# List of ship launches in 1897

The list of ship launches in 1897 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1897.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 4 January | United Kingdom | Armstrong Whitworth | Elswick | Harald Haarfagre | Tordenskjold-class coastal defence ship | For Kongelig Norske Marine |
| 5 January | United Kingdom | Harland and Wolff | Belfast | Delphic | Ocean liner | For White Star Line |
| 21 January | United Kingdom | Laird, Son & Co | Birkenhead | Panther | Earnest-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 23 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Goorkha | Passenger ship | For Union Steamship Co. |
| 1 February | United Kingdom | Vickers | Barrow in Furness | Bittern | Avon-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 14 February | United Kingdom | Clydebank Engine and Shipbuilding Company | Clydebank | Nahma | Steam yacht | For Robert Walton Goelet |
| 18 February | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Rotterdam | Ocean liner | For Holland America Line |
| 20 February | United Kingdom | Vickers | Barrow in Furness | Niobe | Diadem-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 4 March | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Flying Fish | Star-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 4 March | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Pegasus | Pelorus-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 4 March | United Kingdom | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan | Empress Queen | Passenger paddle steamer | For Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |
| 6 March | United Kingdom | Laird, Son & Co | Birkenhead | Seal | Earnest-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 9 March | United Kingdom | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan | Gipsy | Gipsy-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 18 March | Germany | Blohm & Voss | Hamburg | Coblenz | Cargo liner | For Norddeutscher Lloyd |
| 18 March | United States | Union Iron Works | San Francisco, California | Marietta | Gunboat | For United States Navy |
| 18 March | United Kingdom | Armstrong Whitworth | Elswick | Tordenskjold | Tordenskjold-class coastal defence ship | For Kongelig Norske Marine |
| 20 March | United Kingdom | J & G Thompson | Clydebank | Europa | Diadem-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 20 March | United Kingdom | Vickers | Barrow in Furness | Leopard | Avon-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 20 March | United Kingdom | Furness, Withy and Company | West Hartlepool | Maylands | Collier | For J F Wilson & Co |
| 30 March | United States | Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. | Bristol, Rhode Island | Du Pont | Torpedo boat | For United States Navy |
| 7 April | United Kingdom | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan | Osprey | Gipsy-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 14 April | Germany | AG Vulcan | Stettin | Hertha | Victoria Louise-class cruiser | For Kaiserliche Marine |
| 27 April | Germany | Kaiserliche Werft | Danzig | Freya | Victoria Louise-class cruiser | For Kaiserliche Marine |
| 29 April | Kingdom of Italy | Venetian Arsenal | Venice | Ammiraglio di Saint Bon | Ammiraglio di Saint Bon-class battleship | For Regia Marina |
| 3 May | United Kingdom | William Doxford and Sons | Sunderland | Violet | Violet-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 4 May | Germany | AG Vulcan | Stettin | Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse | Ocean liner | For Norddeutscher Lloyd |
| 8 May | United States | Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Co. | Baltimore, Maryland | Winslow | Torpedo boat | For United States Navy |
| 15 May | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Flirt | Star-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 15 May | United Kingdom | Frederick Braby & Co. Ltd. | Deptford | Atlas | Barge | For Frederick Braby & Co. Ltd. |
| 15 May | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Pyramus | Pelorus-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 17 May | United States | Crescent Shipyard | Elizabeth, New Jersey | Holland | Submarine | For United States Navy |
| 17 May | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Montcalm | Cargo liner | For African Steamship Company |
| 18 May | United Kingdom | Blyth Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth | Dauntless | Steamship | For Steamship Dauntless Co. Ltd. |
| 18 May | United Kingdom | Armstrong Whitworth | Elswick | Takasago | Protected cruiser | For Imperial Japanese Navy |
| 29 May | United Kingdom | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan | Fairy | Gipsy-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 29 May | United Kingdom | Ramage and Ferguson | Leith | Kenthales | Steam yacht | For William Johnston |
| 2 June | United Kingdom | Laird, Son & Co | Birkenhead | Wolf | Earnest-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 3 June | United States | J. H. Dialogue and Son | Camden, New Jersey | Princeton | Gunboat | For United States Navy |
| 5 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Briton | Passenger ship | For Union Steamship Line. |
| 14 June | United Kingdom | Brown & Clapson | Barton-upon-Humber | Active | sloop | For Henry Oldridge. |
| 17 June | United Kingdom | Sir Raylton Dixon and Company | Middlesbrough | Montrose | Ocean Liner | For Elder Dempster Line |
| 3 July | United Kingdom | William Doxford and Sons | Sunderland | Sylvia | Violet-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 14 July | United Kingdom | Hawthorn Leslie and Company | Hebburn | Cheerful | Mermaid-class destroyer | For Royal Navy |
| 15 July | United Kingdom | Earle's Shipbuilding | Kingston upon Hull | Perseus | Pelorus-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 21 July | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Derbyshire | Passenger ship | For Bibby Steamship Co. |
| 7 August | United States | Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Co. | Baltimore, Maryland | Plunger | Submarine | For United States Navy (not commissioned) |
| 8 August | United States | Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. | Newport News, Virginia | Creole | Passenger ship | For Cromwell Steamship Lines |
| 13 August | United Kingdom | Blyth Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth | Craigneuk | Steamship | For Craig Line Steamship Co. Ltd. |
| 17 August | United Kingdom | Gourlay Brothers | Dundee | Batavier II | Passenger ship | For Batavier Line |
| 18 August | Austria-Hungary | Pola Naval Arsenal | Pola | Zenta | Zenta-class cruiser | For Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine |
| 31 August | United Kingdom | Laird & Company | Birkenhead | Presidente Sarmiento | Training ship | For Armada de la República Argentina |
| 11 September | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Winifreda | Passenger ship | For F. Leyland & Co. |
| 12 September | United Kingdom | Cammell Laird | Birkenhead | Leinster | Passenger ship | For City of Dublin Steam Packet Company |
| 14 September | Germany | Kaiserliche Werft | Wilhelmshaven | Kaiser Wilhelm II | Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship | For Kaiserliche Marine |
| 23 September | United Kingdom | Sir J Laing and Sons | Sunderland | Westralia | Cargo liner | For Huddart Parker |
| 25 September | Germany | Kaiserliche Werft | Kiel | Fürst Bismarck | Armoured cruiser | For Kaiserliche Marine |
| 29 September | Kingdom of Italy | Castellammare Royal Dockyard | Castellammare di Stabia | Emanuele Filiberto | Ammiraglio di Saint Bon-class battleship | For Regia Marina |
| 9 October | Germany | Blohm & Voss | Hamburg | Pretoria | Ocean liner | For Hamburg-Amerikanische Paketfahrt AG |
| 12 October | United Kingdom | Harland and Wolff | Belfast | Cymric | Ocean liner | For White Star Line |
| 13 October | United Kingdom | Portsmouth Dockyard | Portsmouth | Canopus | Canopus-class battleship | For Royal Navy |
| 24 October | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Duchess | Steamship | For Cuthbert J. Pyke. |
| 27 October | France | Arsenal de Rochefort | Rochefort | D'Estrées | D'Estrées-class cruiser | For Marine Nationale |
| 1 November | United Kingdom | Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company | Leamouth, London | Fuji | Fuji-class battleship | For Imperial Japanese Navy |
| 4 November | United Kingdom | Thompson | Clydebank | Plutón | Audaz-class destroyer | For Armada Española |
| 10 November | United Kingdom | Caird & Co | Greenock | Arabia | Ocean liner | For Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company |
| 14 November | United States | Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. | Bristol, Rhode Island | Talbot | Torpedo boat | For United States Navy |
| 15 November | United States | Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. | Bristol, Rhode Island | Gwin | Torpedo boat | For United States Navy |
| 18 November | Canada | Thomas J Bulger | Naksup, British Columbia | Rossland | Paddle steamer | For Canadian Pacific Railway |
| 25 November | United Kingdom | Sheerness Dockyard | Sheerness | Pomone | Pelorus-class cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 27 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Brasilia | Passenger ship | For Hamburg America Line. |
| 9 December | United Kingdom | Chatham Dockyard | Chatham | Vindictive | Protected cruiser | For Royal Navy |
| 9 December | Germany | Kaiserliche Werft | Danzig | Vineta | Victoria Louise-class cruiser | For Kaiserliche Marine |
| 11 December | United Kingdom | Charles Connell and Company | Scotstoun | Knight Errant | Cargo ship | For Knight Steamship Company |
| 18 December | Japan | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | Akashi | Suma-class cruiser | For Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Unknown date | United States | | Brooklyn, New York | Bernice | Steam yacht | |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Coyote | Motorboat | For Sylvester Sparling |
| Unknown date | Germany | AG Vulcan | Stettin | Hai Yung | Protected cruiser | For Chinese Navy |
| Unknown date | United States | | Jennings, Montana | J.D. Farrell | Paddle steamer | For Kootenay River Navigation Company |
| Unknown date | Canada | | | Keenora | Passenger ship | |
| Unknown date | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Mayflower | Lighthouse tender | For U.S. Lighthouse Service |
| Unknown date | United States | Louis Pacquet | Jennings, Montana | North Star | Paddle steamer | For Upper Colombia Navigation & Tramway Co. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Olive | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Vigilant | Steamboat | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Abdela & Mitchell Ltd. | Brimscombe | White Cross | Steamship | For Managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District. |
| Unknown date | United States | F. W. Wheeler Company | Bay City, Michigan | Wilmot | Tug | For Ocean Towing and Wrecking Company |
| Unknown date | United States | Charles Hillman | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Winthrop | Tug | For Staples Coal Co |