Pennant number


In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number. Historically, naval ships flew a flag that identified a flotilla or type of vessel. For example, the Royal Navy used a red burgee for torpedo boats and a pennant with an H for torpedo boat destroyers. Adding a number to the type-identifying flag uniquely identified each ship.
In the current system, a letter prefix, called a flag superior, identifies the type of ship, and numerical suffix, called a flag inferior, uniquely identifies an individual ship. Not all pennant numbers have a flag superior.

Royal Navy systems

The Royal Navy first used pennants to distinguish its ships in 1661 with a proclamation that all of his majesty's ships must fly a union pennant. This distinction was further strengthened by a proclamation in 1674 which forbade merchant vessels from flying any pennants.
The system of numbering pennants was adopted prior to the First World War to distinguish between ships with the same or similar names, to reduce the size and improve the security of communications, and to assist recognition when ships of the same class are together.
During the First World War, pennant numbers were changed on a regular basis, with only those for ships in Home waters centrally controlled; those on foreign stations were allocated on a local basis. However, in November 1919 a new navy-wide system was introduced, with the intention that ships should now carry a permanent number. In most cases, plain numbers were given to capital ships and cruisers, and ones with flags-superior to smaller ships. While the numbers allocated to major warships would generally remain stable into the 1930s, destroyers were subject to further revisions, stability being reached in January 1922. While 1919/1922 numbers were allocated on a fairly systematic basis, later allocations were on the basis of re-allocating numbers made available by the disposal of older vessels. The next major revision took place in the late 1930s, when the volume of new construction was such that insufficient 'spare' numbers were now available for new ships. Accordingly, older cruisers had the flag-superior 'I' added in front of their existing plain numbers; as a result, submarines, which had previously used 'I', were given a new scheme of flags-inferior. Other changes were also made at this time. The next major change took place in 1940, when there was a wholesale set of changes to flags-superior, including the old cruisers changing from 'I' to 'D'.
Traditionally, a pennant number was reported with a full stop "." between the flag superior or inferior and the number, although this practice has gradually been dropped, and inter-war photos after about 1924 tend not to have the full stop painted on the hull. The system was used throughout the navies of the British Empire so that a ship could be transferred from one navy to another without changing its pennant number.
Pennant numbers were originally allocated by individual naval stations and when a ship changed station it would be allocated a new number. The Admiralty took the situation in hand and first compiled a "Naval Pendant List" in 1910, with ships grouped under the distinguishing flag of their type. In addition, ships of the 2nd and 3rd fleets had a second flag superior distinguishing from which naval depot they were crewed: "C" for Chatham, "D" for Devonport, "N" for Nore and "P" for Portsmouth.
A completely new system was adopted in 1948, when flags-superior specific to a type of ship were introduced. For example, cruisers had the flag-superior 'C', destroyers 'D', frigates 'F' and carriers 'R'. In general, the existing numerical part of a ship's number was kept, except where this would lead to duplication, in which case the number was increased by 100, 200 or 300, as necessary.
The 1948 system was later taken over by NATO, and a single pennant list set up for all NATO navies, apart from the US and Canada.
During the 1970s, the service stopped painting pennant numbers on submarines on the grounds that, with the arrival of nuclear boats, they spent too little time on the surface, although submarines do continue to be issued numbers.
was initially allocated the pennant number F232, until it was realised that in the Royal Navy, form number 232 is the official report for ships that have run aground; sailors being superstitious, it was quickly changed to F229.

Second World War

No flag superior

Pendant number 13 was not allocated.
  • Capital ships, aircraft carriers, modern cruisers

Flags superior

Pendant numbers 13 were not allocated to flag superiors. The letters J and K were used with three number combinations due to the number of vessels.

Flags inferior

Flags inferior were applied to submarines. Royal Navy submarines of the "H" and "L", and some transferred American vessels, were not issued names, only numbers. In these cases, the pendant number was simply the hull number inverted. For obvious reasons, the inferior "U" was not used so as not to confuse friendly ships with German U-boats. For similar reasons "V" was not used. Pendant numbers 00–10, 13, and those ending in a zero were not allocated to flag inferiors.
In 1940, as part of the fleet-wide revision of pennant numbers, all existing submarines were given the flag-superior "N", usually preceding their previous flag-inferior number. "N"-numbers were also applied to new construction and Allied boats before they ran out and "P" numbers applied as follows:

Post-1948

After the Second World War, in 1948, the Royal Navy adopted a rationalised "pennant" number system where the flag superior indicated the basic type of ship as follows. "F" and "A" use two or three digits, "L" and "P" up to four. Again, pennant 13 is not used.
  • A — auxiliaries
  • C — cruisers
  • D — destroyers
  • F — frigate
  • H — shore signal stations ; survey vessels
  • K — miscellaneous vessels
  • L — amphibious warfare ships
  • M — minesweepers
  • N — minelayers
  • P — patrol boats
  • R — aircraft carriers
  • S — submarines
  • X — experimental vessels
  • Y — yard vessels

Flotilla bands

1925–1939

From 1925, flotilla leaders were issued with but did not paint on pendant numbers. Instead, a broad band deep was painted round their fore-funnel. Divisional leaders wore a pendant number and had a narrower deep band on the fore-funnel, painted from the top. The Mediterranean Fleet wore black leader bands and the Atlantic – later Home Fleet wore white bands. The flotillas wore combinations of bands on their after funnel to identify them. From 1925 the following bands were worn;

Second World War

When single funnelled destroyers entered the fleet with the J class in 1939 and with an expansion in the number of flotillas, the system was changed accordingly. Single funnelled ships wore a deep band as a flotilla leader. As a divisional leader they had a wide vertical band the same colour as, and extending below, the upper flotilla band. Leaders bands were white for Home Fleet, red for Mediterranean Fleet, and the system of flotilla bands changed to;
Flotilla bands were used throughout the war although war-losses, operational requirements, and new construction broke up the homogeneity of the destroyer flotillas. Vessels were deployed as and when they were needed or available, and were often incorporated into mixed "escort groups" containing a range of vessel types such as sloops, corvettes, frigates and escort carriers. A few of the escort groups adopted funnel bands; others wore letters on their funnels.

Post-war

Post-war Flotillas were no longer identified by bands, but by large cast metal numbers bolted to the funnels. Flotilla leaders continued to display a large band at the top of the funnel and half leaders would carry a thin black band around the funnel.

Deck codes

Aircraft carriers and vessels operating aircraft have a deck code painted on the flight deck to aid identification by aircraft attempting to land. This is in a position clearly visible on the approach path. The Royal Navy uses a single letter for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters for smaller vessels. The United States Navy, with its larger fleet, uses the numeric part of the hull classification number. Deck codes used by contemporary major British naval warships include:
  • HMS Albion — AN
  • — BK
  • — DT
  • HMS Ocean — O
  • HMS Ark Royal — R
  • HMS Invincible — N
  • HMS Illustrious — L
  • — Q
  • HMS Prince of Wales — P
  • RFA Argus — AS
  • RFA Lyme Bay — YB
  • RFA Cardigan Bay — CB
  • RFA Mounts Bay — MB

International pennant numbers

Several European NATO and Commonwealth navies agreed to introduce a pennant number system based on that of the Royal Navy. The system guarantees that, amongst those navies and other navies that later joined, all pennant numbers are unique. The United States and Canada do not participate in this system; their ships are identified by unique hull classification symbols.
Participating countries, with their assigned number ranges, include:
  • Argentina —
  • Australia
  • Belgium —
  • Denmark —
  • France —
  • Germany —
  • Greece —
  • Italy —
  • Kenya
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • South Africa
  • Turkey
  • United Kingdom
The NATO pennant number system added the Y symbol for tugboats, floating cranes, docks and the like.

International Deck Codes

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy uses a single letter for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters for smaller vessel.
Albion class
  • HMS Albion — AN
  • HMS Bulwark — BK
River–class
  • HMS Forth — FH
  • HMS Medway — MY
  • HMS Trent — TT
  • HMS Tamar — TM
  • HMS Spey — SP
Daring–class
  • HMS Daring — DA
  • HMS Dauntless — DT
  • HMS Diamond — DM
  • HMS Dragon — DN
  • HMS Defender — DF
  • HMS Duncan — DU
Duke–class
  • HMS Argyll — AY
  • HMS Lancaster — LA
  • HMS Iron Duke — IR
  • HMS Montrose — MR
  • HMS Westminster — WM
  • HMS Northumberland — NL
  • HMS Richmond — RM
  • HMS Somerset — SM
  • HMS Sutherland — SU
  • HMS Kent — KT
  • HMS Portland — PD
  • HMS St Albans — SB
Invincible–class
  • HMS Invincible — N
  • HMS Illustrious — L
  • HMS Ark Royal — R
Queen Elizabeth–class
  • HMS Queen Elizabeth — Q
  • HMS Prince of Wales — P
Bay–class
  • RFA Cardigan Bay — CB
  • RFA Lyme Bay — YB
  • RFA Mounts Bay — MB
Tide class
  • RFA Tidespring — TS
  • RFA Tiderace — TR
  • RFA Tidesurge — TU
  • RFA Tideforce — TF
Wave–class
  • RFA Wave Knight — WK
  • RFA Wave Ruler — WR
Fort Rosalie–class
  • RFA Fort Rosalie — FR
  • RFA Fort Austin — FA
Individual ships

Royal Netherlands Navy

De Zeven Provinciën–class
  • HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën — ZP
  • HNLMS Tromp — TR
  • HNLMS De Ruyter — DR
  • HNLMS Evertsen — EV
Holland–class
  • HNLMS Holland — HL
  • HNLMS Zeeland — ZL
  • HNLMS Friesland — FR
  • HNLMS Groningen — GR
Amphibious support ships

Royal Canadian Navy

Halifax–class
  • HMCS Halifax — HX
  • HMCS Vancouver — VR
  • HMCS Ville de Québec — VC
  • HMCS Toronto — TO
  • HMCS Regina — RA
  • HMCS Calgary — CY
  • HMCS Montréal — ML
  • HMCS Fredericton — FN
  • HMCS Winnipeg — WG
  • HMCS Charlottetown — CN
  • HMCS St. John's — SJ
  • HMCS Ottawa — OA
Harry DeWolf-class
  • HMCS Harry DeWolf — HF
  • HMCS Margaret Brooke — ME
  • HMCS Max Bernays — MS
  • HMCS William Hall — WL
  • HMCS Frédérick Rolette — FE
  • HMCS Robert Hampton Grey — RY

St. Laurent-class
  • HMCS St. Laurent — ST
  • HMCS Saguenay — SY
  • HMCS Skeena — SA
  • HMCS Ottawa — OA
  • HMCS Margaree — ME
  • HMCS Fraser — FR
  • HMCS Assiniboine — AE
Annapolis-class
  • HMCS Annapolis — AS
  • HMCS Nipigon — NN
Iroquois-class
  • HMCS Iroquois — IS
  • HMCS Huron — HN
  • HMCS Athabaskan — AN
  • HMCS Algonquin — AL
HMCS Provider — PR
Protecteur-class
  • HMCS Protecteur — PT
  • HMCS Preserver — PS

Egyptian Navy

  • ENS Anwar El Sadat — AS
  • ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser — GN
  • ENS Tahya Misr — TM
  • ENS El Fateg — FT

German Navy

Braunschweig–classBraunschweig — BSMagdeburg — MDErfurt — EFOldenburg — OLLudwigshafen am Rhein — LR
Sachsen-class frigateSachsen — SNHamburg — HAHessen — HE
Auxiliary shipsMain — MAMosel — MO

French Navy

Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier
  • FS Charles de Gaulle - G
Mistral–class
  • FS Tonnerre — TO
  • FS Dixmude — DX
  • FS Mistral — MI
Horizon-class frigate
  • FS Forbin — FB
  • FS Chevalier Paul — PL
Aquitaine–class
  • FS Aquitaine — QN
  • FS Provence — PC
  • FS Languedoc — LD
  • FS Auvergne — VG
  • FS Bretagne — BT
La Fayette–class
  • FS La Fayette — YE
  • FS Surcouf — SF
  • FS Courbet — CO
  • FS Aconit — AT
  • FS Guépratte — GT

Royal New Zealand Navy

  • HMNZS Otago — OTA
  • HMNZS Canterbury — CAN

Portuguese Navy

Vasco da Gama–class
  • NRP Vasco da Gama — VG
  • NRP Corte Real — CR
  • NRP Álvares Cabral — AC
Bartolomeu Dias–class
  • NRP Bartolomeu Dias — BD
  • NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida — FA

Indonesian Navy

The Indonesian Navy uses a three letter deck code only for frigates and LPDs. The letters usually consist of first letter, third letter, and fourth letter of the ship's name
Ahmad Yani–class
  • KRI Ahmad Yani — AMY
  • KRI Oswald Siahaan — OWA
  • KRI Karel Satsuit Tubun — KST
  • KRI Abdul Halim Perdanakusumah — AHP
  • KRI Slamet Riyadi — SRI
  • KRI Yos Sudarso — YSO
Martadinata–class
  • KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata — REM
  • KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai — GNR
Bung Tomo–class
  • KRI Bung Tomo —BTO
  • KRI John Lie — JLI
  • KRI Usman Harun — USH
Fatahillah–class corvette
  • KRI Fatahillah — FTI
  • KRI Malayahati — MLH
  • KRI Nala — NLA
Makassar–class
  • KRI Makassar — MKS
  • KRI Banda Aceh — BAC
  • KRI Surabaya — SBY
  • KRI Banjarmasin — BJM
  • KRI Semarang — SMR
Cakra–class
  • KRI Cakra — CKA
  • KRI Nanggala — NGA
Nagapasa–class
  • KRI Nagapasa — NPS
  • KRI Ardadedali — ARD
  • KRI Alugoro — AGR
Diponegoro–class
  • KRI Diponegoro - DPN
  • KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda - SIM
  • KRI Frans Kaisiepo - FKO
  • KRI Sultan Hasanuddin - HSN