Naming Conventions of US Navy Ships, 1940-1945
| Aircraft Carriers | ||||||||
| Fleet Aircraft Carriers | CV | Famous old ships of USN, famous battles | ||||||
| Light Aircraft Carriers | CVL | Famous old ships of USN, famous battles | ||||||
| Escort Carriers | CVE | US Sounds & bays, Naval Battles of WWII | ||||||
| Battleships | BB | States of the Union | ||||||
| Cruisers | ||||||||
| Large Cruisers | CB | US Territories & insular possessions | ||||||
| Heavy Cruisers | CA | Large American Cities & towns | ||||||
| Light Cruisers | CL | Medium American Cities & towns | ||||||
| Destroyers | ||||||||
| Destroyers | DD | Distinguished officers & men of USN & USMC | ||||||
| Destroyer Escorts | DE | Distinguished officers & men of USN & USMC | ||||||
| Submarines | SS | Fish and other marine creatures | ||||||
| Submarine Chasers | ||||||||
| Submarine Chasers (Steel Hull) | PC | (none) | ||||||
| Submarine Chasers (Wooden Hull) | SC | (none) | ||||||
| Minecraft | ||||||||
| Minelayers & Coastal Minelayers | CM | Old monitors of USN | ||||||
| Light Minelayers | DM | Old monitors of USN | ||||||
| Auxiliary Minelayers | ACM | Obstructions | ||||||
| Minesweepers | AM | Birds or abstract qualities, word of action, etc. | ||||||
| Coastal Minesweepers | AMc | Birds or abstract qualities, word of action, etc. | ||||||
| Fast Minesweepers | DMS | Birds or abstract qualities, word of action, etc. | ||||||
| Motor Minesweepers | YMS | (none) | ||||||
| Patrol Craft | ||||||||
| Gunboats | PG | Cities & towns | ||||||
| Converted Yachts | PG | Precious & semiprecious stones, general words | ||||||
| Frigates | PF | Cities & towns | ||||||
| River Gunboats | PR | Islands | ||||||
| Smaller Converted Yachts | PY | Precious & semiprecious stones, general words | ||||||
| Coastal Yachts | PYc | Precious & semiprecious stones, general words | ||||||
| Escort Patrol Craft | PCE | (none) | ||||||
| Eagle Boats | PE | (none) | ||||||
| Patrol Craft, Sweepers | PCS | (none) | ||||||
| Motor Gunboats | PGM | (none) | ||||||
| Motor Torpedo Boats | ||||||||
| Motor Torpedo Boats | PT | (none) | ||||||
| Motor Boat Submarine Chasers | PTC | (none) | ||||||
| Oilers & Tankers | ||||||||
| Oilers | AO | American rivers with Indian names | ||||||
| Gaoline Tankers | AOG | American rivers with Indian names | ||||||
| Cargo Ships | ||||||||
| Cargo Ships | AK | Stars, or counties of the US | ||||||
| Attack Cargo Ships | AKA | Counties of the US | ||||||
| Net Cargo Ships | AKN | Stars, or counties of the US | ||||||
| General Stores Issue Ships | AKS | Stars? | AKV | Places associated with history of aviation | ||||
| Transports | ||||||||
| Transports | AP | Presidents; Signers of Declaration of Independence; distinguished generals & admirals; famous women; historic places | ||||||
| Attack Transports | APA | Counties of the US | ||||||
| Self-Propelled Barracks Ships | APB | (none) | ||||||
| Coastal Transports | APc | (none) | ||||||
| High Speed Transports | APD | (Retained original DD/DE name) | ||||||
| Evacuation Transports | APH | Surgeons General of the USN | ||||||
| Barracks Ships | APL | None; unofficially: famous hotels | ||||||
| Mechanized Artillery Transport | APM | "Lakehurst" (only 1) | ||||||
| Transport Submarine | APS | "Argonaut" (only 1) | ||||||
| Aircraft Ferries | APV | Places associated with history of aviation | ||||||
| Repair Ships | ||||||||
| Repair Ships | AR | Mythological figures | ||||||
| Battle Damage Repair Ships | ARB | Mythological figures | ||||||
| Auxiliary Repair Dock (Concrete) | ARDC | (n/a) | ||||||
| Deisel Engine Repair Ships | ARG | Islands | ||||||
| Heavy Hull Repair Ships | ARH | Mythological figures | ||||||
| Landing Craft Repair Ships | ARL | Mythological figures | ||||||
| Salvage Vessels | ARS | Terms associated with marine salvage | ||||||
| Salvage Craft Tenders | ARS(T) | ? | ||||||
| Aircraft Repair Ships (Aircraft) | ARV(A) | ? | ||||||
| Aircraft Repair Ships (Engine) | ARV(E) | ? | ||||||
| Submarine Tenders | ||||||||
| Submarine Tenders | AS | Submarine pioneers & mythological characters | ||||||
| Submarine Rescue Vessels | ASR | Birds | ||||||
| Seaplane Tenders & Aviation Supply Ships | ||||||||
| Seaplane Tenders | AV | Aviation pioneers, bays, sounds & straits | ||||||
| Catapult Lighter | AVC | (none) | ||||||
| Seaplane Tenders (Destroyers) | AVD | ? | ||||||
| Small Seaplane Tenders | AVP | Birds | ||||||
| Aviations Supply Ships | AVS | (none) | ||||||
| Distilling Ships | AW | (none) | ||||||
| Tugboats | ||||||||
| Auxiliary Tugs | ATA | Indian Tribes | ||||||
| Fleet Ocean Tugs | ATF | Indian Tribes | ||||||
| Old Ocean Tugs | ATO | Indian Tribes | ||||||
| Rescue Tugs | ATR | (none) | ||||||
| Auxiliaries | ||||||||
| Crane Ship | AB | "Crane Ship No. 1" | ||||||
| Advanced Base Section Dock | ABSD | (n/a) | ||||||
| Advanced Base Dock | ABD | (n/a) | ||||||
| Destroyer Tenders | AD | Geographical areas of the US | ||||||
| Ammunition Ships | AE | Volcanoes, or explosive related | ||||||
| Provision Store Ships | AF | Stars | ||||||
| Auxiliary Floating Dock | AFD | |||||||
| Miscellaneous Auxiliaries | AG | (unknown) | ||||||
| Amphibious Force Command Ships | AGC | Mountains | ||||||
| MTB Tenders | AGP | Mythological tenders | ||||||
| Surveying Ships | AGS | Distinguished marine surveyors | ||||||
| Hospital Ships | AH | Peaceful or comforting words | ||||||
| Net Laying Ships | AN | Trees or old USN monitors | ||||||
| Unclassified Vessels | IX | Various | ||||||
| Landing Ships & Craft | ||||||||
| Landing Ships, Vehicle | LSV | Old Monitors of USN* | ||||||
| Landing Ships, Dock | LSD | Homes of famous Americans, famous spots | ||||||
| Landing Ships, Tank | LST | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Ships, Medium | LSM | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Ships, Medium (Rocket) | LSM(R) | (none; later, US rivers with non-Indian names) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Flotilla Flagships | LC(FF) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Flak | LCF | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Infantry (Gunboat) | LCI(G) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) | LCI(L) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Infantry (Mortar) | LCI(M) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Infantry (Rocket) | LCI(R) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Support (Large) | LCS(L) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Tank | LCT | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Control | LCC | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Mechanized | LCM | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Personnel (Large) | LCP(L) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp) | LCP(R) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Rubber (Large) | LCR(L) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Rubber (Small) | LCR(S) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Support (S) | LSC(S) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Vehicle | LCV | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel | LCVP | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Vehicle, Tracked | LVT | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) | LVT(A) | (none) | ||||||
| Landing Vehicle, Wheeled (Mark) | LVW | (none) | ||||||
| Amphibious Trucks | DUKW | (none) | ||||||
| Coast Guard Vessels | ||||||||
| Cruising Cutters | WPG | ? | ||||||
| Weather Patrol Ships | WIX | ? | ||||||
| Weather Patrol Cutters | WPC | ? | ||||||
| Icebreakers | WAG | Winds | ||||||
| Yard and District Craft ** | ||||||||
| Ash Lighter | YA | |||||||
| District Auxiliary, Miscellaneous | YAG | |||||||
| Open Lighter | YC | |||||||
| Car Float (Railroad) | YCF | |||||||
| Open Cargo Lighter | YCK | |||||||
| Aircraft Transportation Lighter | YCV | |||||||
| Floating Derrick | YD | |||||||
| Degaussing Vessel | YDG | |||||||
| Diving Tender | YDT | |||||||
| Ammunition Lighter | YE | |||||||
| Covered Lighter | YF | |||||||
| Ferry Boat or Launch | YFB | |||||||
| Floating Dry Dock | YFD | |||||||
| Torpedo Transportation Lighter | YFT | |||||||
| Garbage Lighter | YG | |||||||
| Ambulance Boat | YH | |||||||
| House Boat | YHB | |||||||
| Heating Scow | YHT | |||||||
| Open Landing Lighter | YLA | |||||||
| Dredge | YM | |||||||
| Motor Mine Sweeper | YMS | |||||||
| Net Tender | YN | |||||||
| Gate Vessel | YNg | |||||||
| Net Tender (tug class) | YNT | |||||||
| Fuel Oil Barge | YO | |||||||
| Gasoline Barge | YOG | |||||||
| Oil storage Barge | YOS | |||||||
| District Patrol Vessel | YP | |||||||
| Pile Driver (floating) | YPD | |||||||
| Pontoon Stowage Barge | YPK | |||||||
| Floating Workshop | YR | |||||||
| Floating Workshop-Drydock, Hull | YRD(H) | |||||||
| Floating Workshop- Drydock, Machinery | YRD(M) | |||||||
| Stevedoring Barge | YS | |||||||
| Seaplane Wrecking Derrick | YSD | |||||||
| Salvage Pontoon | YSP | |||||||
| Sludge Removal Barge | YSR | |||||||
| Harbour Tug-Big | YTB | |||||||
| Harbour Tug-Little | YTL | |||||||
| Harbour Tug-Medium | YTM | |||||||
| Torpedo Testing Barge | YTT | |||||||
| Water Barge | YW | |||||||
* Converted Minecraft & Net Tenders
** Yard and District Craft section contributed by Alan Chanter
Source: Hyperwar
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"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."Winston Churchill
8 Jun 2009 01:18:12 PM
After whom was USS Eldridge named, please?
8 Jun 2009 03:37:11 PM
@david eldridge: USS Eldridge (DE-173) was named after Lieutenant Commander John Eldridge, Jr. of Buckingham County, Virginia, United States, who was killed in action in the Solomon Islands on 2 Nov 1942.