# List of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy

This is a list of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, organised chronologically by entry into service.

## Torpedo boat destroyers

In 1913, the surviving members of the large heterogeneous array of older 27-knot and 30-knot torpedo boat destroyer types (all six of the original 26-knot ships had been disposed of by the end of 1912) were organised into the A, B, C and D classes according to their design speed and the number of funnels they possessed. All were of a "turtle-back" design and, excepting a few "builder's specials", powered by reciprocating engines. It should be stressed that these A to D class designations did not exist before 1913, and only applied to those "turtle-backed" destroyers surviving to that time.
* "26-knotter" types
** Daring class: 2 ships, 1893–1894
** Havock class: 2 ships, 1893
** Ferret class: 2 ships, 1893–1894
* A class; (27-knot classes)
** Ardent class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
** Charger class: 3 ships, 1894
** Rocket class: 3 ships, 1894
** Hardy class: 2 ships, 1895
** Conflict class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
** Fervent class: 2 ships, 1895
** Janus class: 3 ships, 1895
** Sturgeon class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
** Salmon class: 2 ships, 1895
** Swordfish class: 2 ships, 1895
** Banshee class: 3 ships, 1894
** Handy class: 3 ships, 1895
** Sunfish class: 3 ships, 1895
** Zebra class: 1 ship, 1895
* B class (4-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
** Quail class: 4 ships, 1895
** Earnest class: 6 ships, 1896–1897
** Spiteful class: 2 ships, 1899
** Myrmidon class: 2 ships, 1900
* C class (3-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
** Star class: 6 ships, 1896–1897
** Avon class: 3 ships, 1896–1897
** Brazen class: 4 ships, 1896–1898
** Violet class: 2 ships, 1897
** Mermaid class: 2 ships, 1897–1898
** Gipsy class: 3 ships, 1897
** Bullfinch class: 3 ships, 1898
** Fawn class: 6 ships, 1897–1899
** Falcon class: 2 ships, 1899–1900
** Greyhound class: 3 ships, 1900–1901
** Thorn class: 3 ships, purchased 1901
** Hawthorn special type: 2 ships, 1899, steam turbine specials
** Thornycroft special: 1 ship, 1898
** Armstrong-Whitworth special,: 1 ship, 1900
* D class; (2-funnelled, 30-knot classes) Unlike the A, B and C classes, the D class comprised a series of similar ships built by one contractor (Thornycroft), although there were small variations between the batches ordered in each year.
** 1893-94 Programme: 4 ships, 1896
** 1894-95 Programme: 2 ships, 1897
** 1895-96 Programme: 3 ships, 1897–1898
** 1896-97 Programme (special type): 1 ship, 1899
* Taku type: 1 ship, 1900, ex-Chinese prize

## Conventional destroyers

In 1913, lettered names were given to all Royal Navy destroyers, previously known after the first ship of that class. The River or E class of 1913 were the first destroyers of the Royal Navy with a high forecastles instead of "turtleback" bow making this the first class with a more recognizable modern configuration.
* River or E class: 36 ships, 1903–1905 (including 2 later purchases)
* Cricket-class coastal destroyer: 36 ships, 1906–1909
* Tribal or F class: 13 ships, 1907–1909
* Beagle or G class: 16 ships, 1909–1910
* Acorn or H class: 20 ships, 1910–1911
* Acheron or I class: 23 ships, 1910–1915
* Acasta or K class: 20 ships, 1912–1913
* Swift type: 1 ship, 1907, large 36-knot flotilla leader prototype
* Laforey or L class: 22 ships, 1913–1915
* Arno type: 1 ship, 1914, Italian built for Portugal but purchased in 1915
* Admiralty M class: 74 ships, 1914–1917
* Hawthorn M class: 2 ships, 1915
* Yarrow M class: 10 ships, 1914–1916
* Thornycroft M class: 6 ships, 1914–1916
* Talisman class: 4 ships, 1914–1916, ex-Turkish purchases
* Medea class : 4 ships, 1915, ex-Greek purchases
* Faulknor-class leader: 4 ships, 1914, ex-Chilean purchases
* Marksman-class leader: 7 ships, 1915–1916
* Parker-class leader: 6 ships, 1916–1917
* Admiralty R class: 39 ships, 1916–1917
* Yarrow Later M class: 7 ships, 1916–1917
* Thornycroft R class: 5 ships, 1916–1917
* Admiralty modified R class: 11 ships, 1916–1917
* Admiralty S class: 55 ships, 1918–1924
* Yarrow S class: 7 ships, 1918–1919
* Thornycroft S class: 5 ships, 1918–1919
* Admiralty V class: 28 ships, 1916–1918
* Admiralty W class: 19 ships, 1916–1918
* Thornycroft V and W class: 4 ships, 1918
* Thornycroft modified W class: 2 ships, 1918–1924
* Admiralty modified W class: 15 ships, 1918–1922
* Admiralty type flotilla leader: 8 ships, 1917–1919
* Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class: 5 ships, 1917–1921

### Inter-war standard classes

* Ambuscade type: 1 ship, 1926, Yarrow prototype of new design.
* Amazon type: 1 ship, 1926, Thornycroft prototype of new design.
** A class: 9 ships, 1928–1931
** B class: 9 ships, 1929–1931
** C class: 5 ships, 1930–1934
** D class: 9 ships, 1931–1933
** E class: 9 ships, 1933–1934
** F class: 9 ships, 1933–1935
** G class: 9 ships, 1934–1936
** H class: 9 ships, 1935–1937
*** ex-Brazilian H class: 6 ships, 1938–1940, ex-Brazilian purchases
** I class: 9 ships, 1936–1937
*** ex-Turkish I class: 2 ships, 1939–1941, ex-Turkish purchases
* Tribal class: 27 ships, 1936–1944
* J, K and N class: 24 ships, 1938–1941
* Hunt class: 86 ships (20 Type I, 36 Type II, 28 Type III, 2 Type IV), 1939–1942, "escort destroyers"
* L and M class: 16 ships, 1939–42
* Town class: 50 ships from three classes of United States Navy destroyers, built 1917–1920, transferred 1940

### World War II War Emergency Programme destroyers

The following were ordered as part of the War Emergency Programme classes:
* O and P class: 16 ships, 1941–1942
* Q and R class: 16 ships, 1941–1942
* S and T class: 16 ships, 1942–1943
* U and V class: 16 ships, 1942–1943
* W and Z class: 16 ships, 1943–1944
* C class: 32 ships, (8 Ca-, 8 Ch-, 8 Co-, 8 Cr-), 1943–1945
* Battle class: 23 ships (16 Group I, 7 Group II), 1943–1946
* Weapon class: 4 ships, 1945–1946
* G class: 0 ships (8 cancelled), 1944

### Post-war all-gun design

* Daring class: 8 ships, 1949–1952

## Guided-missile destroyers

Source:
* County class: 8 ships (4 Batch I, 4 Batch II), 1961–1967
* Type 82: 1 ship (Bristol, 1969) built to trial technology. Eight originally planned to operate with cancelled CVA-01 aircraft carriers.
* Type 42: 14 ships (6 Sheffield, 4 Exeter, 4 Manchester), 1971–1983
* Type 43: project cancelled at feasibility stage in 1981 Defence White Paper
* Type 44: Subclass of Type 43 with better anti-submarine capability.
* Type 45: 6 ships, all commissioned between 2009 and 2013
* Type 83: Planned to replace Type 45 in 2030s.