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 designated to 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.[1][2][3][4]

List of auxiliary ships of World War II
Ship Country or organization Class Type Displacement (tons) First commissioned Fate
Alcantara  Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser 22,181 1927 Scrapped 1958
Anacapa  United States Navy Q-ship 7,500 31 August 1942 21 March 1946
Antoine  Royal Navy Special Service Ship 1,030 paid off March 1941
Asterion  United States Navy Q-ship 6,610 March 1942 transferred to Coast Guard 16 December 1943 converted to weather ship
Atik Q-ship 6,610 5 March 1942 sunk 26 March 1942
Atlantis  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 7,862 19 December 1939 Sunk 21 November 1941
Big Horn  United States Navy Q-ship 15 April 1942 6 May 1946
Brutus  Royal Navy Special Service Ship 5,945 paid off March 1941
Captor  United States Navy Q-ship 319 5 March 1942 paid off 4 October 1944
Chatsgrove  Royal Navy P Special Service Ship 610 1918 paid off March 1941
Coronel  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 12,700 13 August 1938 ran aground 21 November 1984
Cyprus  Royal Navy Special Service Ship 4,398 paid off March 1941
Dunvegan Castle armed merchant cruiser 15,007 7 September 1939 sunk 28 August 1940
Edgehill Special Service Ship 4,702 sunk 29 June 1940
Fidelity Special Service Ship 2,456 24 September 1940 sunk 30 December 1942
Hansa  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 9,138 2 February 1944 scrapped 1971
Irene Forsyte  United States Navy Q-ship 283 26 August 1943 16 December 1943
Jervis Bay  Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser 14,164 October 1940 sunk 5 November 1940
Komet  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 7,500 2 June 1940 sunk 14 October 1942
Kormoran auxiliary cruiser 19,900 9 October 1940 19 November 1941
Lambridge  Royal Navy Special Service Ship 5,119 paid off March 1941
Looe Special Service Ship 1,030 paid off March 1941
Maunder Special Service Ship 5,072 paid off March 1941
Michel  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 10,900 7 September 1941 sunk 17 October 1943
Monowai  Royal New Zealand Navy armed merchant cruiser 4,925 30 August 1940 Decommissioned 18 June 1943, then landing ship
Orion  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 15,700 9 December 1939 sunk 4 May 1945
Patroclus  Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser 11,314 12 September 1939 sunk 4 November 1940
Pinguin  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 17,600 6 February 1940 sunk 8 May 1941
Pretoria Castle  Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser 23,450 28 November 1939 training merchant aircraft carrier from July 1943, reconverted to passenger liner
Prince David  Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser 5,736 28 December 1940 Broken up 1951
Prince Henry armed merchant cruiser 6,893 3 November 1940 paid off July 1946
Prince Robert armed merchant cruiser 6,892 December 1940 paid off 10 December 1945
Prunella  Royal Navy Special Service Ship 4,443 sunk 21 June 1940
Rajputana armed merchant cruiser 16,568 December 1939 sunk 13 April 1941
Ramb I  Regia Marina armed merchant cruiser 3,667 10 June 1940 sunk 27 February 1941
Ramb II armed merchant cruiser 3,667 10 June 1940 to Japanese as Calitea II; sunk on 12 January 1945
Ramb III armed merchant cruiser 3,667 10 June 1940 to Germany 9 September 1943, then in post-war service with the Yugoslav Navy
Stier  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 11,000 25 November 1939 sunk 27 September 1942
Thor auxiliary cruiser 9,200 15 March 1940 accidentally burnt 30 November 1942
Transylvania  Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser 16,923 5 October 1939 sunk 10 August 1940
Widder  Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser 16,800 30 November 1939 became repair ship Neumark 1941

References

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  1. ^ "Royal Navy operations in the Second World War". The National Archives. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Hulls Listed by Name". Naval Vessel Register. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007.
  3. ^ "US Navy Inactive Classification Symbols". Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Index". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Bibliography

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