The Royal Navy was responsible for all of British North America, until Canadian Confederation in 1867. After Confederation the Royal Navy increasingly shared naval responsibilities with Canada but retained sole responsibility for other British colonies in North America, until they joined Canada. In 1910, the Department of the Naval Service was created to consolidate all naval services in Canada, receiving royal assent in 1911 to become the Royal Canadian Navy. Within a few years many of the non-military naval services and vessels integrated under the RCN were returned to their original departments. The list of ships of the Royal Canadian Navy contains the surface warships, submarines and auxiliary vessels in service from 1910 up to the early 1990s. This includes all commissioned, non-commissioned, loaned or hired ships in service within the RCN. Ships in this list also include Royal Navy vessels with RCN crews, such as TR-series minesweepers of the First World War, and aircraft carriers of the Second World War.
The list is ordered into sections by the year when the vessel in question was commissioned into Canadian naval service the first time.
Commissioned 1910–22
The Canadian navy was created in 1910 as the Department of the Naval Service. The Naval Service integrated other marine arms of the government of Canada with which it had a common professional background and the objective of security in the Canadian maritime environment and national sovereignty. In addition to a combat capability, the naval service included the Fisheries Protection, Hydrographic Survey, tidal observation and wireless telegraph branches. Each branch, including the quasi-military Fisheries Protection, contributed their fleet of ships to the new Naval Service. The service thereby commanded a number of Canadian Government Ships (CGS) ships in addition to the two purchased Royal Navy warships. Initially, eight fisheries cruisers (under the command of Rear Admiral Charles Kingsmill), were brought into the Department of the Naval Service, including , the first modern warship built in the country.
With the outbreak of the First World War government and commercial vessels were pressed into naval service. Great Britain and Canada planned to significantly expand the RCN but decided that Canadian men could enlist the Royal Navy or the RCN with many choosing the former. Following the demobilization after the war, the RCN undertook many of the civilian responsibilities of the Department of Transport.
Cruisers
(the RCN's first ship, ) (the RCN's second ship, ) ()
Destroyers () (Thornycroft M class)
Submarines () (CC class) (H class) (H class)
Trawlers
() (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class) (Battle class)
Minesweepers
Torpedo boats (ex-Tarantula)
Hospital ship HMCHS Prince George
Auxiliary and other
Icebreakers HMCS Earl Grey HMCS Minto HMCS Stanley
Training vessels HMCS Arthur W
Motor launches
Patrol boats
Survey vessels
CGS Chrissie C. Thomey Gladiator CGS La Canadienne CGS Mary Sachs CGS North Star (III)
Tenders Davy Jones Egret (I) Holly Leaf Ivy Leaf
Laurel Leaf Macpherson and Barrie, p. 25 Tannis Valiant (I) Viking (ex-CGS Viking) Viner
Tugs Alaska (II) C.E. Tanner Coastguard G.S. Mayes Gwennith Highland Mary (I) Ruth (II) Shark (ex-Nereid (II)) Trusty M.W. Weatherspoon C. Wilfred
Other CGS Alaska Berthier (examination vessel) Speedy (II) (examination vessel) HMCS Gate Vessel 3 (ex-W.H. Lee) HMCS Gopher (auxiliary minesweeper) HMCS Musquash (auxiliary minesweeper) (cruiser, third class) Falcon
(depot ship) Ruth (I) Ruth (IV) Scotsman
Commissioned 1922–47
The Department of the Naval Service was replaced in 1922 by the Department of National Defence. The Fisheries Protection, Hydrographic Survey, tidal observation and wireless telegraph branches, along with many ships, were transferred to other government departments and delisted by the RCN. In 1931, the RCN commissioned and , the first ships specifically built for the service. While a large "Fisherman's Reserve" was formed in 1938, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the RCN had been reduced to six River-class destroyers, five minesweepers, two small training vessels bases at Halifax and Victoria, 145 officers and 1,674 seamen. The RCN expanded rapidly during the Second World War, with vessels transferred or purchased from the Royal Navy and US Navy and the construction of many vessels in Canada, such as corvettes and frigates. The RCN ended the war with a fleet of approximately 950 ships, the third-largest navy in the world and an operational reach extending into the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean. Due to the terms of the Lend Lease agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom, a few of the US built vessels that were crewed by the RCN remained under the "HMS" designation of the Royal Navy (RN); the two "HMS" aircraft carriers were mixed crews, as the RCN crewed the ship, while the air crews were provided by the RN's Fleet Air Arm.
Aircraft carriers
() (Ruler class) (Colossus class)
Cruisers
Light cruisers (, later renamed ) ()
Armed merchant cruisers () (Prince class) (Prince class)
Destroyers
*(US Navy Wickes and Clemson-class vessels commissioned into the Royal Navy as Town class, and later loaned to the RCN. Some also commissioned into the RCN.)
Frigates
Corvettes
Submarines (surrendered and recommissioned U-boat) (surrendered and recommissioned U-boat)
Minesweepers
Motor launches
*(Canadian Fairmiles were not commissioned. They were not named, until sold off, or assigned as tenders to various bases post-war. Ships loaned to Free French Navy (FFN) served under Canadian command.)
Motor torpedo boats
HMCS CMTB-1Macpherson and Barrie, p.213 "S-03" (ex USN PT-3) "S-04" (ex USN PT-4) "S-05" (ex USN PT-5) "S-06" (ex USN PT-6) "S-07" (ex USN PT-7) HMCS S-09 (ex USN PT-9) MTB 459 (G type)Macpherson and Barrie, p.214 MTB 460 (G type) MTB 461 (G type) MTB 462 (G type) MTB 463 (G type) MTB 464 (G type) MTB 465 (G type) MTB 466 (G type) MTB 485 (G type) MTB 486 (G type) MTB 491 (G type) MTB 726 (Fairmile D type) MTB 727 (Fairmile D type) MTB 735 (Fairmile D type) MTB 736 (Fairmile D type) MTB 743 (Fairmile D type) MTB 744 (Fairmile D type) MTB 745 (Fairmile D type) MTB 746 (Fairmile D type) MTB 747 (Fairmile D type) MTB 748 (Fairmile D type) MTB 797 (Fairmile D type)
Armed trawlers and yachts
Armed trawlers
() (Isles class) (Isles class) (Isles class) (Isles class) (Isles class) (Isles class) (Isles class)
Armed yachts
(Q11/Z32) (S10/Z10) (ex-Aztec) (ex-Elfreda) (ex-USS Sabalo) (ex-Arcadia)
(S14), (ex-Halonia) (ex-Mascotte) (ex-Winchester (II)) (Z02)
Landing craft
LCI (L) 115 LCI (L) 117 LCI (L) 118 LCI (L) 121 LCI (L) 125 LCI (L) 135 LCI (L) 166 LCI (L) 177 LCI (L) 249 LCI (L) 250 LCI (L) 252 LCI (L) 255 LCI (L) 260 LCI (L) 262 LCI (L) 263 LCI (L) 264 LCI (L) 266 LCI (L) 270 LCI (L) 271 LCI (L) 276 LCI (L) 277 LCI (L) 285 LCI (L) 288 LCI (L) 295 LCI (L) 298 LCI (L) 299 LCI (L) 301 LCI (L) 302 LCI (L) 305 LCI (L) 306 LCI (L) 310 LCI (L) 311 LCA 736 LCA 850 LCA 856 LCA 925 LCA 1021 LCA 1033 LCA 1057 LCA 1059 LCA 1137 LCA 1138 LCA 1150 LCA 1151 LCA 1371 LCA 1372 LCA 1374 LCA 1375
Auxiliaries
Accommodation vessels
Anti-submarine target towing vessels CNAV Atwood (Z 47) CNAV Brentwood (Z 48) CNAV Eastwood (Z 49) CNAV Greenwood (Z 50) CNAV Inglewood (Z 51) CNAV Kirkwood (Z 53) CNAV Lakewood (Z 63) CNAV Oakwood (Z 64) CNAV Wildwood (Z 65)
Auxiliary minesweepers (TR 18/J06) HMCS Cape Beale (Fy 26) HMCS Joan W. II (Fy 34) HMCS Mitchell Bay (Fy 05) (J13/J11/Z11)Macpherson and Barrie, p.228 (Z33/J08) HMCS Signal (Fy 30) (Z16/J00)Macpherson and Barrie, p.230 HMCS Suderoy I HMCS Suderoy II HMCS Suderoy IV (J03) HMCS Suderoy V (Z04) HMCS Suderoy VI (J05) HMCS Takla (Fy 27) (J11/Z21) HMCS Vercheres
Cable layers HMCS Cyrus Field
Diving vessels Diving Tender No 2 Diving Tender No 3 Diving Tender No 4 Diving Tender No 5 Diving Tender No 6
Examination vessels (Z03/W03) HMCS Citadelle HMCS French (S01/Z23)Macpherson and Barrie, p.222 (Z31/J16)Macpherson and Barrie, p.221 HMCS Laurier (S09/Z34)Macpherson and Barrie, p.223 (W07/Z38)Macpherson and Barrie, p.224 (Z44) (Fy 93/Z02/Z24)Macpherson and Barrie, p.225 (Z19/J19) (Z39)Macpherson and Barrie, p.229 HMCS Ulna HMCS Zoarces (Fy 62/Z36)
Gate vessels GV 1 (ex-) GV 2 GV 3 GV 4 GV 5 GV 6 GV 7 GV 8 GV 9 GV 10 GV 11 GV 12 (ex-) GV 13 GV 14 (ex-) GV 15 (ex-) GV 16 (ex-) GV 17 (ex-) GV 18 GV 19 GV 20 (ex- CD 101) GV 21 GV 22 GV 23 GV 24
Mine laying vessels
(M03/M53)
Mobile deperming crafts HMCS Gryme (Z60) (Z09/J01/J09)
Patrol boats HMCS Adversus (J17)Macpherson and Barrie, p.219 (Z18/J18) HMCS Allaverdy (Fy 06) HMCS Andamara (Z 22) HMCS Anna Mildred (Fy 87/Z12A) Bantie (W 04) HMCS Barkely Sound (Fy23) HMCS Barmar (Fy 10/Z115) Bartlett HMCS B.C. Lady (Fy 07, later to RCAF) HMCS Billow (Fy 25), ex-(Fy 32) HMCS Camenita (Fy 41) HMCS Cancolim (Z10) HMCS Canfisco (Fy 17) HMCS Capella (Fy 31) HMCS Chamiss Bay (Fy 39/F50) HMCS Cleopatra (Fy 89/Z35) HMCS Combat (later to RCAF) HMCS Comber (Fy 37) (ex-C.S.C. II) HMCS Crest (Fy 38) (ex-May S) HMCS Dalehurst (Fy 35) (ex-Glendale V) HMCS Departure Bay (Fy 48) HMCS Earl Field (Fy 40) HMCS Ehkoli (Fy 12) HMCS Eileen HMCS Fifer (Fy 00/Z30) HMCS Interceptor (Z15) HMCS Howe Sound I (Fy 19) HMCS Johanna (Fy 28) HMCS Kuitan (Fy 14) HMCS Leola Vivien (Fy 15, also called Leelo) HMCS Lil II HMCS Louis Herbert (Fy 92/J22) HMCS Loyal I (Fy 43) HMCS Loyal II (Fy 22/Z25) (ex-Foam) HMCS Maraudor (Fy 03) HMCS Margaret I (Fy 29) HMCS Meander (Z04) HMCS Merry Chase (Fy 46) HMCS Moolock (Fy 16) HMCS Moresby III (Fy 42) HMCS Nenamook (Fy 13) HMCS San Tomas (Fy 02) HMCS Santa Maria (Fy 08) HMCS Smith Sound (Fy 18) HMCS Snow Prince (later to RCAF) HMCS Spray (Fy 33/Z09) (ex-Hatta VII) HMCS Springtime V (Fy 09) HMCS Starling (II) HMCS Surf (Fy 24) (ex-Arashio) HMCS Talapus (Fy 11) HMCS Tordo| (Fy 20) HMCS Valdes (Fy 21) HMCS Vanisle (Fy 01) (Z21)Macpherson and Barrie, p.232 HMCS West Coast (Fy 04) HMCS Western Maid (Fy 36)
Support ships (Z40) () (Z41) (Dun class) (Z56) (Z57) (F94) (F100) HMCS Westore
Survey vessels
Tankers
(Z43/J43)
(Z42)
Tenders HMCS Chief Seagay HMCS Chief Tapeet HMCS "Crusader"
Training vessels HMCS Attaboy HMCS Cairn HMCS Donnaconna II HMCS Milicette
HMCS Pathfinder HMCS Scatari HMCS Shirl Macpherson and Barrie, p.34 HMCS St. Clair HMCS Venetia (later HC 190)
W/T Calibration vessels HMCS Aristocrat (Z46) HMCS Seretha II (Fy 45/Z45)
Other HMCS Kipawa (BMV) (Z17/J10) (CS Tow) HMCS Anashene HMCS Andrew Lee HMCS Andy (II)
(ex-HMCS Charny) HMCS Lady Rodney (Fy 46/F40) (P07/Z07) HMCS Madawaska HMCS Magedoma (P03/Z03)Macpherson and Barrie, p.226 (P12/Z12) Macpherson and Barrie, p.233 (J12)
(The symbol FY in the pennant number denotes fishing vessels of the Fisherman's Reserve which comprised a large portion of the auxiliary fleet throughout the Second World War.)
Tugboats
Harbour craft
Commissioned 1948–89