Some older training vessels (surviving Queen Elizabeth class and older)
4 modernised R class
4 modernised Hoods
4 modernised G3s
4 modernised N3s
Beginning construction at the start of Cecil's second period of office and now approaching completion are the relatively weak 15"-gunned Trafalgar class
Also under construction , having been laid down only in the first few months of 1938 is the 16"-gunned Britannia class
| Ship Names | |
|---|---|
| R class | Revenge , Royal Oak , Ramillies , Resolution |
| Hood | Hood , Anson , Rodney , Howe |
| G3 | Invincible , Illustrious , Inflexible , Indefatigable |
| N3 | Saint George , Marvellous , Magnificent , Majestic |
| Trafalgar | Trafalgar , Nelson , Saint Vincent , Drake |
| Britannia | Britannia , London , Goliath , Vanguard |
(G3s are known as the 'I' class , and the N3 as the Saint George class)
In addition there are a number of small developmental aircraft carriers, and a couple of larger ones just beginning to enter service :-
| small carriers | Argus , Hermes , Pegasus Eagle , Bellerophon Perseus , Pandora |
| fleet carriers | Ark Royal , Unicorn |
Britain is attempting to maintain strong fleets across the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian Oceans ; currently the ratio is 6-6-4. With the planned addition of the Trafalgar and Britannia classes this should change by 1942 to 10-10-4 with regard to battleships.
ATLANTIC FLEET (includes Caribbean , Western Mediteranean & North Sea)
4 Hoods (F Hood)
2 'I' class (Illustrious, Invincible)
small carriers - Argus, Hermes, Pegasus
fleet carrier - Ark Royal
PACIFIC FLEET (main base at Singapore)
4 Saint George class (F Saint George)
2 'I' class (Inflexible, Indefatigable)
small carriers - Eagle, Bellerophon
fleet carrier - Unicorn
INDIAN OCEAN FLEET (includes Red Sea with Jedda, and Eastern Mediteranean)
4 R class (F Revenge)
small carriers - Perseus, Pegasus
The oldest battleships (Kawachi, Ibuki, Satsuma classes) are retained as training ships , most recently renamed.
Front-line strength consists of the following :-
4 modernised Kongos - Kongo, Haruna, Hiei, Kirishima
2 modernised Ise - Ise, Hyuga
2 modernised Fuso - Fuso, Yamashiro
2 modernised Nagato - Nagato, Mutsu
4 modernised Amagi - Akagi, Takao, Atago
2 modernised Tosa - Tosa, Kaga
4 Kii - Kii, Owari, Musashi, Yamato
4 'Uji' - Uji, Shinano, Asahi, Hatsuse
(The 15 ships from the Nagato to the Uji classes are the ships of the 8/8 Programme
; the Amagi having been lost as the result of the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake)
Plus the following classes built since the completion of the 8/8 Programme :-
Built early-mid 1930s
4 ships armed with 16" guns
Fuji class - Fuji, Shikishima, Kawachi, Kashima
Completing 1938-1939
4 ships armed with new-model 18" guns
Mikasa class - Mikasa, Yashima, Katori, Satsuma
There is a well-developed programme of aircraft carrier construction :-
older experimental carriers - Shoho, Hosho, Zuiho
middle-size oldish carriers - Chitose, Chiyoda
new modern fleet carriers -
Taiho , Shokaku , Zuikaku
Soryu, Hiryu, Unryu
In addition 4 fleet carriers of the 'Katsuragi' class are under construction
(Katsuragi, Taiyo, Unyi, Chuyo)