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List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy

Revision as of 22:21, 31 October 2019 by Reguylabot (Message Wall | contribs) (Remove some templates, interwiki links, delink non military terms and cleanup)
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Ships of the Royal Navy

This is a list of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy. The term 'corvette' was not introduced into the Royal Navy until the 1830s (when the French term was copied), and at that time its use replaced both the larger sloops and also what had previously been categorised officially as 'post ships', i.e. ships of 20, 22 or 24 guns (vessels of 28 guns and above were classed as 'frigates' until 1817, thereafter ships of up to 32 guns were also counted as sixth rates) which were so-called because they were the lowest grade of warship which could be commanded by a 'post captain'; as such, they formed the lower portion of the sixth rate. In 1887, both frigates and corvettes were merged into a new category of 'cruiser'. In 1937, escort sloops were officially re-rated as escort vessels and patrol sloops as patrol vessels, although the traditional term continued in use. In 1948 surviving sloops and corvettes were redesignated as frigates.

Note that vessels captured from other countries and incorporated into the Royal Navy are not included in the following lists.

Corvette classes

Late 17th century post ship classes

18th century (1700-1751) post ship classes

  • Peregrine Galley — 1 ship, with 16 x 6pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1700
  • Nightingale Group — 3 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1702–1704
  • Purchased Group — 3 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1706–1707
    • Aldborough (1706) - broken up 1727.
    • Nightingale (1707) - sold 1716.
    • Deal Castle (1706) - broken up 1722.
  • Flamborough Group — 2 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1707
  • Gibraltar Group — 12 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1711–1716
  • Dursley Galley — 1 ship, with 20 x 6pdrs. 1719. Sold 1745
  • 1719 Establishment Group — 20 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs. 1720–1727
    • Lyme (1720) - broken up 1739.
    • Greyhound (1720) - broken up 1741.
    • Blandford (1720) - sold 1742.
    • Shoreham (1720) - sold 1744.
    • Scarborough (1722) - sold 1739.
    • Garland (1724) - sold 1744.
    • Seaford (1724) - broken up 1740.
    • Lowestoffe (1723) - sold 1744.
    • Rose (1724) - sold 1744.
    • Deal Castle (1727) - sold 1746.
    • Fox (1727) - broken up 1738.
    • Gibraltar (1727) - sold 1749.
    • Bideford (1727) - foundered 1739.
    • Seahorse (1727) - sold 1748.
    • Squirrel (1727) - sold 1749.
    • Phoenix (1728) - sold 1744.
    • Aldborough (1727) - broken up 1742.
    • Flamborough (1727) - sold 1749.
    • Experiment (1727) - broken up 1738.
    • Rye (1727) - broken up 1735.
  • Modified 1719 Establishment Group — 2 ships, with 20 x 6pdrs. 1732
    • Sheerness (1732) - sold 1744.
    • Dolphin (1732) - renamed Firebrand 1755, then Penguin 1757, captured by French and burnt 1760.
  • 1733 Establishment Group — 16 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1734–1742
    • Tartar (1734) - broken up 1755.
    • Kennington (1736) - broken up 1749.
    • Fox (1740) - foundered 1745.
    • Winchelsea (1740) - broken up 1761.
    • Lyme (1740) - foundered 1747.
    • Rye (1740) - wrecked 1744.
    • Experiment (1740) - sold 1763.
    • Lively (1740) - sold 1750.
    • Port Mahon (1740) - sold 1763.
    • Scarborough (1740) - sold 1749.
    • Success (1740) - broken up 1779.
    • Rose (1740) - sold 1755.
    • Bideford (1740) - broken up 1754.
    • Bridgewater (1740) - wrecked 1743.
    • Seaford (1741) - broken up 1754.
    • Solebay (1742) - sold 1763.
  • Modified 1733 Establishment Group — 2 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1741
  • 1741 Establishment Group — 15 ships, with 22 x 9pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1742–1746
    • Lowestoffe (1742) - sold 1749.
    • Aldborough (1743) - sold 1749.
    • Alderney (1743) - sold 1749.
    • Phoenix (1743) - sold 1762.
    • Sheerness (1743) - sold 1768.
    • Wager (1744) - sold 1763.
    • Shoreham (1744) - sold 1758.
    • Bridgewater (1744) - burnt to avoid capture 1758.
    • Glasgow (1745) - sold 1756.
    • Triton (1745) - burnt to avoid capture 1758.
    • Mercury (1745) - broken up 1753.
    • Surprise (1746) - sold 1770.
    • Siren (1745) - sold 1764.
    • Fox (1746) - wrecked 1751.
    • Rye (1746) - sold 1763.
  • Modified 1741 Establishment Group — 2 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1746
    • Centaur (1746) - sold 1761.
    • Deal Castle (1746) - broken up 1754.
  • Nightingale (1746) purchase - sunk as a breakwater 1783.
  • 1745 Establishment Group — 7 ships, with 22 x 9pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1746–1751
  • Modified 1745 Establishment Group — 1 ship, with 22 x 9pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1748
    • Boston (1748) - broken up 1752.
  • Seahorse (1748) - sold 1784.
  • Mermaid (1749) - bilged 1759 and abandoned 1760.

18th century (1752-1799) post ship classes

  • Gibraltar class — 1 ship, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1754.
    • Gibraltar (1754) - broken up 1773.
  • Seaford class — 1 ship, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1754.
    • Seaford (1754) - 33 guns in 1780, sold 1784.
  • Squirrel class — 10 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1775–1781.
  • Bideford class — 1 ship, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1756.
  • Later Gibraltar — 6 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1756.
    • Flamborough (1756) - sold 1772.
    • Aldborough (1756) - broken up 1777.
    • Kennington (1756) - broken up 1774.
    • Lively (1756) - sold 1784.
    • Mercury (1756) - wrecked 1777.
    • Scarborough (1756) - foundered 1780.
  • Later Seaford — 2 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs. 1757.
  • Sphinx class — 10 ships, with 20 x 9pdrs, + 4 smaller. 1775–1781.
  • Porcupine class — 10 ships, with 22 x 9pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1777–1781.
  • Myrmidon class — 1 ship, with 20 x 6pdrs, + 2 smaller. 1781.
    • Myrmidon (1781) - broken up 1811.
  • Squirrel class (of 1782 design) — 1 ship, with 22 x 9pdrs, + 2 x 6pdrs. 1785.

19th century sailing post ship (and subsequently corvette) classes

This section lists the 'post ships' of 20 to 24 guns (after 1817, up to 28 guns) which in the 1830s would be merged with the larger sloops to form the new category of corvette. From 1817 the upper limit (in terms of numbers of guns) would be raised to 28 guns.

19th century screw corvettes

World War II corvettes

After more than half a century, the category of corvette was revived during WW2 to describe a smaller form of escort vessel than the existing sloops. It was thus not comparable with the pre-1887 corvettes in the Royal Navy. Two classes of wartime corvette were designed and built in considerable numbers (see separate articles):

Sloop classes

Sloops (early single-masted type)

Note that early sloops were single-masted, including (initially) the Swift, Jamaica and Hazard groups listed below for 1700–1711; however, all surviving sloops by 1716 had been re-rigged as two-masted, and all new sloops continued to be two-masted until the 1750s, when three-masted - ship-rigged - sloops were introduced.

  • Swift group — 3 vessels, 1704
    • Swift (1704) - sold 1719.
    • Ferret (1704) - captured 1706 by French.
    • Weazle (1704) - sold 1712.
  • Jamaica group — 4 vessels, 1709–1711
    • Jamaica (1709) - wrecked 1715.
    • Trial (1709) - rebuilt 1719.
    • Ferret (1711) - captured by Spanish 1718.
    • Shark (1711) - rebuilt 1722.
  • Hazard group — 2 vessels, 1711
    • Hazard (1711) - wrecked 1714.
    • Happy (1711) - rebuilt 1724-25.

Two-masted sloops (to 1770)

All early two-masted sloops were mainly either ketch-rigged or snow-rigged.

  • Drake — 1 brig-rigged vessel, 1705 - rebuilt 1728
  • Trial — 1 vessel, 1719 (rebuilt from 1709 vessel) - BU 1731.
  • Bonetta group — 2 vessels, 1721
    • Bonetta (1721) - sold 1731.
    • Ferret (1721) - sold 1731.
  • Otter group — 2 vessels, 1721
    • Otter (1721) - wrecked 1742.
    • Swift (1721) - sold 1741.
  • Cruizer group — 4 vessels, 1721
    • Cruizer (1721) - BU 1732.
    • Weazle (1721) - sold 1732.
    • Hawk (1721) - foundered 1739.
    • Spy (1721) - sold 1731.
  • Shark group — 2 vessels, 1723–1725
    • Shark (1723) - sold 1732.
    • Happy (1725) - sold 1735.
  • Spence — 1 vessel, 1723 - BU 1730.
  • Drake class — 2 vessels, 1729
    • Drake (1729) - BU 1740.
    • Spence (1729) - sold 1749.
  • Grampus — 1 vessel, 1731 - foundered 1742.
  • Wolf — 1 vessel, 1731 - wrecked 1741.
  • Bonetta class — 8 vessels, 1732
    • Shark (1732) - sold 1755.
    • Bonetta (1732) - wrecked 1744.
    • Fly (1732) - BU 1751.
    • Spy (1732) - sold 1745.
    • Saltash (1732) - sold 1741.
    • Cruizer (1732) - sold 1745.
    • Hound (1732) - BU 1745.
    • Trial (1732) - scuttled 1741.
  • Drake class — 3 vessels, 1741
    • Drake (1741) - wrecked 1742.
    • Hawk (1741) - BU 1747.
    • Swift (1741) - lost 1756.
  • Wolf class — 3 vessels, 1742–1743
    • Wolf (1742) - wrecked 1748.
    • Otter (1742) - sold 1763.
    • Grampus (1743) - captured by the French 1744.
  • Baltimore class — 3 vessels, 1742–1743
    • Baltimore (1742) - sold 1762.
    • Saltash (1742) - capsized 1746.
    • Drake (1743) - sold 1748.
  • Merlin class — 21 vessels, 1744–1747
    • Swallow (1744) - wrecked 1744.
    • Merlin (1744) - sold 1748.
    • Speedwell (1744) - sold 1750.
    • Falcon (1744) - captured by French 1745, retaken 1746 and renamed Fortune, sold 1770.
    • Hazard (1744) - sold 1749.
    • Lizard (1744) - wrecked 1748.
    • Hinchingbrooke (1745) - captured by French 1746.
    • Tavistock (1745) - renamed Albany 1747, sold 1763.
    • Hound (1745) - sold 1773.
    • Hornet (1745) - sold 1770.
    • Raven (1745) - sold 1763.
    • Swan (1745) - sold 1763.
    • Badger (1745) - wrecked 1762.
    • Falcon (1745) - wrecked 1759.
    • Scorpion (1746) - wrecked 1762.
    • Swallow (1745) - sold 1769.
    • Kingfisher (1745) - sold 1763.
    • Dispatch (1745) - sold 1773.
    • Viper (1746) - renamed Lightning as fireship 1755, sold 1762.
    • Grampus (1746) - converted to fireship 1762, renamed Strombolo 1771, sold 1780.
    • Saltash (1745) - sold 1773.
  • Hind class — 4 vessels, 1744
  • Wasp group — 4 vessels, 1749–1750
    • Wasp (1749) - sold 1781.
    • Peggy (1749) - wrecked 1770.
    • Hazard (1749) - sold 1783.
    • Savage (1750) - wrecked 1776.

Ship-rigged sloops (1745-1788)

Ship sloops (i.e. sloops carrying three masts, and rigged as ships) were built frigate-style, and initially were referred to as frigates, in spite of their size and relative lack of guns.

  • Purchased sloops 1745-1746
    • Weazel (1745) purchased on the stocks
    • Porcupine (1746) purchased on the stocks
  • Favourite class — 3 ships (including 1 cancelled), 1757–1758
  • Purchased sloops 1757
  • Ferret class — 1 ship, 1760
    • Ferret (1760)
  • Beaver class — 3 ships, 1760–1761
    • Senegal (1760)
    • Beaver (1761)
    • Martin (1761)
  • Modified Favourite class — 1 ship, 1762
    • Nautilus (1762)
  • Swift class — 2 ships, 1763
  • Otter class — 1 ship, 1767
    • Otter (1767)
  • Swallow class — 2 ships, 1769–1771
    • Swallow (1769)
    • Falcon (1771)
  • Swan class — 25 ships, 1766–1778
  • Purchased ship sloops - 2 ships, 1771
    • Raven (1771)
    • Scorpion (1771)
  • Ceres class — 1 ship, 1777
  • Zebra class — 3 ships, 1780–1782 (a fourth was cancelled)
    • Zebra (1780)
    • Ariel (1781)
    • Bulldog (1782)
    • HMS Serpent cancelled 1783
  • Inspector class — 1 ship, 1782
    • Inspector (1782)
  • Echo class — 6 ships, 1782–1785

Brig-rigged sloops (1778-1784)

Ship-rigged sloops (1788 to 1815)

Brig-rigged sloops (1788 to 1815)

This table excludes the small gun-brigs (of less than 200 burthen tons) which were built in considerable numbers during this period: for these gun-brigs see List of gun-brigs of the Royal Navy

Ship-rigged sloops (after 1816)

  • Rose class — 1 ship sloop, 1821
    • Rose (1821)
  • Martin class — 1 ship sloop, 1821
    • Martin (1821)
  • Comet class — 3 ship sloops, 1828–1837
  • Orestes class — 1 ship sloop, 1824
    • Orestes (1824)
  • Pylades class — 1 ship sloop, 1824
  • Snake class (revival of 1797 design) — 2 ship sloops, 1827–1828
    • Childers (1827)
    • Cruiser (1828)
  • Favorite class — 4 ship sloops, 1829–1837
  • Champion class — 1 ship sloop, 1824
    • Champion (1824)
  • Pearl class — 1 ship sloop, 1828
  • Wolf class — 1 ship sloop, 1826
    • Wolf (1826)
  • Satellite class — 2 ship sloops, 1826
  • Scout class — 3 ship sloops (2 cancelled), 1832
    • Scout (1832)
    • Pheasant cancelled 1831
    • Redwing cancelled 1831
  • Rover class — 1 ship sloop, 1832
  • Fly class — 4 ship sloops (2 cancelled), 1831
  • Daphne class — 4 ship sloops (1 cancelled), 1836–1845, later re-classed as corvettes.
  • Modeste class — 1 ship sloop, 1837, later re-classed as corvette.
  • Challenger class — 1 ship sloop (cancelled).
    • Challenger cancelled 1849
  • Arachne class — 3 ship sloops (1 cancelled), 1847, later re-classed as corvettes.
    • Arachne (1847)
    • Terpsichore (1847)
    • Narcissus cancelled 1847

Brig-rigged sloops (after 1816)

Between 1815 and 1826 numerous additional brig-sloops of the wartime Cherokee class were ordered; these have been included with the numbers mentioned in the previous section.

  • Columbine class — 1 brig-sloop, 1826
    • Columbine (1826)
  • Pantaloon class — 1 brig-sloop, purchased 1831
    • Pantaloon (1831)
  • Snake class — 2 brig-sloops, 1832
    • Snake (1832)
    • Serpent (1832)
  • Pandora class — 8 brig-sloops (1 cancelled), 1833–1847
    • Pandora (1833)
    • Bonetta (1836)
    • Dolphin (1838)
    • Spy (1841)
    • Rapid (1840)
    • Sealark (1843)
    • Dart (1847)
    • Daring cancelled 1843
  • Racer class — 9 brig-sloops, 1833–1853
  • Alert class — 18 brig-sloops (4 cancelled), 1835–1846
    • Star (1835)
    • Ranger (1835)
    • Linnet (1835)
    • Alert (1835)
    • Express (1835)
    • Swift (1835)
    • Penguin (1838)
    • Peterel (1838)
    • Crane (1839)
    • Cygnet (1840)
    • Ranger (1840)
    • Dispatch cancelled 1839
    • Dove cancelled 1839
    • Philomel (1842)
    • Heroine (1841)
    • Hound (1846)
    • Mariner cancelled 1839
    • Martin cancelled 1839
  • Waterwitch class — 1 brig-sloop, 1834
    • Waterwitch (1834)
  • Acorn class — 14 brig-sloops, 1838–1852
    • Grecian (1838)
    • Fantome (1839)
    • Pilot (1838)
    • Acorn (1838)
    • Arab (1847)
    • Persian (1839)
    • Bittern (1840)
    • Albatross (1842)
    • Elk (1847)
    • Heron (1847)
    • Mariner (1846)
    • Despatch (1851)
    • Martin (1850)
    • Kangaroo (1852)
  • Helena class — 7 first class brigs, 1841–1853
    • Siren (1841)
    • Helena (1843)
    • Jumna (1848)
    • Atalanta (1847)
    • Camilla (1847)
    • Musquito (1851)
    • Rover (1853)
  • Frolic class — 1 first-class brig, 1842
    • Frolic (1842)
  • Experimental brigs — 9 third-class brigs (to 8 different designs), 1844–1847
    • Daring (1844)
    • Mutine (1844)
    • Flying Fish (1844)
    • Kingfisher (1845)
    • Osprey (1844)
    • Espiegle (1844)
    • Britomart (1847)
    • Recruit (1846) - iron-hulled
    • Contest (1846)
  • Nerbudda class — 1 second-class brig, 1848
    • Nerbudda (1848)

Paddle-driven sloops

These vessels were initially rated as steam vessels until 1844, when the category of steam sloops was created.

19th century screw sloops (to 1903)

  • Rattler (1843) - sold 1856.
  • Phoenix (1845 conversion from paddle sloop of 1832) - sold 1864.
  • Encounter class — 2 ships (second cancelled), 1846.
  • Niger class — 2 ships (second cancelled), 1846.
  • Conflict class — 4 ships (second pair cancelled), 1846–1849.
  • Plumper (1848) - sold 1865.
  • Reynard (1848) - wrecked 1851.
  • Archer class — 2 ships, 1849–1850.
    • Archer (1849) - sold 1866.
    • Wasp (1850) - sold 1869.
  • Miranda (1851) - sold 1869.
  • Brisk (1851) - sold 1870.
  • Malacca (1853) - sold 1869.

In 1852 six of the screw sloops (Archer, Brisk, Encounter, Malacca, Miranda and Niger) were reclassed as corvettes, while four others (Conflict, Desperate, Phoenix and Wasp) remained sloops.

  • Cruizer class — 6 ships, 1852–1856.
  • Swallow class — 4 ships, 1854–1866.
    • Curlew (1854) - sold 1865.
    • Swallow (1854) - sold 1866.
    • Ariel (1854) - sold 1865.
    • Lyra (1857) - broken up 1876.
  • Racer class — 5 ships, 1856–1860.
    • Cordelia (1856) - sold 1870.
    • Racer (1857) - broken up 1876.
    • Gannet (1857) - broken up 1877.
    • Icarus (1858) - sold 1875.
    • Pantaloon (1860) - sold 1867.
  • Greyhound class — 2 ships, 1859.
    • Greyhound (1859) - harbour service 1869, sold 1906.
    • Mutine (1859) - sold 1870.
  • Camelion class — 8 ships, 1860–1866 (another 8 cancelled).
    • Camelion (1860) - sold 1883.
    • Pelican (1860) - sold 1867.
    • Rinaldo (1860) - sold 1884.
    • Zebra (1860) - sold 1873.
    • Perseus (1861) - training ship 1886, renamed Defiance II 1904, sold 1931.
    • Chanticleer (1861) - sold 1875.
    • Reindeer (1866) - broken up 1876.
    • Rattler (1862) - wrecked 1868.

[the 8 vessels cancelled in 1863-64 were Harlequin, Tees, Sappho, Trent, Circassian, Diligence, Imogene and Success - although 2 were completed as the ironclads Research and Enterprise.]

  • Rosario class — 7 ships, 1860–1862 (another 6 cancelled).
    • Rosario (1860) - sold 1884.
    • Peterel (1860) - hulked 1885, sold 1901.
    • Rapid (1860) - broken up 1881.
    • Shearwater (1861) - broken up 1877.
    • Royalist (1861) - broken up 1875.
    • Columbine (1862) - broken up 1875.
    • Africa (1862) - Sold to Chinese Imperial Customs in 1862, renamed China and sailed to join Sherard Osborn's "Vampire Fleet".

[the 6 vessels cancelled in 1863 were Circassian, Acheron, Bittern, Fame, Cynthia and Sabrina.]

World War I sloops

Inter-war sloops

World War II sloops

Reference Sources

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