turbulent, c/d: 1984–2012 Tireless, c/d: 1985–2014 Torbay, c/d: 1987–2017 Trenchant, c/d: 1989–2022 Talent, c/d: 1990–2022 Triumph, c/d: 1991–2025
Upholder class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer) Transferred to Canada as the Victoria-class submarine Upholder, commissioned/decommissioned: 1990–1994 Unseen, c/d: 1991–1994 Ursula, c/d: 1992–1994 Unicorn, c/d: 1993–1994
After Cold War to present
27 December 1991 - Present
Vanguard class (PWR2 nuclear-powered ballistic missile) Vanguard, commissioned: 1993 Victorious, commissioned: 1995 Vigilant, commissioned: 1996 Vengeance, commissioned: 1999 Astute class (PWR2 nuclear-powered hunter-killer) Astute, commissioned: 2010 Ambush, commissioned: 2013 Artful, commissioned: 2016 Audacious, commissioned: 2020 Anson, commissioned: 2022 Agamemnon, commissioned: 2025 Achilles, under construction, expected commission: 2029 Dreadnought class (PWR3 nuclear-powered ballistic missile) Dreadnought, under construction – first elements of construction underway in 2016 Valiant, under construction Warspite, under construction King George VI, under construction
See also List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy Royal Navy Submarine Service List of submarines of the Second World War
References