List of ship classes of World War II

The List of ship classes of World War II is an alphabetical list of all ship classes that served in World War II. Only actual classes are included as opposed to unique ships.
The list of ships of World War II 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 designated to the country under which they operated for the longest period of the World War II, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.

Ship classes of World War II

Class	Type	Country	Launch Year	Displacement	Number built
	Torpedo boat/gunboat		1914	266	3
	Destroyer		1929–1930	1,350	11
[Norwegian Norwegian A class submarine\|A class submarine\|A]	Submarine		1914	268	3
	Minelayer		1940–1944	2,650	6
	Submarine		1941	697	13
	Destroyer		1943–1946	1,340	6
	Heavy cruiser		1937–1939	14,000	3
Admiralty (a.k.a. Scott)	Destroyer flotilla leader		1918–1919	1,610–1,810	6 / 8
	Submarine		1936	697	17
	Submarine		1915	237	5
Aetos	Destroyer		1911	1,050	4
	Light cruiser		1941–1944	6,650	4
	Minesweeper		1937	17	6
	Destroyer		1930–1931	2,441	6
	Armed merchant cruiser		1941	7,389	3
	Destroyer		1931–1932	1,680	4
	Destroyer		1941–1944	2,700	12
	Large cruiser		1943–1950	34,253	2
	Destroyer		1943–1944	1,300	6
	Minesweeper		1942–1944	864–1,047	109
	Destroyer		1943–1944	2,200	58
Amiral Murgescu	Minelayer		1939–1944	1,068	2
	Submarine		1944–1945	1,620	2 / 18
	Battleship		1913	29,345	2
	Attack cargo ship		1943–1945	6,761	30
	Heavy cruiser		1926	7100	2
	Scout cruiser		1917–1918	1,594	2
	Submarine		1936	985	2
	Light cruiser		1934–1936	5,250	4
	Submarine		1936	810	2
	Submarine		1932	667	10
	Cruiser		1898	9,700	2
	Destroyer		1936–1937	1,961	10
	Light cruiser		1941–1946	6,000	8
Avenger	Escort carrier		1940–1941	8,300	3
Ayanami	Destroyer		1928–1921	1,750	10
B	Destroyer		1930	1,360	9
	Destroyer		1943	1,253	9
B	Submarine		1923–1929	365	6
	Destroyer		1936–1937	1,646	8
	Scout cruiser		1910	3,100	2
	Submarine		1943–1946	2,429	120
	Submarine		1928	1,484	4
	Heavy cruiser		1942–1951	14,472	14
	Submarine		1930	937	4
	Armed merchant cruiser		1937	5,351	2
	Minesweeper		1940–1944	600	128
	Seaplane tender		1941–1943	2,600	35
	Corvette		1940–1942	1,025	60
	Destroyer		1943–1945	2,315–2,574	26
	Destroyer		1938–1939	1,637	10
	Destroyer		1939–1941	1,620	30
	Destroyer		1939	1,210	3
	Minesweeper		1938–1940	607	45
	Battleship		1940	50,300	2
	Sloop		1939–1945	1,250	37
	Escort carrier		1941–1944	16,890	11
	Escort carrier		1941–1943	16,890	9
	Escort carrier		1942–1944	16,890	25
	Destroyer		1924–1925	1,298	12
	Submarine		1931	982	2
	Battleship		1913	22,200	3
	Submarine		1938–1939	1,016	5
	Destroyer		1941–1943	1,839	64
	Light cruiser		1936–1938	9,767	9
	Destroyer escort		1943–1944	1,740	102
Buckley	High speed transport		1943–1944	1,740	6
C	Submarine			369	3
C	Destroyer		1931–1932	1,397	5
	Destroyer		1943–1946	1,740	32
	Light cruiser		1916–1917	4,180	3 / 4
	Light cruiser		1916–1918	4,200	5
	Light cruiser		1914–1915	4,180	1 / 6
	Light cruiser		1917–1918	4,290	5
	Submarine		1933	1,100	2
	Submarine		1935	1,550	3
	Destroyer escort		1943–1944	1,525	72
	Light cruiser		1940–1942	3,686	3
	Frigate		1942–1943	1,500	78
	Escort carrier		1943–1945	7,800	50
	Corvette		1943–1944	1,060	44
	Destroyer		1924	2,126	6
	Patrol boat			400	10
	Escort carrier		1940–1941	8,000	1
	Fleet oiler		1942	21,077	5
	Light aircraft carrier		1936-1937	11,190	2
	Torpedo boat		1933	535	4
	Fleet oiler		1939–1945	24,830	35
	Destroyer		1918–1921	1,190	156
	Light cruiser		1941–1946	11,744	27
	Frigate		1943–1945	1,400	21
	Battleship		1920–1921	32,600	3
	Light aircraft carrier		1943–1944	13,200	10
	Escort carrier		1944–1945	10,900	11 / 19
	Light cruiser		1930	6,470	4
	Light cruiser		1931–1932	5,239	2
	Light cruiser		1934	7,404	2
	Light cruiser		1934–1935	8,400	2
	Light cruiser		1936	11,350	2
	Battleship		1911	23,600	2
	Heavy cruiser		1926–1927	9,850–10,900	7
	Heavy cruiser		1927–1928	9,850	4
	Heavy cruiser		1928–1929	9,925–9,975	2
	Battleship		1911–1912	23,200	2
	Light cruiser		1941–1942	8,712	3
	Light cruiser		1939–1941	8,530	8
	Seaplane tender		1943–1944	14,000	4
	Torpedo boat		1923–1924	967	4
	Seaplane tender		1940	13,000	2
D	Submarine			369	2
D	Destroyer		1931–1932	1,397	9
	Light cruiser		1917–1919	4,850	8
	Destroyer		1930	2,116	19
	Pre-dreadnought		1906	12,100	2
	Heavy cruiser		1931–1934	12,100	3
	Light cruiser		1939–1941	5,600	11
	Light cruiser		1942	5,950	5
	Destroyer tender		1939–1943	9,450	5
	Destroyer		1929–1934	290	9
	Destroyer		1910–1913	578	3
	Torpedo boat		1907–1908	97	6
	Light cruiser		1923–1924	7,250	3
	Battleship		1935–1936	35,500	2
Duquesne	Heavy cruiser		1925–1926	12,435	2
	Destroyer		1934	1,428	18
	Destroyer escort		1943–1944	1,253	85
	Coastal battleship		1899	4,233	2
	Torpedo boat		1941–1944	1,295	15
	Light cruiser		1919–1920	7,580	2
	Monitor		1916	7,200	2
	Aircraft carrier		1942–1945	31,300	24
	Destroyer escort		1942–1944	1,360	65
	Destroyer		1934	1,428	18
	Light cruiser		1945–1946	11,744	2
	Destroyer		1934–1935	1,395	8
	Destroyer		1941–1944	2,325	175
	Battleship		1910–1911	21,825	2
	Corvette		1939–1944	940	225
	Corvette		1939–1944	1,015	69
	Submarine		1937	1,333	3
	Destroyer		1931	1,830	4
	Destroyer		1927–1929	1,750	10
	Heavy cruiser		1925	7,100	2
	Battleship		1914–1915	35,300	2
G	Destroyer		1935	1,340–1,350	9
	Corvette		1942	672	40
	Battleship		1911	25,850	4
	Submarine		1941–1943	1,825	77
	Destroyer		1945–1951	2,616	98
	Torpedo boat		1921	832	6
	Destroyer		1939–1940	1,604	4
	Submarine		1935	1,035	2
Gleaves	Destroyer		1939–1941	1,630	66
	Aircraft carrier		1916	26,500	2
	Destroyer		1936–1938	1,590	4
	Destroyer		1936	2,144	2
	Destroyer		1928–1930	2,436	6
H	Destroyer		1936–1939	1,340–1,350	15
	Minesweeper		1938–1939	1,330	21
	Destroyer tender		1940	8,560–18,900	2
	Destroyer		1932–1934	1,490	6
	Submarine		1938–1940	407	4
	Heavy cruiser		1917–1921	9,860	5
	Aircraft carrier		1941	24,140	2
	Destroyer escort		1939–1943	1,000–1,170	86
	Ocean liner		1940–1942	17,000	3
	Destroyer		1936–1941	1,390	11
	Aircraft carrier		1939–1940	23,000	6
	Aircraft carrier		1939	23,000	2
	Aircraft carrier		1942–1943	11,000	9
	Battleship		1942–1950	60,000	4
	Battleship		1916–1917	31,762	2
	Naval trawler		1940–1944	554	145
Isles	Naval trawler		1940	554	20
Isles	Naval trawler		1940	554	12
Isles	Naval trawler		1939–1940	545	20
	Armoured cruiser		1898	9,750	2
	Destroyer		1938–1939	1,690	9
	Light cruiser		1920–1921	6,670	2
	Destroyer escort		1943–1946	1,350	83
Junsen I Type	cruiser submarine		1923-1926	1,970	4
Junsen III Type	cruiser submarine		1934-1936	2,231	2
Junsen Type A	cruiser submarine		1938-1942	2,434	3
Junsen Type A Modified 2	cruiser submarine		1943-1945	2,620	2
Junsen Type B	cruiser submarine		1938-1943	2,198	19
Junsen Type B Modified 1	cruiser submarine		1943-1943	2,230	6
Junsen Type B Modified 2	cruiser submarine		1942-1944	2,140	3
Junsen Type C	cruiser submarine		1937-1944	2,184	8
Junsen Type C Modified	cruiser submarine		1942-1944	2,095	3
	Destroyer		1938–1939	1,690	8
	Destroyer		1938–1941	2,033	19
Kaidai III Type	submarine		1924-1930	1,635	9
Kaidai IV Type	submarine		1926-1930	1,575	3
Kaidai V Type	submarine		1929-1932	1,575	3
Kaidai VI Type	submarine		1931-1938	1,400-1,425	8
Kaidai VII Type	submarine		1939–1943	1,630	10
Kaichū IV type	submarine		1921-1922	750	3
Kaichū V type	submarine		1921-1923	852	5
Kaichū VI type	submarine		1934-1937	700	2
Kaichū VII type	submarine		1941-1944	960	18
	Seaplane tender		1936–1940	6,863	4
	Destroyer		1922–1925	1,400	9
	Seaplane tender		1934–1941	8,600	3
	Light cruiser		1939–1940	6,280	3
	Fleet oiler		1941–1942	21,077–21,750	11
	Seaplane tender		1943–1944	12,600	4
	Battleship		1939–1940	42,923	5
	Heavy cruiser		1938–1940	7,890	2
	Heavy cruiser		1938–1944	8,177	2
	Heavy cruiser		1938–1944	8,400	2
Kiraisen Type	submarine		1924–1928	1,142	4
	Destroyer		1931–1932	1,389	4
	Battleship		1912–1913	31,720	4
	Armed merchant cruiser		1934	8,613	2
Königsberg	Light cruiser		1927–1928	6,650	3
	Minesweeper		1941–1946	18	6
	Light cruiser		1919–1920	5,019	5
	Torpedo boat		1914–1915	270	3
L	Destroyer		1939–1941	1,920	8
L	Submarine		1916–1919	1,091–1,168	27
	Destroyer		1926–1929	1,356	14
	Light cruiser		1933–1936	7,600	6
	Torpedo boat		1917	840	8
	Destroyer		1933–1934	2,570	6
	Destroyer		1938–1947	1,772	11
	Light cruiser		1931–1934	7,270	5
	Light cruiser		1931–1934	6,830	3
	Light cruiser		1929–1934	6,515–6,980	2
	Destroyer		1924	2,003	3
	Aircraft carrier		1925	37,000	2
	Battleship		1937–1940	45,236	3
	Submarine		1939–1940	1,166	2
	Escort carrier		1939	13,500	1
M	Destroyer		1941–1942	1,920	8
M Type A Special Purpose Ship	Landing craft carrier		1943–1945	11,910	3
MAC	Merchant aircraft carrier		1942–1945	7,950–9,133	10
MAC	Merchant aircraft carrier		1942–1945	8,010	9
	Submarine		1940–1941	825	2
	Destroyer		1934	2,025	4
	Destroyer		1935–1936	1,488	18
	Submarine		1929	880	4
	Submarine		1939	1,060	11
	Destroyer		1940–1941	1,500	3
	Submarine		1940	1,195	6
	Destroyer escort		1944	1,262	18
	Submarine		1935	1,570	1
	Destroyer		1919–1922	1,345	13
	Light cruiser		1943–1945	8,800	6
	Destroyer		1915–1916	1,811	2
	Battleship		1905	13,000	2
	Destroyer		1936–1937	2,884	2
	Heavy cruiser		1934–1936	8,500	4
	Destroyer		1918–1923	770	21
	Destroyer		1917–1918	835	4
	Destroyer		1925–1927	1,315	12
	Heavy cruiser		1927–1928	10,000	4
	Destroyer		1940–1941	1,690	8
	Light cruiser		1920–1921	5,088	6
	Battleship		1919–1920	39,130	2
	Torpedo boat		1943	782	2
	Submarine		1928–1930	3,900	2
	Destroyer		1929–1931	2,380	12
	Battleship		1925	41,250	2
	Battleship		1914	29,000	2
	Battleship		1917	33,000	3
	Heavy cruiser		1933–1936	10,136	7
	Battleship		1912	27,000	2
	Battleship		1940	47,400	2
	Heavy cruiser		1929–1930	9,006	6
	Destroyer		1939–1942	1,610	8
Odin	Submarine		1926–1929	1,922–2,060	12
	Destroyer		1939	632	3
	Light cruiser		1920–1924	7,050	10
	Submarine		1940	856	4
	Submarine		1938	1,100	2
	Torpedo boat		1935–1937	840	8
	Destroyer		1939–1942	1,610	8
	Torpedo boat		1921	1,033	4
	Submarine		1929	2,070	6
	Torpedo boat		1938	840	4
	Battleship		1915	33,000	2
	Heavy cruiser		1929	9,100	2
	Submarine		1936	697	10
Pichincha	Coast guard vessel			120	3
	Torpedo boat		1915	770	7
	Submarine		1930	880	4
	Destroyer		1937	2,320	4
Porpoise	Submarine		1935–1937	1,310	10
	Destroyer		1936–1937	1,834	8
	Heavy cruiser		1931–1932	10,258	2
Proussa	Torpedo boat		1915–1916	266	2
	Destroyer		1941–1942	1,705	8
	Battleship		1913–1915	33,790	5
R	Destroyer		1941–1942	1,705	8
R	Submarine		1918–1919	570	27
	Destroyer		1916–1917	940–1,052	1 / 62
	Submarine		1930	2,000	6
	Destroyer		1928–1929	1,400	2
	Battlecruiser		1916	32,000	2
	Battleship		1914–1916	28,000	5
	Battleship		1939–1940	43,992	2
	Frigate		1943–1945	1,420	8
	Frigate		1944–1945	1,537	4
	Frigate		1941–1944	1,445	70
	Frigate		1941–1944	1,370	23
	Frigate		1941–1944	1,400	44
	Destroyer minelayer		1944	2,200	12
	Destroyer escort		1943-1944	1,430	22
Rudderow	High speed transport		1943-1944	1,400	50
S	Submarine		1931–1945	950	63
S	Submarine		1918–1925	900	48
S	Destroyer		1942–1943	1,710	8
	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,092	11 / 55
	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,092	5
	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,092	7
	Submarine		1937–1938	1,430	6
	Escort carrier		1939	11,400	4
	Submarine		1938–1939	1,450	10
	Destroyer		1926–1927	1,137	4
	Battleship		1936	38,700	2
	Destroyer		1927	1,480	2
	Light cruiser		1923–1925	5,113	3
Senho Type	Submarine		1943-1945	3,512-4,390	1-2
Sen-Shō Type	Submarine		1941–1943	782	18
Sentaka-Dai Type	Submarine		1945	1,290-1503	3
Sentaka-Shō Type	Submarine		1945	440	10
Sentoku Type	Submarine aircraft carrier		1944	6,560	3
Sen'yu-Shō Type	Transport submarine		1944–1945	501	10
	Destroyer		1928	1,090	6
	Destroyer		1935–1937	1,685	10
	Aircraft carrier		1938-1941	32,100	2
	Destroyer		1938–1939	1,764	12
	Submarine		1934	678	12
	Torpedo boat		1917	845	4
	Destroyer		1936–1938	597	3
	Minesweeper			270	6
	Destroyer		1937–1942	1,620	19
	Destroyer		1937–1938	2,047	5
	Battleship		1941–1942	44,519	4
	Torpedo boat		1936–1938	640	30
	Submarine		1930	933	4
	Light cruiser		1939	10,000	2
	Heavy cruiser		1927–1930	9,940	4
	Destroyer		1942–1943	1,710	8
T2	Auxiliary oil tanker		1939–1945	21,100–22,445	533
	Destroyer		1919–1922	1,289	14
	Frigate		1943–1945	1,400	96
	Escort carrier		1939–1940	20,000	3
	Heavy cruiser		1930–1931	9,850	4
	Submarine		1939–1941	1,475	12
	Submarine		1944–1951	1,826	31
	Battleship		1919	33,000	2
Thornycroft	Destroyer flotilla leader		1918–1919	1,480	3 / 5
	Heavy cruiser		1937–1938	11,215	2
	Coastal defence ship		1897–1898	3,852	2
	Destroyer		1917–1919	1,020–1,190	50
	Light cruiser		1936	9,100	5
	Light cruiser		1937	9,400	3
	Light cruiser		1938	10,400	2
	Torpedo boat		1935–1937	262	9
	High endurance cutter		1936–1937	2,700	7
	Heavy cruiser		1926–1932	10,511–10,890	3
	Destroyer		1937–1946	1,854–1,927	27
	Light cruiser		1937–1939	3,450	2
	Torpedo boat		1919–1921	220	3
	Destroyer		1927–1928	1,090	8
Type 1934	Destroyer		1935	3,156	4
Type 1934A	Destroyer		1935–1937	3,110	12
Type 1936	Destroyer		1937–1938	3,415	6
Type 1936A Mob	Destroyer		1941–1942	3,415	7
Type 1936A Narvik	Destroyer		1939–1940	3,605	8
Type 1936B	Destroyer		1942–1944	3,415	3
Type 23	Torpedo boat		1926	923	6
Type 24	Torpedo boat		1926–1927	923	6
Type 3 submergence transport vehicle	Transport submarine		1943–1945	274	38
Type 35	Torpedo boat		1937–1939	844	12
Type 37	Torpedo boat		1938–1940	888	9
Type 39	Torpedo boat		1940–1944	1,754	15
Type 40	Torpedo boat		1944	2,566	7
Type 41	Torpedo boat		1944	2,155	14
Type A Special Purpose Ship	Landing craft carrier		1942–1944	11,800-11,910	3
Type C1 ship	Auxiliary cargo ship		1942–1945	6,240–8,015	408
Type C2 ship	Auxiliary cargo ship		1944–1945	13,910	173
Type C3 ship	Auxiliary cargo ship		1940–1947	12,000	465
Type C4 ship	Auxiliary cargo ship		1940–1947	11,757–12,420	75
Type D / Sen'yu-Dai Type	submarine		1943-1944	1,440	11
Type I	Submarine		1936	892	2
Type II	Submarine		1939–1940	300	50
Type L1	submarine		1918-1920	893	2
Type L2	submarine		1919-1922	893	4
Type L3	submarine		1920-1923	889	3
Type L4	submarine		1921-1927	988	9
Type VII	Submarine		1935–1944	626–1,084	743
Type IX	Submarine		1937–1944	1,032–1,616	193
Type X	Submarine		1941–1943	1,763–2,177	8
Type XIV	Submarine		1940–1943	1,688–1,932	10
Type XVII	Submarine		1942–1945	277–415	7
Type XXI	Submarine		1944–1945	1,621–1,819	118
Type XXIII	Submarine		1944–1945	234–258	61
	Destroyer		1942–1943	1,777–1,808	8
	Aircraft carrier		1943–1944	22,534	3
V	Destroyer		1942–1943	1,777–1,808	8
V	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,100	17 / 23
V	Destroyer flotilla leader		1917	1,207	3 / 5
V	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,120	2
V7	River gunboat		1943		2
	Coastal defence ship		1931–1932	3,900	2
	Destroyer		1927–1928	1,316	4
	Destroyer		1926–1927	1,316	4
Vasilefs Georgios	Destroyer		1938	1,350	2
	Destroyer		1931–1932	2,441	6
Vedenia	Motor torpedo boat		1943–1944	30	6
	Heavy cruiser		1928–1929	6,800	2
W	Destroyer		1943–1944	1,710	8
W	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,100–1,140	32 / 33
W	Destroyer		1917–1918	1,120–1,140	4
	Destroyer		1922–1923	900	6
	Destroyer		1928–1929	1,540	2
	Destroyer		1917–1919	1,090	33
	Battleship		1911	27,000	2
	Submarine		1943–1945	30	14
	Submarine		1943–1945	33	12
XT	Training submarine		1943–1945	30	6
	Battleship		1940	71,659	2
YMS-1-class minesweeper	Minesweeper		1942	270	481
	Heavy cruiser		1928–1929	8,300	2
	Aircraft carrier		1936–1940	23,000	3
	Destroyer		1941–1944	2,077	19
Z	Destroyer		1943–1944	1,710	8
	Submarine		1929–1955	1,250	3
	Heavy cruiser		1930–1931	11,680	4
	Light aircraft carrier		1936-1942	11,443	2

Single-ship "classes"

Class	Type	Country	Launch Year	Displacement
Akagi	Aircraft carrier		1925	36,500
Algérie	Heavy cruiser		1932	10,000
	Submarine		1927	4,161
	Aircraft carrier		1937	22,000
	Aircraft carrier		N/A	23,500
Béarn	Aircraft carrier		1920	22,146
	Seaplane carrier		1927	3,445
	Submarine		1930	1,556
Graf Zeppelin	Aircraft carrier		N/A	33,550
Hiryū	Aircraft carrier		1937	17,300
Hood	Battlecruiser		1918	45,470
	Aircraft carrier		1921	7,470
Junsen I Type Modified	cruiser submarine		1932	1,970
Junsen II Type	cruiser submarine		1935	1,900
Junsen Type A Modified 1	cruiser submarine		1944	2,434
Kaga	Aircraft carrier		1921	38,200
Kaidai I Type	submarine		1924	1,390
Kaidai II Type	submarine		1924	1,390
Kaiyō	Escort carrier		1938	13,600
M Type C Special Purpose Ship	Landing craft carrier		1945	8,128
	Seaplane tender		1939	11,317
	Light cruiser		1942	8,164
	Aircraft carrier		1933	17,577
	Light aircraft carrier		1942	16,700
	Light aircraft carrier		1931	8,000
	Submarine		1932	953
Shimakaze	Destroyer		1942	2,570
	Aircraft carrier		1944	65,800
Shinshū Maru	Landing craft carrier		1934	7,100
Sōryū	Aircraft carrier		1935	16,200
Special 1TL Type escort carrier	Escort carrier		1945	10,002
Special 2TL Type escort carrier	Escort carrier		1945	16,119
Surcouf	Cruiser submarine		1929	3,250-4,304
Taihō	Aircraft carrier		1943	30,250
Type B Special Purpose Ship	Landing craft carrier		1944	5,656
Type C Special Purpose Ship	Landing craft carrier		1942	11,800
Type D / Sen'yu-Dai Type Modified	submarine		1944	1,440
Type D Modified	submarine		1945	1,660
	Aircraft carrier		1939	19,000
	Heavy cruiser		1935	10,589
	Light cruiser		1923	2,890