List of auxiliary ships of World War II


This list of auxiliary vessels of Second World War contains major military vessels of the war, arranged alphabetically and by type. The list includes armed vessels that served during the war and in the immediate aftermath, inclusive of localized ongoing combat operations, garrison surrenders, post-surrender occupation, colony re-occupation, troop and prisoner repatriation, to the end of 1945. For smaller vessels see also list of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons. Some uncompleted Axis ships are included, out of historic interest. Ships are classified by the country under which they operated for the longest period of the Second World War, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.
ShipCountry or organizationClassTypeDisplacement First commissionedFate
armed merchant cruiser22,1811927Scrapped 1958
Q-ship7,50031 August 194221 March 1946
Special Service Ship1,030paid off March 1941
Q-ship6,610March 1942transferred to Coast Guard 16 December 1943 converted to weather ship
Q-ship6,6105 March 1942sunk 26 March 1942
auxiliary cruiser7,86219 December 1939Sunk 21 November 1941
Q-ship15 April 19426 May 1946
Special Service Ship5,945paid off March 1941
Q-ship3195 March 1942paid off 4 October 1944
PSpecial Service Ship6101918paid off March 1941
Coronelauxiliary cruiser12,70013 August 1938ran aground 21 November 1984
Special Service Ship4,398paid off March 1941
armed merchant cruiser15,0077 September 1939sunk 28 August 1940
Special Service Ship4,702sunk 29 June 1940
Special Service Ship2,45624 September 1940sunk 30 December 1942
Hansaauxiliary cruiser9,1382 February 1944scrapped 1971
Q-ship28326 August 194316 December 1943
armed merchant cruiser14,164October 1940sunk 5 November 1940
Kometauxiliary cruiser7,5002 June 1940sunk 14 October 1942
Kormoranauxiliary cruiser19,9009 October 194019 November 1941
Special Service Ship5,119paid off March 1941
Special Service Ship1,030paid off March 1941
Special Service Ship5,072paid off March 1941
Michelauxiliary cruiser10,9007 September 1941sunk 17 October 1943
armed merchant cruiser4,92530 August 1940Decommissioned 18 June 1943, then landing ship
auxiliary cruiser15,7009 December 1939sunk 4 May 1945
armed merchant cruiser11,31412 September 1939sunk 4 November 1940
Pinguinauxiliary cruiser17,6006 February 1940sunk 8 May 1941
armed merchant cruiser23,45028 November 1939training merchant aircraft carrier from July 1943, reconverted to passenger liner
armed merchant cruiser5,73628 December 1940Broken up 1951
armed merchant cruiser6,8933 November 1940paid off July 1946
armed merchant cruiser6,892December 1940paid off 10 December 1945
Special Service Ship4,443sunk 21 June 1940
armed merchant cruiser16,568December 1939sunk 13 April 1941
Ramb Iarmed merchant cruiser3,66710 June 1940sunk 27 February 1941
Ramb IIarmed merchant cruiser3,66710 June 1940to Japanese as Calitea II; sunk on 12 January 1945
Ramb IIIarmed merchant cruiser3,66710 June 1940to Germany 9 September 1943, then in post-war service with the Yugoslav Navy
Stierauxiliary cruiser11,00025 November 1939sunk 27 September 1942
auxiliary cruiser9,20015 March 1940accidentally burnt 30 November 1942
armed merchant cruiser16,9235 October 1939sunk 10 August 1940
Widderauxiliary cruiser16,80030 November 1939became repair ship Neumark 1941