Trawlers of the Royal Navy facts for kids
Naval trawlers were purpose-built or requisitioned and operated by the Royal Navy (RN), mainly during World Wars I and II. Vessels built to Admiralty specifications for RN use were known as Admiralty trawlers. All trawlers operated by the RN, regardless of origin, were typically given the prefix HMT, for "His Majesty's Trawler".
Summary
First World War
| Class | Builder | Dates | Built | Lost | Dspl (tons) |
Length (feet) |
Power (ihp) |
Speed (kts) |
Crew | Armament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mersey | Cochrane | 112 | 438 | 148 | 600 | 11 | 20 | 2x3in guns | ||
| Castle | Smith's Dock | 145 | 360 | 18 | ||||||
| Strath | Hall Russell | 167 | 311 | 18 |
The trawler Viola, built in 1906 at Hull and requisitioned September 1914 is the oldest surviving steam trawler in the world. She is currently beached at Grytviken in South Georgia, though there are currently plans to return her to Hull.
Second World War
| Class | Builder | Dates | Built | Lost | Dspl (tons) |
Length (feet) |
Power (ihp) |
Speed (kts) |
Crew | Armament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Basset | 18 | - | 460 | 12 | 33 | 3in gun | ||||
| Tree | 20 | 6 | 530 | 164 | 850 | 11.5 | 35 | 12pdr gun, 2x.5in, 2xtwin MG | ||
| Dance | 20 | 1 | 530 | 161 | 850 | 11.5 | 35 | 4in gun, 3x20mm | ||
| Shakespearian | 12 | 3 | 545 | 164 | 950 | 12 | 35 | 12pdr gun, 3x20mm | ||
| Isles | 112 | 12 | 545 | 164 | 850 | 12 | 40 | 12pdr gun, 3x20mm | ||
| Portuguese | CUF (Lisbon) Arsenal do Alfeite (Lisbon) Mónica (Aveiro) |
12 | 550 | 11 | 30 | 12pdr gun | ||||
| Brazilian | 680 | 12.5 | 40 | |||||||
| Castle | 625 | 10 | 32 | |||||||
| Hills | 8 | 2 | 750 | 181 | 970 | 11 | 35 (40?) | 12pdr gun, 3x20mm | ||
| Fish | 10 | 1 | 670 | 167 | 700 | 11 | 35 | 4in gun, 3x20mm | ||
| Round Table | 8 | - | 440 | 137 | 600 | 12 | 35 | 12pdr gun, 1x20mm, 2xMG | ||
| Military | 9 | - | 750 | 193 | 1000 | 11 | 40 | 4in gun, 4x20mm | ||
| Requisitioned | 215 | 72 | These were ships taken over by the Admiralty |
Requisitioned trawlers
There were also 215 trawlers of no specific class These were commercial trawlers that the Admiralty requisitioned. The Royal Navy classified requisitioned trawlers by manufacturer, although such classes were more diverse than traditional naval classifications. Seventy-two requisitioned trawlers were lost.
See also
- Anti-submarine warfare
- Auxiliary Patrol
- List of mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy
- Minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy
- Royal Naval Patrol Service
- Vorpostenboot, the German equivalent to the trawlers of the Royal Navy
