This is a list of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, organised chronologically by entry into service.

Torpedo boat destroyers In 1913, the surviving members of the large heterogeneous array of older 27-knot and 30-knot torpedo boat destroyer types (all six of the original 26-knot ships had been disposed of by the end of 1912) were organised into the A, B, C and D classes according to their design speed and the number of funnels they possessed. All were of a "turtle-back" design and, excepting a few "builder's specials", powered by reciprocating engines. It should be stressed that these A to D class designations did not exist before 1913, and only applied to those "turtle-backed" destroyers surviving to that time.

"26-knotter" types Daring class: 2 ships, 1893–1894 Havock class: 2 ships, 1893 Ferret class: 2 ships, 1893–1894 A class; (27-knot classes) Ardent class: 3 ships, 1894–1895 Charger class: 3 ships, 1894 Rocket class: 3 ships, 1894 Hardy class: 2 ships, 1895 Conflict class: 3 ships, 1894–1895 Fervent class: 2 ships, 1895 Janus class: 3 ships, 1895 Sturgeon class: 3 ships, 1894–1895 Salmon class: 2 ships, 1895 Swordfish class: 2 ships, 1895 Banshee class: 3 ships, 1894 Handy class: 3 ships, 1895 Sunfish class: 3 ships, 1895 Zebra class: 1 ship, 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) Unlike the A, B and C classes, the D class comprised a series of similar ships built by one contractor (Thornycroft), although there were small variations between the batches ordered in each year. 1893-94 Programme: 4 ships, 1896 1894-95 Programme: 2 ships, 1897 1895-96 Programme: 3 ships, 1897–1898 1896-97 Programme (special type): 1 ship, 1899 Taku: 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 high forecastles instead of "turtleback" bow making this the first class with a more recognizable modern configuration. River or E class: 36 ships, 1903–1905 (including 2 later purchases) Cricket-class coastal destroyer: 36 ships, 1906–1909 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 36-knot flotilla leader prototype Laforey or L class: 22 ships, 1913–1915 Arno type: 1 ship, 1914, Italian built for Portugal but purchased in 1915 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, 1918–1924 Yarrow S class: 7 ships, 1918–1919 Thornycroft S class: 5 ships, 1918–1919 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 flotilla 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: 86 ships (20 Type I, 36 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 destroyers The following were ordered as part of the 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 G class: 0 ships (8 cancelled), 1944

Post-war all-gun design Daring class: 8 ships, 1949–1952

Guided-missile destroyers Source:Friedman 2008, pp. 179–195 County class: 8 ships (4 Batch I, 4 Batch II), 1961–1967 Type 82: 1 ship (Bristol, 1969) built to trial technology. Eight originally planned to operate with cancelled CVA-01 aircraft carriers. Type 42: 14 ships (6 Sheffield, 4 Exeter, 4 Manchester), 1971–1983 Type 43: project cancelled at feasibility stage in 1981 Defence White Paper Type 44: Subclass of Type 43 with better anti-submarine capability. Type 45: 6 ships, all commissioned between 2009 and 2013. It is the final destroyer class made for the Royal Navy. Type 83: The project is cancelled. It was planned to replace Type 45 in 2030s by the class.

See also List of destroyer classes

Citations

Bibliography