Pennant number

Last updated

In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of pendant number, which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that identified a flotilla or type of vessel. For example, the Royal Navy used a red burgee for torpedo boats and a pennant with an H for torpedo boat destroyers. Adding a number to the type-identifying flag uniquely identified each ship.

Contents

In the current system, a letter prefix, called a flag superior, identifies the type of ship, and numerical suffix, called a flag inferior, uniquely identifies an individual ship. Not all pennant numbers have a flag superior.

Royal Navy systems

The Royal Navy first used pennants to distinguish its ships in 1661 with a proclamation that all of his majesty's ships must fly a union pennant. This distinction was further strengthened by a proclamation in 1674 which forbade merchant vessels from flying any pennants. [1]

The system of numbering pennants was adopted prior to the First World War to distinguish between ships with the same or similar names, to reduce the size and improve the security of communications, and to assist recognition when ships of the same class are together. Traditionally, a pennant number was reported with a full stop "." between the flag superior or inferior and the number, although this practice has gradually been dropped, and inter-war photos after about 1924 tend not to have the full stop painted on the hull. The system was used throughout the navies of the British Empire so that a ship could be transferred from one navy to another without changing its pennant number.

Pennant numbers were originally allocated by individual naval stations and when a ship changed station it would be allocated a new number. The Admiralty took the situation in hand and first compiled a "Naval Pendant List" in 1910, with ships grouped under the distinguishing flag of their type. In addition, ships of the 2nd and 3rd (i.e. reserve) fleets had a second flag superior distinguishing from which naval depot they were crewed: "C" for Chatham, "D" for Devonport, "N" for Nore and "P" for Portsmouth. Destroyers were initially allocated the flag superior "H", but as this covered only one hundred possible combinations from H00 to H99 the letters "G" and "R" were also allocated. When ships were sunk, their pendant numbers were reissued to new ships.

The flag superior for whole ship classes has often been changed while the numbers stayed the same. For example, in 1940, the Royal Navy swapped the letters "I" and "D" around (e.g. D18 became I18 and I18 became D18) and in 1948, "K", "L" and "U" all became "F"; where there was a conflict, a 2 was added to the front of the pendant number.

During the 1970s, the service stopped painting pennant numbers on submarines on the grounds that, with the arrival of nuclear boats, they spent too little time on the surface, although submarines do continue to be issued numbers.

HMS Lancaster was initially allocated the pennant number F232, until it was realised that in the Royal Navy, form number 232 is the official report for ships that have run aground; sailors being superstitious, it was quickly changed to F229.

Second World War

No flag superior

Pendant number 13 was not allocated.

  • Capital ships, aircraft carriers, cruisers

Flag superiors

Pendant numbers 13 were not allocated to flag superiors. The letters J and K were used with three number combinations due to the number of vessels.


Flag inferiors

Flag inferiors were applied to submarines. Royal Navy submarines of the "H" and "L", and some transferred American vessels, were not issued names, only numbers. In these cases, the pendant number was simply the hull number inverted (i.e. L24 was issued pendant "24L"). Pre-war photos show the pendants painted correctly, with the flag inferior, but wartime photos show that the numbers tend to be painted "backwards", in that the inferior was painted on as a superior. For obvious reasons, the inferior "U" was not used so as not to confuse friendly ships with German U-boats. For similar reasons "V" was not used. Pendant numbers 00–10, 13, and those ending in a zero were not allocated to flag inferiors.

Post-1948

After the Second World War, in 1948, the Royal Navy adopted a rationalised "pennant" number system where the flag superior indicated the basic type of ship as follows. "F" and "A" use two or three digits, "L" and "P" up to four. Again, pennant 13 is not used (for instance the helicopter carrier Ocean (L12) was followed by Albion (L14)).

Flotilla bands

1925–1939

From 1925, flotilla leaders were issued with but did not paint on pendant numbers. Instead, a broad band 4 feet (1.2 m) deep was painted round their fore-funnel. Divisional leaders wore a pendant number and had a narrower 2 feet (0.61 m) deep band on the fore-funnel, painted 3 feet (0.91 m) from the top. The Mediterranean Fleet wore black leader bands and the Atlantic – later Home Fleet wore white bands. The flotillas wore combinations of bands on their after funnel to identify them. From 1925 the following bands were worn;

  • 1st Destroyer Flotilla — one black band
  • 2nd Destroyer Flotilla — two black bands (one red from 1935)
  • 3rd Destroyer Flotilla — three black bands
  • 4th Destroyer Flotilla — no bands
  • 5th Destroyer Flotilla — one white band
  • 6th Destroyer Flotilla — two white bands
  • 8th Destroyer Flotilla (from 1935) — one black and one white band

Second World War

When single funnelled destroyers entered the fleet with the J class in 1939 and with an expansion in the number of flotillas, the system was changed accordingly. Single funnelled ships wore a 3 feet (0.91 m) deep band as a flotilla leader. As a divisional leader they had a 2 feet (0.61 m) wide vertical band the same colour as, and extending 6 feet (1.8 m) below, the upper flotilla band. Leaders bands were white for Home Fleet, red for Mediterranean Fleet, and the system of flotilla bands changed to;

  • 1st Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 1 red, G class
  • 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 2 red, H class
  • 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 3 red bands, then none, I class
  • 4th Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — none, Tribal class
  • 5th Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — none, K class
  • 6th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 white, Tribal class
  • 7th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 2 white, J class
  • 8th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 3 white, F class
  • 9th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 black & 2 white, V and W class
  • 10th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — none, V & W class
  • 11th Destroyer Flotilla (Western Approaches) — 1 black over 2 red, V and W class
  • 12th Destroyer Flotilla (Rosyth) — 1 white over 1 red, E class
  • 13th Destroyer Flotilla (Gibraltar) — 1 white over 2 red, V and W class
  • 14th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 red over 1 black, V and W class
  • 15th Destroyer Flotilla (Rosyth) — 1 red over 2 black, V and W class
  • 16th Destroyer Flotilla (Portsmouth) — 1 red over 1 white, V and W class
  • 17th Destroyer Flotilla (Western Approaches) (from 1940) — 1 red over 2 white, Town class
  • 18th Destroyer Flotilla (Channel) — 1 white & 1 black, A class
  • 19th Destroyer Flotilla (Dover)— 1 white over 2 black, B class
  • 20th Destroyer Flotilla (Portsmouth) — 2 white over 1 black, C class
  • 21st Destroyer Flotilla (China Station) — 2 white over 1 red, D class

Flotilla bands were used throughout the war although war-losses, operational requirements, and new construction broke up the homogeneity of the destroyer flotillas. Vessels were deployed as and when they were needed or available, and were often incorporated into mixed "escort groups" containing a range of vessel types such as sloops, corvettes, frigates and escort carriers. A few of the escort groups adopted funnel bands; others (like the B7 escort group) wore letters on their funnels.

Post-war

Post-war Flotillas were no longer identified by bands, but by large cast metal numbers bolted to the funnels. Flotilla leaders continued to display a large band at the top of the funnel and half leaders would carry a thin black band around the funnel.

Deck codes

Aircraft carriers and vessels operating aircraft have a deck code painted on the flight deck to aid identification by aircraft attempting to land. This is in a position clearly visible on the approach path. The Royal Navy uses a single letter (typically the first letter of the ship's name) for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters (usually letters from the ship's name) for smaller vessels. The United States Navy, with its larger fleet, uses the numeric part of the hull classification number (a system analogous to pennant numbers). Deck codes used by contemporary major British naval warships include:

International pennant numbers

Several European NATO and Commonwealth navies agreed to introduce a pennant number system based on that of the Royal Navy. The system guarantees that, amongst those navies and other navies that later joined, all pennant numbers are unique. The United States does not participate in this system; its ships are identified by unique hull classification symbols.

Participating countries, with their assigned number ranges, [3] [4] include:

The NATO pennant number system added the Y (for yard) symbol for tugboats, floating cranes, docks and the like.

International Deck Codes

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy uses a single letter (typically the first letter of the ship's name) for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters (usually, letters from the ship's name) for smaller vessel.

Albion class

River class

Daring class

Duke class

Invincible class

Queen Elizabeth class

Bay class

Tide class

Wave class

Fort Rosalie Class

Individual ships

Royal Netherlands Navy

De Zeven Provinciën class

Holland class

Amphibious support ships

Royal Canadian Navy

Halifax class

Harry DeWolf-class

(Deck codes of decommissioned ships)

St. Laurent-class

Annapolis-class

Iroquois-class

HMCS Provider — PR

Protecteur-class

Egyptian Navy

German Navy

Braunschweig class

Sachsen-class frigate

Auxiliary ships

French Navy

Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier

Mistral class

Horizon class

Aquitaine class

La Fayette class

Royal New Zealand Navy

Portuguese Navy

Vasco da Gama class

Bartolomeu Dias class

Indonesian Navy

The Indonesian Navy uses a three letter deck code only for frigates and LPDs. The letters usually consist of first letter, third letter, and fourth letter (or last letter) of the ship's name

Ahmad Yani Class

Martadinata Class

Bung Tomo Class

Fatahillah Class Corvette

Makassar- Class

Cakra Class

Nagapasa Class

Diponegoro Class

See also

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Marlborough</i> (F233) 1991 Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Marlborough was a Duke-class Type 23 frigate formerly in service with the Royal Navy and the sixth ship to bear the name. She was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The ship entered service with the Royal Navy in 1991 and served in the Middle East. The frigate was taken out of service in 2005 and sold to Chile. The vessel entered service with the Chilean Navy in 2008 as Almirante Condell. The ship was significantly upgraded from 2020 to 2021 and remains in service.

S-class destroyer (1917) Class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy

The S class was a class of 67 destroyers ordered for the Royal Navy in 1917 under the 11th and 12th Emergency War Programmes. They saw active service in the last months of the First World War and in the Russian and Irish Civil Wars during the early 1920s. Most were relegated to the reserve by the mid-1920s and subsequently scrapped under the terms of the London Naval Treaty. Eleven survivors saw much action during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Taurus</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Taurus was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Ordered from Thornycroft in 1915 and launched in 1917, the vessel operated as part of the Harwich Force until the end of hostilities. Shortly after entering service, Taurus formed part of the destroyer shield for the Royal Navy's bombardment of Ostend that successfully sank the German destroyer S20. After the War, the destroyer was reduced to the Reserve Fleet and sold to be broken up in 1930.

HMS <i>Satyr</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Satyr was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched on 27 December 1916, Satyr joined the Harwich Force under the command of Commander Hubert de Burgh. In 1917, the destroyer formed part of a force protecting the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend. As part of this action, Satyr, along with sister ships Taurus, Sharpshooter and Torrent, sank the German destroyer S20. After the war, the ship served with the Torpedo School at the Devonport. In 1923, the Navy decided to retire many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels and Satyr was sold to be broken up on 16 December 1926.

In 1989 the Royal Navy was under the direction of the Navy Department in the UK Ministry of Defence. It had two main commands, CINCFLEET and Naval Home Command.

HMS <i>Tristram</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Tristram was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched in 1917, the destroyer was operational for just over four years. In 1917, Tristram joined the Grand Fleet and provided distant cover at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight but did not engage with the enemy. After the armistice which ended the war, the destroyer was initially transferred to the Home Fleet before being placed in reserve in 1920 and then sold to be broken up in 1921.

HMS <i>Ulster</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Ulster was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched on 10 October 1917, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet. After the war, the destroyer was placed initially in the Home Fleet, but then moved to the Reserve Fleet before, on 21 April 1928, being sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Ursa</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Ursa was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched in 1917, the vessel saw service as part of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight while being commanded by Commander John Tovey, who later became Admiral of the Fleet and led the successful action against the battleship Bismark. The vessel was also one of the first destroyers to launch a torpedo at the enemy during the battle. After the war, Ursa was transferred to the Home Fleet, but was sold to be broken up in 1928.

HMS <i>Ursula</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Ursula was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. The vessel was launched in 1917 at Greenock in Scotland and served with the Grand Fleet during the First World War. After the war, the destroyer was transferred to the Home Fleet, but then moved to the Reserve Fleet. In 1924, Prince George served aboard Ursula before, in 1929, the vessel was sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Tirade</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Tirade was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched in April 1917 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet. The vessel was involved in escorting convoys in the Irish Sea and North Sea. During one of these duties, in September 1917, Tirade sank the minelaying submarine UC-55. During the following month, the destroyer accidentally struck and sank the M-class destroyer Marmion. After the war the destroyer was placed in reserve and then, in November 1921, was sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Ready</i> (1916) British naval vessel

HMS Ready was a destroyer of the M class that served with the Royal Navy during First World War. Launched by Thornycroft in 1916, the vessel was the one of two similar ships ordered as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. They differed from the remainder of the M class in having more powerful engines. The design was used as the basis for the subsequent five ships of the R-class also built by the yard. Ready operated within the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded at the end of the war. The vessel was credited with helping to sink a German Q-ship in 1917. After the war, the destroyer was initially transferred to HMNB Portsmouth, but was retired and sold to be broken up in 1926 after almost a decade of service as part of a preparation for a fleet of new destroyers.

HMS <i>Umpire</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Umpire was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched on 9 June 1917, the ship operated with the Grand Fleet during World War I as an escort to a squadron of light cruiser and took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. After the Armistice, the vessel continued to serve and gained fame when, after rescuing the charity's founder from drowning in 1924, the name of the first house opened by what would become Veterans Aid was named H10 after the destroyer's pennant number. Umpire was sold to be broken up in 1930.

HMS <i>Rocket</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Rocket was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 2 July 1916 after being stuck on the slipway since 30 June, the ship joined the Grand Fleet, operating as part of a destroyer flotilla undertaking anti-submarine operations in the North Sea. Although the ship did not successfully engage any German submarines, there was an incident with the Royal Navy boat K7 on 16 June 1917, although that attack was aborted after the erstwhile target was identified as a friendly vessel. After the War, the destroyer served with the anti-submarine and torpedo schools at Portsmouth, and briefly during the Chanak Crisis of 1922, before being sold to be broken up on 16 December 1926.

HMS <i>Laurel</i> (1913) British Laforey-class destroyer

HMS Laurel was a Laforey-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 6 May 1913 as HMS Redgauntlet, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first alphabetical class destroyers. On commissioning, the vessel joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force during the First World War. During Battle of Heligoland Bight, Laurel led a flotilla that pursued German torpedo boats, engaging with G194 and G196, and was damaged in action with the cruiser Mainz. The vessel also played a minor role in the Battles of Dogger Bank, Dover Strait and Jutland. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and scrapped on 1 November 1921.

HMS <i>Magic</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer of the First World War

HMS Magic was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L class, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Marigold by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched in 1915. The ship served during the War as part of the Grand Fleet, mainly on anti-submarine and convoy escort duties from the port of Queenstown. In 1917, the destroyer took part in the Battle of Jutland and was one of a small number of British vessels that attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, although both torpedoes missed. In 1918, the ship struck a mine of the coast of Ireland and, although the damage was repaired, 25 people died. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up in 1921.

HMS <i>Linnet</i> (1913) Laforey-class destroyer

HMS Linnet was a Laforey-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched on 16 August 1913 as HMS Havock, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first destroyers in a class named alphabetically. This convention subsequently became the norm. On commissioning, the vessel joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force. The destroyer was first commanded by Commander Loftus Jones who named his daughter Linnette after the ship. During the War, the destroyer took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, and escorted minelayers on missions to lay mines. It was during one the latter missions that the ship was nearly hit by a gun hurled from the stricken minelayer Amphion. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and sold to be broken up on 4 November 1921.

HMS <i>Medway</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Medway was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous Laforey-class, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Redwing by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 8 March 1916. The vessel was allocated to the Grand Fleet and served in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in support of the First Light Cruiser Squadron in their action against German light cruisers and minesweepers. During the action, the ship did not record any hits. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Plover</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Plover was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 March 1916 by Hawthorn Leslie on the River Tyne, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet. Plover was based at Scapa Flow and took part in sorties in response to German submarine activity. After an uneventful war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Opportune</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Opportune was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 20 November 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Opportune spent much of the war involved in anti-submarine warfare. The ship took part in large patrols to seek out submarines which involved entire flotillas and also acted as an escort for convoys. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth and placed in reserve. After a brief spell as a remote controlled target to test how warships responded to attacks by aircraft, Opportune was decommissioned and, on 7 December 1923, sold to be broken up.

References

  1. ↑ Perrin, william Gordon (1922). British Flags, Their Early History, and Their Development at Sea: With an Account of the Origin of the Flag as a National Device. Cambridge University Press archive. p.  202.
  2. 1 2 Mason, Geoffrey B. (2007). Royal Navy Pendant Numbers.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "sci.military.naval FAQ, Part B – General Terminology & Definitions". Hazegray.org. 2002-04-28. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  4. ↑ "ACP 113 (AI) Call Sign Book for Ships" (PDF). CCEB. January 2012. pp. 199–226. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Jones, Peter (2001). "Towards Self Reliance". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. p. 213. ISBN   0-19-554116-2. OCLC   50418095.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.