# List of ship launches in 1956

The list of ship launches in 1956 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1956.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 5 January | United States | Defoe Shipbuilding Company | Bay City, Michigan | Lester | Dealey-class destroyer escort | |
| 12 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Duke of Argyll | Ferry | For British Railways. |
| 17 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Confident | Confiance-class tug | For Royal Navy. |
| 20 January | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Alamo | Thomaston-class dock landing ship | |
| 27 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Maddiston | Ton-class minesweeper | For Royal Navy. |
| 31 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Lappe | Motor lighter | For Shell Oil Co. |
| 4 February | United States | New York Shipbuilding | Camden, New Jersey | John Willis | Dealey-class destroyer escort | |
| 25 February | United States | Portsmouth Naval Shipyard | Kittery, Maine | Salmon | Sailfish-class submarine | |
| 27 February | United Kingdom | Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth, Northumberland | King Aegeus | Cargo ship | For Markos P. Nomikos. |
| 29 February | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Trochus | Hopper ship | For Queensland Government. |
| 2 March | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Solfon | Tanker | For Sigval Bergsen. |
| 24 March | France | Brest Dockyards | Brest | Colbert | Anti-aircraft cruiser | |
| 27 March | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Rowanmore | Cargo ship | For Johnston Warren & Co. |
| 28 March | United States | Fore River Shipyard | Quincy, Massachusetts | Davis | Forrest Sherman-class destroyer | |
| 28 March | United Kingdom | J. Bolson & Son Ltd. | Poole | Shrivenham | Ham-class minesweeper | For Royal Navy. |
| 29 March | Canada | Halifax Shipyards | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Margaree | St. Laurent-class destroyer | |
| 12 April | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Manley | Forrest Sherman-class destroyer | |
| 19 April | West Germany | Blohm & Voss | Hamburg | Ragnvald Jarl | Passenger ship | For NFDS |
| 25 April | United States | Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company | Seattle, Washington | Bridget | Dealey-class destroyer escort | |
| 26 April | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Harvella | Tanker | For Shell Oil Co. |
| 1 May | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Repton | Ton-class minesweeper | For Royal Navy. |
| 3 May | United States | Bethlehem Steel | Sparrows Point, Maryland | Mauna Kea | Suribachi-class ammunition ship | |
| 9 May | United Kingdom | Vickers-Armstrongs | Newcastle upon Tyne | Empress of England | Ocean liner | For Canadian Pacific Railway Co. |
| 10 May | United Kingdom | Alexander Stephen and Sons | Glasgow, Scotland | Palliser | Blackwood-class frigate | |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Sokol | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 23 May | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Flying Duck | Tug | For Clyde Shipping Co. |
| 24 May | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Maxton | Ton-class minesweeper | For Royal Navy. |
| 28 May | United States | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | Darter | Unique submarine | |
| 7 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Ondo | Cargo ship | For Elder Dempster. |
| 19 June | Sweden | Götaverken | Gothenburg | 7 de Agosto | Halland-class destroyer | For Colombian Navy |
| 19 June | West Germany | Norderwerft | Hamburg | Wandsbek | Type I ferry | For HADAG |
| 21 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Tuscany | Refrigerated cargo ship | For Royal Mail Line. |
| 29 June | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Karp | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 12 July | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Hermitage | Thomaston-class dock landing ship | |
| 19 July | West Germany | Scheel & Jöhnk | Harburg | Jollenführer 1 | Ferry type 00 | For HADAG |
| 28 July | United States | New York Shipbuilding | Camden, New Jersey | Van Voorhis | Dealey-class destroyer escort | |
| 31 July | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Sever | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 7 August | United States | Fore River Shipyard | Quincy, Massachusetts | Jonas Ingram | Forrest Sherman-class destroyer | |
| 7 August | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Missouri | Tanker | For Texaco Oil Co. |
| 10 August | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Monticello | Thomaston-class dock landing ship | |
| 13 August | West Germany | Ottensener Eisenwerke | Hamburg | Farmsen | Type I ferry | For HADAG |
| 21 August | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Scottish Coast | Ferry | For Coast Lines. |
| 4 September | United Kingdom | Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth, Northumberland | Harborough | Cargo ship | For National Steamship Co. Ltd. |
| 5 September | United States | Boston Naval Shipyard | Boston, Massachusetts | Suffolk County | De Soto County-class tank landing ship | |
| 8 September | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Du Pont | Forrest Sherman-class destroyer | |
| 29 September | United States | Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, Virginia | Ranger | Forrestal-class aircraft carrier | |
| 9 October | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Vostock | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 12 October | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Grant County | De Soto County-class tank landing ship | |
| 22 October | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Nurton | Ton-class minesweeper | For Royal Navy. |
| 27 October | Australia | Cockatoo Island Dockyard | Sydney, New South Wales | Vampire | Daring-class destroyer | |
| 1 November | Canada | Burrard Dry Dock | Vancouver, British Columbia | Columbia | Restigouche-class destroyer | |
| 1 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Albany | Refrigerated cargo ship | For Royal Mail Line. |
| 20 November | United Kingdom | J. Samuel White | Cowes, Isle of Wight | Khukri | Blackwood-class frigate | For Indian Navy |
| 20 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Storfonn | Tanker | For Sigval Bergsen. |
| 21 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Port Launceston | Refrigerated cargo ship | For Port Line. |
| 22 November | United Kingdom | John Brown & Company | Clydebank, Scotland | Sylvania | Saxonia-class ocean liner | For Cunard Line |
| 22 November | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Yug | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 24 November | United States | New York Shipbuilding | Camden, New Jersey | Hartley | Dealey-class destroyer escort | |
| 29 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Flying Drake | Tug | For Clyde Shipping Co. |
| November | United States | Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company | Mobile, Alabama | ADDSCO 606 | Hopper barge | For Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company. |
| November | United States | Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company | Mobile, Alabama | ADDSCO 607 | Hopper barge | For Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company. |
| November | United States | Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company | Mobile, Alabama | ADDSCO 608 | Hopper barge | For Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company. |
| 19 December | United States | Fore River Shipyard | Quincy, Massachusetts | Blandy | Forrest Sherman-class destroyer | |
| 20 December | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Zapad | Fishing trawler | For private owner. |
| 21 December | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Cloverbank | Cargo ship | For Bank Line. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth, Northumberland | Hada | Tanker | For A/S Aurland. |