Warship
A warship or combatant ship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a nation.[1] As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are typically faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. Warships usually belong to a navy, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations.
For other uses, see Warship (disambiguation).In wartime, the distinction between warships and merchant ships is often blurred. Until the 17th century it was common for merchant ships to be pressed into naval service, and not unusual for more than half a fleet to be composed of merchant ships—there was not a large difference in construction, unlike the difference between a heavily armoured World War battleship and an ocean liner. Until the threat of piracy subsided in the 19th century, it was normal practice to arm larger merchant ships such as galleons. Warships have also often been used as troop carriers or supply ships, such as by the French Navy in the 18th century or the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. In war since the early 20th century, merchant ships were often armed and used as auxiliary warships, such as the Q-ships of the First World War and the armed merchant cruisers of the Second World War.
Amphibious warfare ships
Amphibious assault ship
is a type of merchant ship equipped with naval guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers.
Armed merchantman
were modified yachts that were armed with weapons and were typically in the service of a navy.
Armed yachts
was a type of ship equipped with an hot-air balloon tied to the ship with a rope or cable, which was used for observation. This type of ship was later replaced by the seaplane carrier.
Balloon carrier
were steam-powered warships with bales of cotton lining as armour used in the American Civil War. The armaments consisted of a ram, random numbers of different cannons and sharpshooters.
Cottonclad warships
Dispatch boats
Aviso
is a type of small aircraft carrier whose primary role is as the nucleus of an anti-submarine warfare hunter-killer group.
Anti-submarine warfare carrier
Capital ship
Aircraft carrier
a type of cruiser-sized warship built for the purpose of coastal defense.
Coastal defence ship
Commerce raider
Merchant raiders
were small ships during the age of sail. The concept was revived again in WWII as a merchant convoy escort and anti-submarine ship. They were only used by the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy. Today they are used for anti-submarine warfare and patrolling.[10]
Corvettes
Cruiser
Armored cruiser
(also known as aviation cruiser or cruiser-carrier) is a type of warship that combines the features of the aircraft carrier and a surface warship such as a cruiser or battleship.
Aircraft cruiser
Destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a 20-knot (37 km/h; 23 mph), warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships similar to frigates.
Destroyer escort
are a small, fast, agile, offensive, often affordable type of warships armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes.
Fast attack crafts
a vessel of any sort set on fire and sent into an anchorage or fleet with the intention of causing destruction and chaos. Exploding fire ships are called hellburners.
Fire ship
Frigate
Armoured frigate
a sailing and rowing warship, equally well suited to sailing and rowing.
Galleass
a 16th-century armed cargo carriers.
Galleon
Hellenistic galleys
Bireme
Gunboats
River gunboat
was a type of ship common on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries. The ghurāb was originally a galley, but the type evolved into sailing ships armed with cannons.
Grab
were small, armed type of boats, with sails and oars, armed with swivel guns and used on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Gallivat
Ironclad
Casemate ironclad
is a United States Navy classification of warships with the size and role of corvettes.
Littoral Combat Ship
a British Navy expression for a sailing warship.
Man-of-war
are naval vessels that seek, detect, and destroys individual naval mines.
Minehunter
are atype of naval ships designed for the location of and destruction of naval mines which combines the role of a minesweeper and minehunter in one hull.
Mine countermeasures vessels
Monitor
River monitor
are vessels built along the lines of fishing trawlers but fitted out for naval purposes
Naval trawlers
are boats built along the lines of a commercial fishing drifter but fitted out for naval purposes.
Naval drifters
are relatively small naval vessels generally designed for coastal defence, border protection, immigration law-enforcement, search and rescue duties.
Patrol vessels
also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them.
Q-ship
were a type of ship used to carry seaplanes into the open sea. They are considered by some as the predecessor of the aircraft carrier.
Seaplane tenders
a sailing warship capable of standing in the line of battle. A direct predecessor to the later battleship.
Ship of the line
Sloop-of-war
Screw sloop
Submarine
Cruiser submarine
(literally Turtle ship) were wooden sail and oar propelled Korean warships armed with cannons.
Geobukseon
were wooden oar propelled 16th Century Japanese warships armed with few cannons, arquebusiers and archers. They were mostly bulky floating fortifications.
Atakebune
(literally Covered Assaulter) was a type of leather-covered assault warship used in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE in China.
Mengchong
(literally Tower Ship) was a type of warship used as a floating fortress in Ancient China. The Louchuan was meant to board troops onto enemy ships. Although they were also armed with trebuchets for ranged combat.
Louchuan
(literally Centipede Ship) was a Chinese oared vessel of the 16th century inspired by the Portuguese galley.
Wugongchuan
Torpedo boat
Torpedo ram
was a kind of watercraft of the canoe type designed and outfitted for warfare using bow, spear and shield wielding warriors. During the gunpowder era a single brass or iron cannon was mounted on the bow or stern along with musketeers. These warships were used by many tribes and cultures all around the globe.
War canoe
List of naval ship classes in service
Amphibious assault submarine
(1901), "Some notes on naval strategy", in Leyland, J. (ed.), The Naval Annual 1901, pp. 233–52, OCLC 496786828
Bacon, R.H.S.
Dahl, E.J. (2001), (PDF), Joint Force Quarterly (Winter 2000–01): 50–6, archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2016, retrieved 28 November 2016
"Naval innovation: From coal to oil"
Siegel, J. (2002), , I.B. Tauris, ISBN 1-85043-371-2