ancient roman yachts

Roman Ships

Introduction

The Romans went to naval warfare a bit late, compared to what they achieved on land. Long after they secured a vast territory within Italy and won over the Samnites (their last serious threat nearby), the Romans found themselves embroiled in a bitter conflict with the Carthaginians, by then the naval superpower of the western Mediterranean (East was dominated by the Diadochi fleets, in particular Ptolemaic Egypt).

From 264 BC onwards indeed, the Romans set foot in Sicily, for the first time outside Italy, in order to “help” Mamertines, Italic Mercenaries previously recruited by Agathocles of Syracuse and now set loose, unpaid, rampaging the countryside and capturing Messina, now asking the Carthaginian navy for help. Without going into details, the Romans allegedly captured a Carthaginian ship, and “reverse engineered” her to create their own ships they ordered in Greek shipyards in “Magna Grecia” (Apulia). They even copied apparently their prefabricated method of construction to literally spawn a massive serie of galleys. What followed was a serie of naval battles, some decisive. The lack of experience of the Romans at sea was paid by heavy losses due to the weather, but they eventually found their own way of doing naval warfare.

Not confident in pure naval tactics, including fast ramming manoeuvers, diekplous, periplous and other niceties, the Romans just trusted their infantry to do the job. They converted the sea into a land battle, but finding way to close and board enemy ships, making their own more resistant with time. One expedient was the use of a thick copper belt on the waterline to resist ramming, having bridged ships with lots of “siege weapons”, catapults and ballistae to essentially destroy rows and slow down enemy ships before introducing the famous corvus. This Roman innovation consisted in a hinged bridge swung down onto enemy vessels with a sharp spike, securing access for legionaries. This way, they had the Carthaginian repeatedly beaten at sea and won despite being newcomers in the field.

Roman naval dominance will go up the next two centuries, winning over the Carthaginians once and for all in 146 BC, and later securing the entire Mediterranean under Pompey the Great. The “Roman Lake” era really came when at the peak of the civil war, Antony and Cleopatra fleet was defeated at Actium in 31 BC. This way the last major naval power in the Mediterranean was destroyed. Until the Germanic invasions of the 3d and 4th centuries AD, this “Roman lake” ensured free and secured trade throughout the Empire, it became the center of it.

Roman Penteconter

The Penteconter is one of the oldest galleys deployed by the Romans on their own (hitherto they appealed to the Greek ships of the colonies of the south of the boot or Syracuse). Very ancient, since it dates back to the Trojan era (1500 BC), the Penteconter was “Romanized” when the latter built or commissioned it on their own account. They were not stowed, with their partial decks (only at the front and rear), and the absence of throwing weapons, raven or other standard equipment of triremes, quadriremis, and quinqueris, among the units “Offensive”, but as ships of liaison, carriers of dispatch, rapid transport, or scout, assigned role in the navies posterior to the frigate, the pinnace, or to the cruiser.

The Roman Penteconter was ranked among the “moneres” (ships with a single row of oars), constituting the top of the “naval dust” of the time. With 50 rowers in a single row, protected by a wooden bulwark, and only a few infantrymen (12 legionnaires at best), the Roman Penteconter (the name was not “romanized”), was supplanted around 50 BC. JC. By the new Liburnae inspired by Illyrian pirates, smaller, more manageable and still quick.

Roman Biremis

The Dikrotus was the other name of this relatively light ship (by Roman standards). It combined a more powerful driving force than the pentecontore in a reduced space precisely thanks to its staging of apostis (openings allowing the passage of the oars). Unlike the Tremes, the biremis was generally open. On the other hand, the Roman Birme was much heavier than its Greek equivalent, and that the Carthaginian ships. It is doubtful whether these vessels were dry-pitched on ramps. They were built of oak, according to the writings found, sometimes with a golden sculpture, but always with a spur (or Rostre), endowed with a small tent (La Diacta, ancestor of the “carosse”) for The shelter of his captain, the Magister Navis, a trierarch in Greek. On these light galleys (one man per oar), the troops were reduced, owing to the narrow gangway between the rowers, and their military value was diminished.

However, there is “bireme” and “bireme”. Terms may become misleading. In the “Gaul War”, Caesar succinctly describes his galley-admiral, mentioning a complete bridge, hundreds of rowers, heavy weapons (balistes and catapults embarked), not to mention the corvus – Assault, dolphins (lead spikes hoisted to yards) and two archers’ towers. Only the dimensions are unknown to us, but it seems obvious that this type of galley was a “false bireme” (although actually two rows of oars), and a real Hepter or Octer, ie both rows Of oars were to be handled by 3 or 4 men. The Biremes of this type were around 60-70 meters and embarked a cohort…

This configuration adopted by the Greeks during the Alexandrine period made it possible to devise acceptable dimensions, especially in terms of height on water, which facilitated all the more The maneuvering of the oars, heavy and long. But the biremes, at the time of the empire began to disappear in favor of moners with two rowers by oars (Liburnae, Hemioliae …) at the origin of the medieval galleys. The bireme still had good days before it, under the name of Dromon, until the fall of Constantinople.

The Diere was the Greek name for this traditional, classical vessel par excellence, which ensured the domination of the Greeks and especially of Athens on the Mediterranean for centuries, until Rhodes began to innovate by creating the tetra towards 300 av. JC. The Trieme was the Roman appellation of this ship, which probably dates from the constitution of a properly Roman fleet, and not a Greek fleet of borrowings belonging to Tarentum or Messina. The first true Roman triremes were apparently built to respond to the Carthaginian threat at the time of the First Punic War (261 BC), and at the same time as the famous quinqueremes. From the outset, this ship was modified to the Roman military standards, and dedicated above all to a collision fight or the superiority of the infantry makes the difference, unlike the Greeks who still favor ramming maneuvers. This particularly affects the weight and dimensions of the trireme, clearly more massive than the frail Hellenes, which could be hoisted on the beach…

The Trieme has a complete bridge, guaranteeing more room for fighters , And possibly possesses some weapons of throw (ballistae). The rostrum is still in bronze and designed for ramming, but quickly it becomes a mere artistic extension of the hull, losing any military vocation. Some figures: About 37-38 meters (35 for the trire) of length, 6 of width (4.2 – 5 for the trire), 170 rowers (of the lowest social classes, rarely Roman citizens), out of a total of 25 men, including the sailors, and the troop (50 men). Speed ​​of 5-6 knots (7-8 for the trire).

There is always a Diacta (small awning for officers in stern), an archer’s tower, introduced by Agrippa on Roman ships according to some controversial sources, two permanently rigged masts and sails (never deposited for combat ). The mainsail was sometimes decorated with a supparum, while the sail of bowsprit was decorated with the name of the vessel and the insignia of its captain. The mainsail was often provided with the motif of the Republic, restored under the influence of the eagle wings spread on laurels, sometimes embellished with lightning or symmetrical motifs, and “SPQR” (Senatus Populusque Romanus). The Legion’s sign-bearing tree was found at the back, embedded in the shield of the stern figure. They were equipped since the first Punic war of “ravens”, the bridges of collision (quadriremis-quinqueremis). La Trière will continue for many years thanks to its reduced size and modest cost compared to the “4” and “5” of the fleet, but remained less useful against piracy than small units such as liburnae. Triremes were, however, engaged in all naval battles, or were involved with the Romans. It was to be renounced only at a late date, about 400 AD, in favor of large galleys with multiple swimming, but whose name remained “trireme” for a moner with three rowers by rowing, at the origin of some Byzantine ships.

Quadriremis

The naval operations during the first Punic War were decisive for the victory of the Roman arms. Even playing bad luck in losing two fleets following the disfavour of the Gods (Tempests), the Roman naval forces constituted hastily but not in the traditionally maintained imagery copied from the Greek builders or from a captured and replicated Carthaginian ship In large quantities, for Rome had for a long time maintained small fleets by means of Taranto or Syracuse, and had access long before 200 BC. J.C. has the implementation of Pentécontores, Biremes and Triemes. It was only when the new Greek standard became the “4” (Tetris) developed successfully by Rhodes and taken over by the Carthaginians (see Marsala’s ship), that the Romans in turn welcomed this type of building, Scarcely greater than the trire but having greater maneuvering force. Nevertheless, legend has it that, by capturing a Rhodian Tether serving as a fast ship to the Carthaginian fleet, the Roman Publicans had it replicated in mass and in record time to 200 copies, constituting the first fleet of Rome .

The illustration from the top here describes a four-quarters of the time of Republican Rome, about 260 BC. It is one of the very first “Tetras” Romanes, and its construction denotes Greek influences and Roman peculiarities: The stern, still complex, is clearly Greek inspiration. Thereafter, the Roman ships simplified their hull to the rear, and replaced the figure of curved stern by a simple extension of the keel, in particular to simplify the construction. The hull is high, but reinforced by porques which protrude between the aposti, and a longitudinal reinforcement short from the bow to the stern, on which a thick string comes to solidarize the stern. Six jet machines are visible, including four lateral ballista and two scorpions at the front. A raven is clearly visible at the front (the famous Roman boarding bridge), secured to the front mast.

The use of two masts with several advantages: It makes it possible to mix more easily two medium sails than a very large one, and then the masts fold more easily in the event of maneuver. It is not certain that, like the Hellenes, the Romans systematically left their masts and sails in battle. Finally, wise minds will have noticed that having two rows of oars, this galley was a bireme. In fact, the standard configuration of a Tetra was two thranites (upper bench), a zygite (middle), and only one thalamite (bottom) per shell, maneuvering three oars in three rows, such as the trire, or two Zygites and two Thalamites handling two rows of oars. It is assumed nowadays that the “4” and “5” and beyond had a maximum of three rows of oars. But nothing prohibited the construction of a two-rowed vessel with more rowing rowers, in this case three zygites and two thalamites per lane. For example, the Greek Heptera. However, most of the bas-reliefs and rare precise mosaics attest to the use of “cataphract ships” with three rows of apostis (ie oars).

Quinqueremis

The second illustration of the bottom surprised in contrast by describing a model of heavy quinquera (a pleonasm for the Roman ships), of the fleet of Misene. The style, from the start, has changed and is becoming more Latin. One still senses the presence of Greek art in the figure of the stern, although simplified, and conceived in the prolongation of the keel, a characteristic volute at the front, which becomes an immense and pompous figure of style. One will also notice the spur in the front, raised in a beak inspired by the elements present on the fastest galleys (including the famous Rhodian Tetris). Two rounds of archers are present, although the standard is one to the rear in general.

Scorpions and catapults are visible throughout. There are no more shields fixed to the railings, but a real bulwark decorated with pseudo sculpted shields. Recurring feature on precise bas-reliefs, this quinquereme has a figurehead, the anti-rostrum, here a homage to the wars carried out in Africa by the legendary Scipio, but no painted eyes. This sacred symbol intended to guide the ship in uncertain waters has probably disappeared from the pragmatic concerns of the Roman army. The invention of the “modern” prow is there. The Byzantines later adopted a lion’s head with a flame-throwing siphon.

However, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians gave their rostres animal forms, before this instrument normalized itself as a weapon. The ramming function began to disappear on the Roman ships after the fall of the last great Hellenistic fleet, that of the Lagids. The rig consists of what is best at the time, a mainsail surmounted by a supparum, sketch of forestay sail, and a sail of bowsprit intended for the maneuvers, and to make manageable monsters constructed in Cedar. The bowsprit mast was sprinkled as well on the pentecontors as the trières and other classical galleys. This quinquereme, approximately 58 meters long and 7 meters wide, has practically the dimensions of a decree (between 60 and 80 meters). The configuration in two oars by rowing was already weak for the formidable weight of these ships which remained slow. Their weapons of throw and their troops embarked (here about 130, a fraction of cohort), make the difference. Of all the jobs of the Roman empire, that of rowing on board a galley was therefore unenviable and unwanted.

But the conscripts who found themselves there found a pay and thus escaped misery. These were provincials from less favored regions in general, who after 26 years of service could claim Roman citizenship and its advantages. His swim was composed of three zygites and two thalamites per side. They may have been standing. Under the swim compartment, completely closed and probably smelly and suffocating, there was a hold sufficiently high for a man to stand upright. There was ballast in the form of stones or lead, but also considerable water supplies in the form of stretched leather waistcoats, jars filled with dried meat and dried fruit, as the Roman fleets were sometimes more Long at sea, especially in “punitive cruises” such as those carried out during the imperial era against piracy and its many bases scattered in the eastern Mediterranean. Rigging became more important, serving more often to spare the health of rowers, whose strength was tested during warfare maneuvers only. It is now commonly accepted that masts were never laid down.

As far as the Greek trire was sufficiently airy and light to dry, the reinforced Roman trireme at the full deck was much heavier but still lacked power. With one or two extra rowers per side, the problem seemed resolved. Quinqueremes were ordered to the nearby Greek cities, then replicated and adapted, and engaged en masse during the first Punic War. This new standard developed by the Greek Cities and the great Hellenistic empires (Macedonians, Lagids, Seleucids, etc.), but also the Carthaginians, was the Pentery, which the pragmatic Romans adapted, notably to counteract lighter Carthaginian ships and They concentrated on the construction of Quinqueremes.

The latter, although more expensive to build, maneuvering more powerfully but less swiftly, had above all a formidable arsenal of balisters, scorpions and catapults, intended in particular to destroy the oars of the opposing galleys, but also more room for other, Advantage of troops, including the famous heavy Romaine infantry, soldiers trained on the ground and summarily adapted, unlike the infantrymen of the Carthaginians, inspired by the Greek epibates. With this first advantage of superior troops in number, the Romans added their knowledge of the use of the archers (towers) and weapons of jet, the height of their buildings, and finally the “corvus”, famous swinging bridge hanging on the enemy’s bridge, allowing an easy collision, and of which the following is a description of Polybius:

“… their vessels (the Romans) being poorly built and difficult to maneuver, someone suggested that they use a certain craft to fight under better conditions, which was later to be referred to as “The raven was a round post, the height of which was four orgyres, and the diameter of three fins, was erected at the front of the ship, at the top of which was fixed a pulley and around the mast There was a footbridge made of planks nailed transversely, four feet wide, and six orgyres long. The hole through which the pole passed was oval in shape and located at two orgyres from the lower end of the footbridge. At the upper end of the footbridge was fixed an iron mass in the form of a pestle, terminating in a point, and bearing in its upper part a ring.”

The Roman Fleet traditionally consisted of four types of major units, the smallest being special, the so-called “naval dust”, the light Romanized Triconteres, Diconteres and Pentaconteres of liaison and recce. As shock units, one found the Biremes, Triremes, Quadriremes. The Quinqueremes, very heavy, were also engaged in large numbers almost as ships of the line. “aphraktoi” in the Greek sense, with full deck ready to receive plenty of troops and siege engines, they were isolated heavy units as Octeres and Deceres (Romanized in “Deciremus” for example) were pretty rare and also never mentioned. The latter possessed ten rowers for each section in principle, probably distributed over three rows, four top, three middle and three low.

It seems hardly conceivable that there would have been four-row superimposed units due to the ship’s height. It is also quite possible that there were only two rows of oars, but largely separated and served by 6 Thranites and 4 Zygites. Mark-Antony’s Decere flagship at Actuim according to the writings, had freeboard twice as high as a triere, and therefore a little more than six meters. The Romans never liked the classic naval tactics (like the Diekplous) and ramming involving speed and agility. They used ad hoc tactics hat maximized their infantry use. At Actium used small Liburnae, Illyrian pirate ships to encircle their opponents and transform it into an infantry fight. Thus, after their adoption of the Hemioliae and Liburnae, the Quinqueremes and a fortiori ships of a higher class were relegated as command vessels in Imperial Rome, before being definitively abandoned as the Mediterranean was a “Roman lake” and piracy, if not eradicated, has been largely reduced since Pompey’s campaign.

Roman Actuaria

One of the first ships of the republic, a light galley of moner type (or Monoremi, a single row of oars), here of 24 rowers, used for dispatching with larger units. From the Greek typology, there are the Cisocontores (20 rowers, 10 per side), and the Triacontores (30 rowers, 15 per board), and all the intermediate declensions. On the other hand, we do not know the terms used to designate this type of Galera in Latin. It probably did not have a specific term other than that in Greek, like the Pentaconteres. The Actuariae were therefore light vessels (but never owned less than 18 rowers) and could easily be hauled on the shore. The term is repeatedly found in writings “navis actuaria”, but also designating a light troop transport ship, such as those operating during the Second Roman Civil War.

In this case, it was a relatively light cargo vessel with more rowers than usual. Faster than the enormous Onerariae, and destined for coastal shipping or short routes, these vessels approached (or derived from) the Akatos (Acatus) and Aphraktos Greeks (undecked ships). Very small units (less than 10 rowers per rowing) were also sometimes embarked on the octaves or decades of flags, for the purpose of connecting to land or other ships, such as Antoine to Actium, where he left battle. This ship was called Scapha, and can be likened to the Yawls of the later sail ships.

There were, however, also very large monuments (40 meters and over) whose ten-meter-long oars were manoeuvred by two standing rowers, who walked on the secondary deck (the upper deck was reserved for soldiers, Food and water supplies. These were not Actuariae but evolved liburnae, which gradually replaced the Actuarias. About 100 to 50 av. J.C., one begins to see under the influence of the Pirates (Hemoliae) ships of the wider monoremis, to two-1/2 rowers by rowing. From then on, the multiple swimming, which became in the Middle Ages from triple to sextuple, made the happiness of the great merchant empires, and relegated to the distant past Cisoconter, triconter and Actuariae.

The Liburne (or Liburnica) is a famous ship, originating from the Liburnian pirates, because light craft, but unlike the frail Lembi, the Liburne was decked and possessed a sail, but above all, their width allowed them to possess oars handled by two Rowing machines. The Liburnians are an Illyrian tribe, operating on the Adriatic. It was in this way that the pragmatic Romans were inspired to create their own “Liburnae”. These ships played a leading role during the famous Battle of Actium in 31 BC. JC., Twice as numerous as the Romano-Egyptian ships they were fighting, separated the fleet from the fleet (the Marc-Antoine Decree) framed by its “lieutenants”, large units (probably “12”,”14″,”16″ and other Macedonian Leviathans), who, faithful to the old tactics of the Diekplous, began to pierce the enemy’s fleet and then to surround it behind. Much more manoeuvring, the light Liburnae quickly retreated on these ships, surrounded them from all sides before crows and ladders decided the fight with infantry assaulting and taking wooden fortresses at sea one by one.

In some respects, antiquity still surprises us by certain aspects of a great modernity. For example, it is generally believed that in the maritime field, container ships date from the 1950s. However, the concept of boarding food of all kinds, liquid and solid in identical terracotta jars, standardized to the extreme, is indeed a very old practice, born of the practice of the Phoenicians, taken over by the Greeks , Then the Romans. Certainly an amphora is more modest than a modern container, but still well suited to storage in the frail merchant ships of the time.

The Oneraria was signalled well before the imperial era as the standard “cargo” Roman, it is even in some respects a generic term that intersects sub-variants, like Corbita, cargo of heavy wheat. These heavy-tonnage ships, capable of carrying more than 3000 amphorae, originated from the Greek cataphract cargo vessels which ensured trade between the Hellenistic empires in the Mediterranean basin. They were distinguished by Roman characteristics, such as the abandonment of the ladder at the rear and a strong draft, revealing modern deep-sea ports with jetties, a quarter-deck Terrace often accompanied by an awning, a bridge superstructure, a figure of gooseneck stern.

They were also massive vessels, sometimes double-decked (two superposed bridges), inevitably endowed with a bowsprit for manoeuvring, and a mainsail sufficiently effective to dispense with any other means of locomotion on Well-known trains, but not only specifically in coasting: Their solid oak hull allowed them to “rub” themselves on the links in the open sea, the locating being done, as always at night, by the stars. With the imperial era, Romans had access to the great forests of Gaul and Germany, and disposed of massive lumber of quality to build larger freighters. An Imperial Oneraria had to measure 35 meters for almost 10 of width. Her crew was reduced to 10 men at most, versatile.

If the documentation does not abound more for the Roman Cargoes than for the other units, this type of ship is better known than the trireme because of the enormity of its cargo, responsible for its shipwreck, unlike the galleys of war, Unsinkable. Greek and Roman cargo ships indeed constellate the bottom of the Mediterranean, under heaps of amphorae very well preserved. Although the extreme antiquity of these wrecks does not facilitate the task of the archaeologist divers due to the dilapidated state of the wooden structure, one can always complete the basic patterns by cross-checking them with bas-reliefs and frescoes found during centuries. The “Corbita” seemed to be a derivative of the Phoenician freighter, the Gaoul, characterized by a swan in figure of stern and a gallery. The first had a sailboat stitched, with an interrupted rail to facilitate loading.

The last, Romans, presented the culmination, with a very large shell. To facilitate his maneuver he has a sail called “artemon”, ancestor of trinquet de beaupré (). The mainsail is generally surmounted by a very recognizable triangular sail of arrow, the Supparum, generally red. The biggest of them were Onerariae, they were real “monsters” for the time, more than 55 meters long by 13 of the keel to the Tillac () and 14 wide, able to carry until 2000 Tons (the equivalent of 40,000 amphoras!) In general of wheat from Sicily. These onerariae were generally grouped in convoy and protected by the fleet in order to guard against any pirate attack. These Roman cargo ships were also supposed to carry up to 400 passengers under Spartan conditions. Having no place for possible rowers, the navigation of these freighters returning from Alexandria or Sicily was very slow and they practised coasting as far as Ostia.

Although the Ponto was also described as a flat-bottomed craft, a sort of very common raft which served to join two shores with a system of ropes and pulleys, a ferry in short, the other “Ponto”, of “Pont “, Was a fairly massive freighter which was distinguished from the oneraria by a rostrum and often a figure of added prow. The Ponto had in addition to a rostrum of protection against collisions from the front, two masts with sails of large dimension (no paddle was embarked, the Ponto walked only with the force of the wind), the bowsprit Being more than a mere boost of maneuvering. For the rest, this cargo had the same characteristics as the classic Roman cargo, its name probably coming from the fact that it was bridged, but possibly also with a flatter bottom to go up the rivers. As the decoration was very sober, we found the eternal figure of stern in swan neck but this time a figure of prow evoking a animal more rough, in connection with the rostrum, such a bull, a goat or even a wild boar…

Actuariolum

The Actuariolum was a pure passengers boat, not fit for war or trade. A small unbridged boat which was specified to have never more than eighteen rowers as opposed to the “great” Actuaria. Actuariolum was the diminutive of Actuaria. It was also not veiled in principle, although weather permitting, the erection of a mast bearing a small sail easy to stir. One of them is mentioned for having transported Cicero, and possessed two rows of five rowers. Most of these boats were therefore simple boats, which could be carried if necessary on a large ship, and also practiced river navigation and on lakes.

The Cercurus, also known as Kerkouros or Kerkyra in Greek, was actually of Cyprus origin, originating from the commercial city-state of Corcyra. It was a cargo ship operated solely by rowing, and it seems characterized by an absence of rowers at the rear, a large space left for loading, probably amphorae and ballots also stored if necessary in the hold. There is little information on this ship, very few mentions and even less descriptions. The Kerkouros was also the name given to a fast Phoenician ship, which inspired the Cypriots, then the Greeks (Kerkyra). As a result, the Kerkouros dates back to 1400 BC. JC. It is undoubtedly the first merchant galley, a genre brought to its paroxysm by the Venetians and Genoese in the Middle Ages. Moreover, the term is also at the origin of Carrica, become in French “Caraque”, english carrack or “Karrick” the famous universal heavy ship of the XIII-XVIe centuries. The above Cercurus is a double-headed ship (like some liburnae) taken from a bronze medal plate.

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⛶ Pre-Industrial Eras

⚔ naval battles.

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• Radetzky class
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⚑ 1870 Fleets

• Numancia (1863)
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• SMS Lissa Ct. Bat. Ships (1869)
• SMS Novara Frigate (1850)
• SMS Schwarzenberg Frigate (1853)
• Radetzky class frigates (1854)
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• SMS Helgoland Sloop (1867)

• Søværnet 1860-1880
• Dannebrog (1863)
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• Rolf Krake (1864)
• Lindormen (1868)
• Jylland CR (1860)
• Tordenskjold CR (1862)
• Dagmar SP (1861)
• Absalon class GB (1862)
• Fylla class GB (1863)

• Basileos Giorgios (1867)
• Basilisa Olga (1869)
• Sloop Hellas (1861)
• Dutch Screw Frigates & corvettes
• De Ruyter Bd Ironclad (1863)
• Prins H. der Neth. Turret ship (1866)
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• Heiligerlee class Monitors (1868)
• Bloedhond class Monitors (1869)
• Adder class Monitors (1870)
• A.H.Van Nassau Frigate (1861)
• A.Paulowna Frigate (1867)
• Djambi class corvettes (1860)
• Amstel class Gunboats (1860)

• Screw 3-deckers (1850-58)
• Screw 2-deckers (1852-59)
• Screw Frigates (1849-59)
• Conv. sailing frigates
• Screw Corvettes (1846-59)
• Screw Fl. Batteries (1855)
• Paddle Frigates
• Paddle Corvettes
• screw sloops
• screw gunboats
• Sailing ships of the line
• Sailing frigates
• Sailing corvettes
• Sailing bricks
• Gloire class Bd. Ironclads (1859)
• Couronne Bd. Ironclad (1861)
• Magenta class Bd. Ironclads (1861)
• Palestro class Flt. Batteries (1862)
• Arrogante class Flt. Batteries (1864)
• Embuscade class Flt. Batteries (1865)
• Taureau arm. ram (1865)
• Belliqueuse Bd. Ironclad (1865)
• Alma Cent. Bat. Ironclads (1867)
• Ocean class CT Battery ship (1868)
• Cosmao class cruisers (1861)
• Talisman cruisers (1862)
• Resolue cruisers (1863)
• Venus class cruisers (1864)
• Decres cruiser (1866)
• Desaix cruiser (1866)
• Limier class cruisers (1867)
• Linois cruiser (1867)
• Chateaurenault cruiser (1868)
• Infernet class Cruisers (1869)
• Bourayne class Cruisers (1869)
• Cruiser Hirondelle (1869)
• Curieux class sloops (1860)
• Adonis class sloops (1863)
• Guichen class sloops (1865)
• Sloop Renard (1866)
• Bruix class sloops (1867)
• Pique class gunboats (1862)
• Hache class gunboats (1862)
• Arbalete class gunboats (1866)
• Etendard class gunboats (1868)
• Revolver class gunboats (1869)

• Barrozo class (1864)
• Brasil (1864)
• Tamandare (1865)
• Lima Barros (1865)
• Rio de Janeiro (1865)
• Silvado (1866)
• Mariz E Barros class (1866)
• Carbal class (1866)
• Osmanieh class Bd.Ironclads (1864)
• Assari Tewfik (1868)
• Assari Shevket class Ct. Ironclads (1868)
• Lufti Djelil class CDS (1868)
• Avni Illah class cas.ironclads (1869)
• Fethi Bulend class cas.ironclads (1870)
• Barbette ironclad Idjalleh (1870)
• Messudieh class Ct.Bat.ships (1874)
• Hamidieh Ct.Bat.Ironclads (1885)
• Abdul Kadir Battleships (project)
• Frigate Ertrogul (1863)
• Selimieh (1865)
• Rehberi Tewkik (1875)
• Mehmet Selim (1876)
• Sloops & despatch vessels
• Monitor Atahualpa (1865)
• CT. Bat Independencia (1865)
• Turret ship Huascar (1865)
• Frigate Apurimac (1855)
• Corvette America (1865)
• Corvette Union (1865)

• Bartolomeu Dias class (28-guns) steam frigates
• Sagris (14 guns) steam corvette
• Vasco Da Gama (74 guns) Ship of the Line
• Dom Fernando I e Gloria (50) Sailing Frigate
• Dom Joao I class (14 guns) Sailing corvettes
• Portuguese Side-wheel steamers

• Formidabile class (1861)
• Pr. de Carignano class (1863)
• Re d'Italia class (1864)
• Regina maria Pia class (1863)
• Roma class (1865)
• Affondatore (1865)
• Palestro class (ordered 1865)
• Guerriera class (1866)
• Cappelini class (1868)
• Sesia DV (1862)
• Esploratore class DV (1863)
• Vedetta DV (1866)

• Ironclad Ruyjo (1868)
• Ironclad Kotetsu (1868)
• Frigate Fujiyama (1864)
• Frigate Kasuga (1863)
• Corvette Asama (1869)
• Gunboat Raiden (1856)
• Gunboat Chiyodogata (1863)
• Teibo class GB (1866)
• Gunboat Mushun (1865)
• Gunboat Hosho (1868)

• Prinz Adalbert (1864)
• Arminius (1864)
• Friedrich Carl (1867)
• Kronprinz (1867)
• K.Whilhelm (1868)
• Arcona class Frigates (1858)
• Nymphe class Frigates (1863)
• Augusta class Frigates (1864)
• Jäger class gunboats (1860)
• Chamaleon class gunboats (1860)

• Ironclad Sevastopol (1864)
• Ironclad Petropavlovsk (1864)
• Ironclad Smerch (1864)
• Pervenetz class (1863)
• Charodeika class (1867)
• Admiral Lazarev class (1867)
• Ironclad Kniaz Pojarski (1867)
• Bronenosetz class monitors (1867)
• Admiral Chichagov class (1868)
• S3D Imperator Nicolai I (1860)
• S3D Sinop (1860)
• S3D Tsessarevich (1860)
• Russian screw two-deckers (1856-59)
• Russian screw frigates (1854-61)
• Russian screw corvettes (1856-60)
• Russian screw sloops (1856-60)
• Varyag class Corvettes (1862)
• Almaz class Sloops (1861)
• Opyt TGBT (1861)
• Sobol class TGBT (1863)
• Pishtchal class TGBT (1866)

• Ericsson class monitors (1865)
• Frigate Karl XIV (1854)
• Frigate Stockholm (1856)
• Corvette Gefle (1848)
• Corvette Orädd (1853)

• Skorpionen class (1866)
• Frigate Stolaf (1856)
• Frigate Kong Sverre (1860)
• Frigate Nordstjerna (1862)
• Frigate Vanadis (1862)
• Glommen class gunboats (1863)

• Union Sailing ships
• USS New Ironsides (1862)
• USS monitor (1862)
• USS Galena (1862)
• Passaic class
• USS Roanoke
• USS Onondaga
• Miantonomoh class
• USS Dictator
• USS Puritan
• Canonicus class
• Kalamazoo class
• Milwaukee class
• Casco class
• USS Keokuk (1862)
• Wampanoag class (1864)
• USS Chattanooga (1864)
• USS Idaho (1864)
• Ossipee class (1862)
• USS Sacramento (1862)
• Ticonderoga class (1862)
• Unadilla class gunboats (1861)
• Kansas class (1862)
• Octorara class (1862)
• Sassacus class (1862)
• Mohongo class (1863)
• USS Spuyten Duyvil (1864)
• USS Alligator (1862)

• CSS Frederickburg (1862)
• CSS Savannah (1863)
• CSS Stonewall (1864)
• CSS Virginia II
• CSS Tennessee
• CSS Nashville
• Commerce Raiders
• Ajax class Iron Gunboats
• CSS David (1862)
• CSS HL Hunley (1863)
• Dunderberg Bd Ironclad (1865)
• Wampanoag class frigates (1864)
• Frigate Chattanooga & Idaho (1864)
• Frigate Idaho (1864)
• Java class frigates (1865)
• Contookook class frigates (1865)
• Frigate Trenton (1876)
• Swatara class sloops (1865)
• Alaska class sloops (1868)
• Galena class sloops (1873)
• Enterprise class sloops (1874)
• Alert class sloops (1873)
• Alarm torpedo ram (1873)
• Intrepid torpedo ram (1874)

⚑ 1890 Fleets

• Parana class (1873)
• La Plata class (1875)
• Pilcomayo class (1875)
• Ferre class (1880)
• Custoza (1872)
• Erzherzog Albrecht (1872)
• Kaiser (1871)
• Kaiser Max class (1875)
• Tegetthoff (1878)
• Radetzky(ii) class (1872)
• SMS Donau(ii) (1874)
• SMS Donau(iii) (1893)
• Erzherzog Friedrich class (1878)
• Saida (1878)
• Fasana (1870)
• Aurora class (1873)
• Hai An class frigates (1872)

• Tordenskjold (1880)
• Iver Hvitfeldt (1886)
• Skjold (1896)
• Cruiser Fyen (1882)
• Cruiser Valkyrien (1888)

• Hydra class (1889)
• Nauarchos Miaoulis (1889)
• Greek Torpedo Boats (1881-85)
• Greek Gunboats (1861-84)
• Gunboat St Michael (1970)
• Gunboat "1804" (1875)
• Gunboat Dessalines (1883)
• Gunboat Toussaint Louverture (1886)
• Koning der Nederlanden (1874)
• Draak, monitor (1877)
• Matador, monitor (1878)
• R. Claeszen, monitor (1891)
• Evertsen class CDS (1894)
• Atjeh class cruisers (1876)
• Cruiser Sumatra (1890)
• Cruiser K.W. Der. Neth (1892)
• Banda class Gunboats (1872)
• Pontania class Gunboats (1873)
• Gunboat Aruba (1873)
• Hydra Gunboat class (1873)
• Batavia class Gunboats (1877)
• Wodan Gunboat class (1877)
• Ceram class Gunboats (1887)
• Combok class Gunboats (1891)
• Borneo Gunboat (1892)
• Nias class Gunboats (1895)
• Koetei class Gunboats (1898)
• Dutch sloops (1864-85)

• Friedland CT Battery ship (1873)
• Richelieu CT Battery ship (1873)
• Colbert class CT Battery ships (1875)
• Redoutable CT Battery ship (1876)
• Courbet class CT Battery ships (1879)
• Amiral Duperre barbette ship (1879)
• Terrible class barbette ships (1883)
• Amiral Baudin class barbette ships (1883)
• Barbette ship Hoche (1886)
• Marceau class barbette ships (1888)
• Cerbere class Arm.Ram (1870)
• Tonnerre class Br.Monitors (1875)
• Tempete class Br.Monitors (1876)
• Tonnant ironclad (1880)
• Furieux ironclad (1883)
• Fusee class Arm.Gunboats (1885)
• Acheron class Arm.Gunboats (1885)
• Jemmapes class (1892)
• Bouvines class (1892)
• La Galissonière Cent. Bat. Ironclads (1872)
• Bayard class barbette ships (1879)
• Vauban class barbette ships (1882)
• Prot. Cruiser Sfax (1884)
• Prot. Cruiser Tage (1886)
• Prot. Cruiser Amiral Cécille (1888)
• Prot. Cruiser Davout (1889)
• Forbin class Cruisers (1888)
• Troude class Cruisers (1888)
• Alger class Cruisers (1891)
• Friant class Cruisers (1893)
• Prot. Cruiser Suchet (1893)
• Descartes class Cruisers (1893)
• Linois class Cruisers (1896)
• D'Assas class Cruisers (1896)
• Catinat class Cruisers (1896)
• R. de Genouilly class Cruisers (1876)
• Cruiser Duquesne (1876)
• Cruiser Tourville (1876)
• Cruiser Duguay-Trouin (1877)
• Laperouse class Cruisers (1877)
• Villars class Cruisers (1879)
• Cruiser Iphigenie (1881)
• Cruiser Naiade (1881)
• Cruiser Arethuse (1882)
• Cruiser Dubourdieu (1884)
• Cruiser Milan (1884)
• Parseval class sloops (1876)
• Bisson class sloops (1874)
• Epee class gunboats (1873)
• Crocodile class gunboats (1874)
• Tromblon class gunboats (1875)
• Condor class Torpedo Cruisers (1885)
• G. Charmes class gunboats (1886)
• Inconstant class sloops (1887)
• Bombe class Torpedo Cruisers (1887)
• Wattignies class Torpedo Cruisers (1891)
• Levrier class Torpedo Cruisers (1891)

• Siete de Setembro class (1874)
• Riachuleo class (1883)

• ☍ See the Page
• Coastal Battleship Vasco da Gama (1875)
• Portuguese Torpedo Boats
• Portuguese Gunboats

• GB Indipendencia (1874)
• GB Democrata (1875)
• Cruiser Heibtnuma (1890)
• Cruiser Lufti Humayun (1892)
• Cruiser Hadevendighar (1892)
• Shadieh class cruisers (1893)
• Turkish TBs (1885-94)

• Pr. Amadeo class (1874)
• Caio Duilio class (1879)
• Italia class (1885)
• Ruggero di Lauria class (1884)
• Carracciolo (1869)
• Vettor Pisani (1869)
• Cristoforo Colombo (1875)
• Flavio Goia (1881)
• Amerigo Vespucci (1882)
• C. Colombo (ii) (1892)
• Pietro Micca (1876)
• Tripoli (1886)
• Goito class (1887)
• Folgore class (1887)
• Partenope class (1889)
• Giovanni Bausan (1883)
• Etna class (1885)
• Dogali (1885)
• Piemonte (1888)
• Staffeta (1876)
• Rapido (1876)
• Barbarigo class (1879)
• Messagero (1885)
• Archimede class (1887)
• Guardiano class GB (1874)
• Scilla class GB (1874)
• Provana class GB (1884)
• Curtatone class GB (1887)
• Castore class GB (1888)

• Ironclad Fuso (1877)
• Kongo class Ironclads (1877)
• Cruiser Tsukushi (1880)
• Cruiser Takao (1888)
• Cruiser Yaeyama (1889)
• Cruiser Chishima (1890)
• Cruiser Tatsuta (1894)
• Cruiser Miyako (1898)
• Frigate Nisshin (1869)
• Frigate Tsukuba (acq.1870)
• Kaimon class CVT (1882)
• Katsuragi class SCVT (1885)
• Sloop Seiki (1875)
• Sloop Amagi (1877)
• Corvette Jingei (1876)
• Gunboat Banjo (1878)
• Maya class GB (1886)
• Gunboat Oshima (1891)

• Main article
• Ironclad Hansa (1872)
• G.Kurfürst class (1873)
• Kaiser class (1874)
• Sachsen class (1877)
• Ironclad Oldenburg (1884)
• Ariadne class CVT (1871)
• Leipzig class CVT (1875)
• Bismarck class CVT (1877)
• Carola class CVT (1880)
• Corvette Nixe (1885)
• Corvette Charlotte (1885)
• Schwalbe class Cruisers (1887)
• Bussard class (1890)
• Aviso Zieten (1876)
• Blitz class Avisos (1882)
• Aviso Greif (1886)
• Wacht class Avisos (1887)
• Meteor class Avisos (1890)
• Albatross class GBT (1871)
• Cyclop GBT (1874)
• Otter GBT (1877)
• Wolf class GBT (1878)
• Habitch class GBT (1879)
• Hay GBT (1881)
• Eber GBT (1881)
• Rhein class Monitors (1872)
• Wespe class Monitors (1876)
• Brummer class Arm.Steamers (1884)

• Petr Velikiy (1872)
• Ekaterina class ICL (1886)
• Imperator Alexander class ICL (1887)
• Ironclad Gangut (1890)
• Admiral Ushakov class (1893)
• Navarin (1893)
• Petropavlovsk class (1894)
• Sissoi Veliky (1896)
• Minin (1866)
• G.Admiral class (1875)
• Pamiat Merkuria (1879)
• V.Monomakh (1882)
• D.Donskoi (1883)
• Adm.Nakhimov (1883)
• Vitiaz class (1884)
• Pamiat Azova (1886)
• Adm.Kornilov (1887)
• Rurik (1895)
• Svetlana (1896)
• Gunboat Ersh (1874)
• Kreiser class sloops (1875)
• Gunboat Nerpa (1877)
• Burun class Gunboats (1879)
• Sivuch class Gunboats (1884)
• Korietz class Gunboats (1886)
• Kubanetz class Gunboats (1887)
• TGBT Lt.Ilin (1886)
• TGBT Kp.Saken (1889)
• Kazarski class TGBT (1889)
• Grozyaschi class AGBT (1890)
• Gunboat Khrabri (1895)
• T.Gunboat Abrek (1896)
• Amur class minelayers (1898)
• Lima class Cruisers (1880)
• Chilean TBs (1879)

• Monitor Loke (1871)
• Svea class Coast Defence Ships (1886)
• Berserk class (1873)
• Sloop Balder (1870)
• Blenda class GB (1874)
• Urd class GB (1877)
• Gunboat Edda (1885)

• Gorm (1870)
• Odin (1872)
• Helgoland (1878)

• Hotspur (1870)
• Glatton (1871)
• Devastation class (1871)
• Cyclops class (1871)
• Rupert (1874)
• Neptune class (1874)
• Dreadnought (1875)
• Inflexible (1876)
• Agamemnon class (1879)
• Conqueror class (1881)
• Colossus class (1882)
• Admiral class (1882)
• Trafalgar class (1887)
• Victoria class (1890)
• Royal Sovereign class (1891)
• Centurion class (1892)
• Renown (1895)
• HMS Shannon (1875)
• Nelson class (1876)
• Iris class (1877)
• Leander class (1882)
• Imperieuse class (1883)
• Mersey class (1885)
• Surprise class (1885)
• Scout class (1885)
• Archer class (1885)
• Orlando class (1886)
• Medea class (1888)
• Barracouta class (1889)
• Barham class (1889)
• Pearl class (1889)
• 1870-90 Torpedo Boats

• Ironclad Pelayo (1887)
• Aragon class (1879)
• Velasco class (1881)
• Isla de Luzon (1886)
• Alfonso XII class (1887)
• Reina Regentes class (1887)
• Infanta Maria Teresa class (1890)
• Emperador Carlos V (1895)
• Cristobal Colon (1896)
• Princesa de Asturias class (1896)
• Destructor class (1886)
• Temerario class (1891)
• TGunboat Filipinas (1892)
• De Molina class (1896)
• Furor class (1896)
• Audaz class (1897)
• Spanish TBs (1878-87)
• Fernando class gunboats (1875)
• Concha class gunboats (1883)

• USS Maine (1889)
• USS Texas (1892)
• Indiana class (1893)
• USS Iowa (1896)
• Amphitrite class (1876)
• USS Puritan (1882)
• USS Monterey (1891)
• Atlanta class (1884)
• USS Chicago (1885)
• USS Charleston (1888)
• USS Baltimore (1888)
• USS Philadelphia (1889)
• USS San Francisco (1889)
• USS Newark (1890)
• USS New York (1891)
• USS Olympia (1892)
• Cincinatti class (1892)
• Montgomery class (1893)
• Columbia class (1893)
• USS Brooklyn (1895)
• USS Vesuvius (1888)
• USS Katahdin (1893)
• USN Torpedo Boats (1886-1901)
• GB USS Dolphin (1884)
• Yorktown class GB (1888)
• GB USS Petrel (1888)
• GB USS Bancroft (1892)
• Machias class GB (1891)
• GB USS Nashville (1895)
• Wilmington class GB (1895)
• Annapolis class GB (1896)
• Wheeling class GB (1897)
• Small gunboats (1886-95)
• St Louis class AMC (1894)
• Harvard class AMC (1888)
• USN Armoured Merchant Cruisers
• USN Armed Yachts

☉ Entente Fleets

• WW1 American Battleships
• USS Texas (1891)
• Indiana class battleships (1898)
• Kearsage class battleships (1898)
• Illinois class (1898)
• Maine class (1901)
• Virginia class (1904)
• Connecticut class (1905)
• Mississippi class (1906)
• South Carolina class battleships (1908)
• Delaware class battleships (1909)
• Florida class battleships (1910)
• Arkansas class battleships (1911)
• New York class Battleships (1912)
• Nevada class Battleships (1914)
• Pennsylvania class (1915)
• New Mexico class battleships (1917)
• Tennessee class battleships (1919)
• Colorado class battleships (1920)
• South Dakota class battleships (1920)
• WW1 US Cruisers
• Atlanta class (1885)
• USS Charleston (1887)
• Baltimore class (1888)
• Montgomery class (1891)
• New Orleans class (1896)
• USS Maine (1896)
• Denver class (1902)
• Pittsburg (Pennslvania) class (1903)
• St Louis class (1904)
• Memphis (Tennessee) class (1904)
• Chester class (1907)
• Omaha class (1920)
• WW1 USN Destroyers
• Bainbridge Class
• Truxtun Class
• Smith Class
• Paulding Class
• Cassin Class
• O'brien Class
• Tucker Class
• Sampson Class
• Caldwell Class
• Wickes Class
• Clemson Class
• WW1 American Submarines
• USS Holland 1897
• A class subs 1901
• B class subs 1906
• C class subs 1907
• D class subs 1909
• E class subs 1911
• F class subs 1911
• G class subs 1911
• H class subs 1913
• K class subs 1914
• L class subs 1915
• M class subs 1915
• N class subs 1916
• O class subs 1917
• R class subs 1917
• S class subs 1918
• T(AA) class subs 1918
• American Torpedo Boats (1885-1901)
• WW1 USN Gunboats
• WW1 USN Monitors
• WW1 USN Armed Merchant cruisers
• WW1 USN armed Yachts
• Eagle Boats (1918)
• SC 110 ft (1917)
• Shawmut class minelayers (1907)
• Bird class minesweepers (1917)

• WW1 British Battleships
• Majestic class (1894)
• Canopus class (1897)
• Formidable class (1898)
• London class (1899)
• Duncan class (1901)
• King Edward VII class (1903)
• Swiftsure class (1903)
• Lord Nelson class (1906)
• HMS Dreadnought (1906)
• Bellorophon class (1907)
• St Vincent class (1908)
• HMS Neptune (1909)
• Colossus class (1910)
• Orion class (1911)
• King George V class (1911)
• Iron Duke class (1912)
• Queen Elizabeth class (1913)
• HMS Canada (1913)
• HMS Agincourt (1913)
• HMS Erin (1915)
• Revenge class (1915)
• N3 class (1920)
• WW1 British Battlecruisers
• Invincible class (1907)
• Indefatigable class (1909)
• Lion class (1910)
• HMS Tiger (1913)
• Renown class (1916)
• Courageous class (1916)
• G3 class (1918)
• ww1 British cruisers
• Blake class (1889)
• Edgar class (1890)
• Powerful class (1895)
• Diadem class (1896)
• Cressy class (1899)
• Drake class (1901)
• Monmouth class (1901)
• Devonshire class (1903)
• Duke of Edinburgh class (1904)
• Warrior class (1905)
• Minotaur class (1906)
• Hawkins class (1917)
• Apollo class (1890)
• Astraea class (1893)
• Eclipse class (1894)
• Arrogant class (1896)
• Pelorus class (1896)
• Highflyer class (1898)
• Gem class (1903)
• Adventure class (1904)
• Forward class (1904)
• Pathfinder class (1904)
• Sentinel class (1904)
• Boadicea class (1908)
• Blonde class (1910)
• Active class (1911)
• 'Town' class (1909-1913)
• Arethusa class (1913)
• 'C' class series (1914-1922)
• 'D' class (1918)
• 'E' class (1918)
• WW1 British Seaplane Carriers
• HMS Ark Royal (1914)
• HMS Campania (1893)
• HMS Argus (1917)
• HMS Furious (1917)
• HMS Vindictive (1918)
• HMS Hermes (1919)
• WW1 British Destroyers
• 26-knotters (1893)
• 27-knotters (1894)
• 30-knotters (1895-99)
• 33-knotters (1896-1901)
• HM Turbinia (1897)
• HMS Viper (1897)
• HMS Cobra (1899)
• HMS Velox (1899)
• River class (1903)
• Tribal class (1907)
• Cricket class (1906)
• HMS Swift (1907)
• Albacore class (1906)
• Beagle class (1909)
• Acorn class (1910)
• Acheron class (1911)
• Acasta class (1912)
• Laforey class (1913)
• M/repeat M class (1914)
• Faulknor class FL (1914)
• Lightfoote class FL (1914)
• Medea class (1914)
• Talisman class (1915)
• Parker claqs FL (1916)
• R/Mod R class (1916)
• V class FL (1917)
• Skakespeare class FL (1917)
• Scott class FL (1917)
• V class (1917)
• W/Mod W class (1917)
• S class (1918)
• WW1 British Torpedo Boats
• 125ft series (1885)
• 140ft series (1892)
• 160ft series (1901)
• WW1 British Submarines
• Nordenfelt Submarines (1885)
• Holland Type (1901)
• A-Class Type (1902)
• B-Class Type (1904)
• C-Class Type (1906)
• D-Class Type (1908)
• E-Class Type (1912)
• S-Class Type (1914)
• V-Class Type (1914)
• W-Class Type (1914)
• F-Class Type (1915)
• H-class Type (1914)
• HMS Nautilus (1914)
• HMS Swordfish (1916)
• G-Class Type (1915)
• J-Class Type (1915)
• K-Class Type (1916)
• L-Class Type (1917)
• M-Class Type (1917)
• R-Class Type (1918)
• WW1 British Monitors
• Flower class sloops
• British Gunboats of WWI
• British P-Boats (1915)
• Kil class (1917)
• British ww1 Minesweepers
• Z-Whaler class patrol crafts
• British ww1 CMB
• British ww1 Auxiliaries

• WW1 French Battlecruisers (Projects)
• WW1 French Battleships
• Charles Martel class (1891)
• Charlemagne class (1899)
• Henri IV (1899)
• Iéna (1898)
• Suffren (1899)
• République class (1902)
• Liberté class (1904)
• Danton class Battleships (1909)
• Courbet class (1911)
• Bretagne class (1914)
• Normandie class battleships (1914)
• Lyon class battleships (planned)
• WW1 French Cruisers
• Dupuy de Lôme (1890)
• Admiral Charner class (1892)
• Pothuau (1895)
• Dunois class (1897)
• Jeanne d'Arc arm. cruiser (1899)
• Gueydon class arm. cruisers (1901)
• Dupleix class arm. cruisers (1901)
• Gloire class arm. cruisers (1902)
• Gambetta class arm. cruisers (1901)
• Jules Michelet arm. cruiser (1905)
• Ernest Renan arm. cruiser (1905)
• Lamotte Picquet class cruisers (planned)
• Cruiser D'Entrecasteaux (1897)
• D’Iberville class (1893)
• Jurien de la Gravière (1899)
• Seaplane Carrier La Foudre (1895)
• Kersaint class sloops (1897)
• WW1 French Destroyers
• WW1 French ASW Escorts
• WW1 French Submarines
• Plongeur (1863)
• Gymnôte (1888)
• Gustave Zédé (1893)
• Morse (1899)
• Narval (1899)
• Sirène class (1901)
• Farfadet class (1901)
• Morse class (1901)
• Naiade class (1904)
• Aigrette class (1904)
• Omega (1905)
• Emeraude class (1906)
• Circe class (1907)
• Pluviose class (1909)
• Brumaire class (1910)
• Archimede (1909)
• Mariotte (1911)
• Amiral Bourgeois (1912)
• Charles Brun (1910)
• Clorinde class (1913)
• Zédé class (1913)
• Amphitrite class (1914)
• Bellone class (1914)
• Dupuy de Lome class (1915)
• Diane class (1915)
• Joessel class (1917)
• Lagrange class (1917)
• Armide class (1915)
• O'Byrne class (1919)
• Maurice Callot (1921)
• Pierre Chailley (1921)
• WW1 French Torpedo Boats
• WW1 French river gunboats
• WW1 French Motor Boats
• WW1 French Auxiliary Warships

• WW1 Japanese Battleships
• Ironclad Chin Yen (1882)
• Fuji class (1896)
• Shikishima class (1898)
• IJN Mikasa (1900)
• Katori class (1905)
• Satsuma class (1906)
• Kawachi class (1910)
• Fusō class (1915)
• Ise class (1917)
• Nagato class (1919)
• Kaga class (1921)
• Kii class (planned)
• Tsukuba class BCs (1905)
• Ibuki class (1907)
• Kongō class (1912)
• Akagi class (planned)
• N°13 class (planned)
• WW1 Japanese Cruisers
• Naniwa class (1885)
• IJN Unebi (1886)
• Matsushima class (1889)
• IJN Akitsushima (1892)
• Suma class (1895)
• Chitose class (1898)
• Asama class (1898)
• IJN Yakumo (1899)
• IJN Adzuma (1899)
• Tsushima class (1902)
• IJN Otowa (1903)
• Kasuga class (1904)
• IJN Tone (1907)
• Yodo class (1907)
• Chikuma class (1911)
• Tenryu class (1918)
• WW1 Japanese Destroyers
• WW1 Japanese Submersibles
• WW1 Japanese Torpedo Boats
• WW1 Japanese gunboats
• IJN Wakamiya seaplane carrier (1905)
• Natsushima class minelayers (1911)
• IJN Katsuriki minelayer (1916)
• Japanese WW1 auxiliaries

• WW1 Russian Battleships
• Tri Sviatitelia (1894)
• Poltava (1894)
• Rostislav (1896)
• Peresviet class (1899)
• Pantelimon (1900)
• Retvizan (1900)
• Tsesarevich (1901)
• Borodino class (1901)
• Pervoswanny class (1908)
• Evstafi class (1910)
• Gangut class (1911)
• Imperatritsa Mariya class (1913)
• Borodino class battlecruisers (1915)
• WW1 Russian Cruisers
• Rossia class (1896)
• Pallada class (1899)
• Varyag (1900)
• Askold (1900)
• Novik (1900)
• Bogatyr class (1901)
• Boyarin (1901)
• Izmurud (1903)
• Bayan class (1905)
• Rurik (1906)
• Svetlana class (1915)
• Adm. Nakhimov class (1915)
• WW1 Russian Destroyers
• Pruitki class (1895)
• Bditelni(i) class (1899)
• Grozni class (1904)
• Ukraina class (1904)
• Bukharski class (1905)
• Gaidamak class (1905)
• Lovki class (1905)
• Bditelni class (1905)
• Tverdi class (1906)
• Storozhevoi class (1906)
• Kondratenko class (1906)
• Shestakov class (1907)
• Novik (1911)
• Bespokoiny(Derzki) class (1911)
• Orfey class (1911)
• Izyaslav class (1911)
• Fidonisy(Kerch) class (1911)
• WW1 Russian Submarines
• WW1 Russian TBs (1877-1918)
• WW1 Russian Minelayers
• WW1 Russian Minesweepers
• Amur class Minelayers (1906)

• WW1 Italian Battleships
• Re Umberto class (1883)
• Amiraglio Di St Bon class (1897)
• Regina Margherita class (1900)
• Regina Elena class (1904)
• Dante Alighieri (1909)
• Cavour class (1915)
• Doria class (1916)
• Caracciolo class battleships (1917)
• WW1 Italian Cruisers
• Umbria class (1891)
• Calabria (1894)
• Vettor Pisani class (1895)
• Agordat class (1899)
• Garibaldi class (1901)
• Marco Polo (1892)
• Nino Bixio class ()
• Pisa class (1907)
• San Giorgio class (1907)
• Quarto (1911)
• Libia (1912)
• Campania class (1914)
• WW1 Italian Gunboats
• Governolo GB (1897)
• Brondolo class (1909)
• Sebastiano Caboto (1912)
• Ape class (1918)
• Erlanno Caboto (1918)
• Bafile class (1921)
• Esploratori (scouts)
• Poerio class scouts
• Mirabello class scouts
• Aquila class scouts
• Leone class scouts
• WW1 Italian Destroyers
• Soldati class
• Indomito class
• Audace class
• Audace (ii)
• Sirtori class
• La Masa class
• Palestro class
• "Generali" class
• Curtatone class
• WW1 Italian Torpedo Boats
• WW1 Italian Submarines
• WW1 Italian Monitors
• WW1 Italian Minesweepers
• WW1 Italian MAS
• Grillo class tracked torpedo launches

✠ Central Empires

• WW1 German Battleships
• Siegfried class (1889)
• Brandenburg class (1892)
• Wittelsbach class (1900)
• Braunschweig class (1902)
• Kaiser Friedrich III class (1904)
• Deutschland class (1905)
• Nassau class (1906)
• Helgoland class (1909)
• Kaiser class (1911)
• König class (1913)
• Bayern class battleships (1916)
• Sachsen class (launched)
• L20 Alpha (project)
• WW1 German Battlecruisers
• SMS Blücher (1908)
• Von der Tann (1909)
• Moltke class (1910)
• Seydlitz (1912)
• Derrflinger class (1913)
• Hindenburg (1915)
• Mackensen class (1917)
• Ersatz Yorck class (started)
• WW1 German Cruisers
• Irene class (1887)
• SMS Kaiserin Augusta (1892)
• SMS Gefion (1893)
• SMS Hela (1895)
• Victoria Louise class (1896)
• Fürst Bismarck (1897)
• Gazelle class (1898)
• Prinz Adalbert class (1901)
• Prinz heinrich (1900)
• Bremen class (1902)
• Könisgberg class (1905)
• Roon class (1905)
• Scharnhorst class (1906)
• Dresden class (1907)
• Nautilus class (1906)
• Kolberg class (1908)
• Magdeburg class (1911)
• Karlsruhe class (1912)
• Graudenz class (1914)
• Pillau class (1914)
• Brummer class (1915)
• Wiesbaden class (1915)
• Königsberg(ii) class (1915)
• Cöln class (1916)
• WW1 German Commerce Raiders
• SMS Seeadler (1888)
• WW1 German Destroyers
• WW1 German Submarines
• Brandtaucher
• U-139 class
• U-142 class
• UB-II class
• UB-III class
• UC-II class
• Deutschland
• UE-II class
• WW1 German Torpedo Boats
• ww1 German gunboats
• ww1 German minesweepers
• ww1 German MTBs
• Monarch class coastal BS (1895)
• Habsburg class
• Herzherzog Karl class
• Radetzky class (1908)
• SMS Kaiser Karl IV (1898)
• SMS Sankt Georg (1903)
• Tegetthoff class (1911)
• Kaiser Franz Joseph I class (1889)
• Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia
• Admiral Spaun/Novara
• Panther class (1885)
• Zara class (1880)
• Austro-Hungarian Destroyers
• Tatra class Destroyers
• Austro-Hungarian Submarines
• Austro-Hungarian Torpedo Boats
• Versuchsgleitboot
• Barbarossa class battleships (1892)
• Yavuz (1914)
• Cruiser Mecidieh (1903)
• Cruiser Hamidieh (1903)
• Cruiser Midilli (1914)
• Namet Torpedo cruisers (1890)
• Sahahani Deria Torpedo cruisers (1892)
• Destroyers class Berk-Efshan (1894)
• Destroyers class Yarishar (1907)
• Destroyers class Muavenet (1909)
• Berk i Savket class Torpedo gunboats (1906)
• Marmaris gunboat (1903)
• Sedd ul Bahr class gunboats (1907)
• Isa Reis class gunboats (1911)
• Preveze class gunboats (1912)
• Turkish WW1 Torpedo Boats
• Turkish Armed Yachts (1861-1903)
• Turkish WW1 Minelayers

⚑ Neutral Countries

• Alm. Brown Corvette (1880)
• Cruiser Patagonia (1885)
• Libertad class CBC (1890)
• Cruiser 25 de Mayo (1890)
• Cruiser Nueve de Julio (1892)
• Cruiser Buenos Aires (1895)
• Garibaldi class cruisers (1895)
• Espora class TGB (1890)
• Patria class TGB (1893)
• Argentinian TBs (1880-98)
• Marsh. Deodoro class (1898)
• Riachuelo (1883)
• Minas Geraes class (1908)
• Cruiser Alm. Tamandaré (1890)
• Cruiser Republica (1892)
• Cruiser Alm. Barrozo (1892)
• TT Gunboat Talayo (1892)
• Brazilian TBs (1879-1893)
• BS Alm. Latorre (1913)
• BS Capitan Prat (1890)
• Pdt. Errazuriz class (1890)
• Blanco Encalada (1893)
• Esmeralda (1894)
• Ministro Zenteno (1896)
• O'Higgins (1897)
• Chacabuco (1898)
• TGB Almirante Lynch (1890)
• TGB Alm. Sampson (1896)
• Chilean TBs (1880-1902)
• Gunboat Baire (1906)
• Gunboat Patria (1911)
• Diez de octubre class GB (1911)
• Sloop Cuba (1911)
• GB Toussaint Louverture (1886)
• GB Capois la Mort (1893)
• GB Crete a Pierot (1895)

• Cruiser Zatagosa (1891)
• GB Plan de Guadalupe (1892)
• Tampico class GB (1902)
• N. Bravo class GB (1903)

• Almirante Grau class (1906)
• Ferre class subs. (1912)
• Cruiser Nadezhda (1898)
• Drski class TBs (1906)
• Skjold class (1896)
• Herluf Trolle class (1899)
• Herluf Trolle (1908)
• Niels Iuel (1918)
• Hekla class cruisers (1890)
• Valkyrien class cruisers (1888)
• Fyen class crusiers (1882)
• Danish TBs (1879-1918)
• Danish Submarines (1909-1920)
• Danish Minelayer/sweepers
• Kilkis class
• Giorgios Averof class
• Eversten class (1894)
• Konigin Regentes class (1900)
• De Zeven Provincien (1909)
• Dutch dreadnought (project)
• Holland class cruisers (1896)
• Fret class destroyers
• Dutch Torpedo boats
• Dutch gunboats
• Dutch submarines
• Dutch minelayers
• Haarfarge class (1897)
• Norge class (1900)
• Norwegian Monitors
• Cr. Frithjof (1895)
• Cr. Viking (1891)
• DD Draug (1908)
• Norwegian ww1 TBs
• Norwegian ww1 Gunboats
• Sub. Kobben (1909)
• Ml. Fröya (1916)
• Ml. Glommen (1917)

• Cruiser Adamastor (1896)
• Sao Gabriel class (1898)
• Cruiser Dom Carlos I (1898)
• Cruiser Rainha Dona Amelia (1899)
• Portuguese ww1 Destroyers
• Portuguese ww1 Submersibles
• Portuguese ww1 Gunboats
• Elisabeta (1885)

• España class Battleships (1912)
• Velasco class (1885)
• Cataluna class (1896)
• Plata class (1898)
• Estramadura class (1900)
• Reina Regentes class (1906)
• Spanish Destroyers
• Spanish Torpedo Boats
• Spanish Sloops/Gunboats
• Spanish Submarines
• Spanish Armada 1898
• Svea class (1886)
• Oden class (1896)
• Dristigheten (1900)
• Äran class (1901)
• Oscar II (1905)
• Sverige class (1915)
• J. Ericsson class (1865)
• Gerda class (1871)
• Berserk (1873)
• HMS Fylgia (1905)
• Clas Fleming class (1912)
• Swedish Torpedo cruisers
• Swedish destroyers
• Swedish Torpedo Boats
• Swedish gunboats
• Swedish submarines
• Dingyuan class Ironclads (1881)
• Hai Ching class (1874)
• Wei Yuan class (1878)
• Chao Yung class (1880)
• Nan T'an class (1883)
• Pao Min (1885)
• King Ching class (1885)
• Tung Chi class (1895)
• Hai Yung class (1897)
• Hai Tien class (1898)
• Chao Ho class (1911)
• Gunboats (1867-1918)
• Fu Po class Gunboats (1870)
• Torpedo gunboats (1891-1900)
• Destroyers (1906-1912)
• Torpedo boats (1883-1902)
• Maha Chakri (1892)
• Thoon Kramon (1866)
• Makrut Rajakumarn (1883)

⚏ WW1 3rd/4th rank navies

✪ allied ww2 fleets.

• WW2 US Battleships
• Wyoming class (1911)
• New York class (1912)
• Nevada class (1914)
• New Mexico class (1917)
• Tennessee Class (1919)
• Colorado class (1921)
• North Carolina class (1940)
• South Dakota class (1941)
• Iowa class (1942)
• Montana class (cancelled)
• WW2 American Cruisers
• Omaha class cruisers (1920)
• Pensacola class heavy Cruisers (1928)
• Northampton class heavy cruisers (1929)
• Portland class heavy cruisers (1931)
• New Orleans class cruisers (1933)
• Brooklyn class cruisers (1936)
• USS Wichita (1937)
• Atlanta class light cruisers (1941)
• Cleveland class light Cruisers (1942)
• Baltimore class heavy cruisers (1942)
• Alaska class heavy cruisers (1944)
• WW2 USN Aircraft Carriers
• USS Langley (1920)
• Lexington class CVs (1927)
• USS Ranger (CV-4)
• USS Wasp (CV-7)
• Yorktown class aircraft carriers (1936)
• Long Island class (1940)
• Independence class CVs (1942)
• Essex class CVs (1942)
• Bogue class CVEs (1942)
• Sangamon class CVEs (1942)
• Casablanca class CVEs (1942)
• Commencement Bay class CVEs (1944)
• Midway class CVs (1945)
• Saipan class CVs (1945)
• WW2 USN destroyers
• Farragut class (1934)
• Porter class (1935)
• Mahan class (1935)
• Gridley class (1936)
• Bagley class (1936)
• Somers class (1937)
• Benham class (1938)
• Sims class (1939)
• Benson class (1939)
• Gleaves class (1940)
• Fletcher class (1942)
• Sumner class (1943)
• Gearing class (1944)
• GMT Evarts class (1942)
• TE Buckley class (1943)
• TEV/WGT Rudderow class (1943)
• DET/FMR Cannon class
• Asheville/Tacoma class
• WW2 US Submarines
• Barracuda class
• USS Argonaut
• Narwhal class
• USS Dolphin
• Cachalot class
• Porpoise class
• Shark class
• Perch class
• Salmon class
• Sargo class
• Tambor class
• Mackerel class
• USS Terror (1941)
• Raven class Mnsp (1940)
• Admirable class Mnsp (1942)
• Eagle class sub chasers (1918)
• PC class sub chasers
• SC class sub chasers
• PCS class sub chasers
• YMS class Mot. Mnsp
• ww2 US gunboats
• ww2 US seaplane tenders
• USS Curtiss ST (1940)
• Currituck class ST
• Tangier class ST
• Barnegat class ST
• US Coast Guard
• Northland class
• Treasury class
• Owasco class
• Algonquin class
• Thetis class
• Active class
• US Amphibious ships & crafts
• US Amphibious Operations
• Doyen class AT
• Harris class AT
• Dickman class AT
• Bayfield class AT
• Windsor class AT
• Ormsby class AT
• Funston class AT
• Sumter class AT
• Haskell class AT
• Andromeda class AT
• Gilliam class AT
• APD-1 class LT
• APD-37 class LT
• LSV class LS
• LSD class LS
• Landing Ship Tank
• LSM class LS
• LSM(R) class SS
• LCV class LC
• LCVP class LC
• LCM(3) class LC
• LCP(L) class LC
• LCP(R) class SC
• LCL(L)(3) class FSC
• LCS(S) class FSC

• WW2 British Battleships
• Queen Elisabeth class (1913)
• Nelson class (1925)
• King George V class (1939)
• Lion class (Started)
• HMS Vanguard (1944)
• HMS Hood (1920)
• WW2 British Cruisers
• British C class cruisers (1914-1922)
• Hawkins class cruisers (1917)
• British D class cruisers (1918)
• Enterprise class cruisers (1919)
• HMS Adventure (1924)
• County class cruisers (1926)
• York class cruisers (1929)
• Surrey class cruisers (project)
• Leander class cruisers (1931)
• Arethusa class cruisers (1934)
• Perth class cruisers (1934)
• Town class cruisers (1936)
• Dido class cruisers (1939)
• Abdiel class cruisers (1939)
• Fiji class cruisers (1941)
• Bellona class cruisers (1942)
• Swiftsure class cruisers (1943)
• Tiger class cruisers (1944)
• WW2 British Aircraft Carriers
• HMS Eagle (1918)
• Courageous class aircraft carriers (1928)
• HMS Ark Royal (1937)
• Illustrious class (1939)
• HMS Indomitable (1940)
• Implacable class (1942)
• Malta class (project)
• HMS Unicorn (1941)
• Colossus class (1943)
• Majestic class (1944)
• Centaur class (started 1945)
• HMS Archer (1939)
• HMS Audacity (1941)
• HMS Archer (1941)
• HMS Activity (1941)
• HMS Pretoria Castle (1941)
• Avenger class (1941)
• Attacker class (1941)
• Ameer class (1942)
• Merchant Aircraft Carriers (1942)
• Nairana class (1943)
• WW2 British Destroyers
• Shakespeare class (1917)
• Scott class (1818)
• W class (1918)
• A/B class (1926)
• C/D class (1931)
• G/H/I class (1935)
• Tribal class (1937)
• J/K/N class (1938)
• Hunt class DE (1939)
• L/M class (1940)
• O/P class (1942)
• Q/R class (1942)
• S/T/U//V/W class (1942)
• Z/ca class (1943)
• Ch/Co/Cr class (1944)
• Battle class (1945)
• Weapon class (1945)
• WW2 British submarines
• L9 class (1918)
• HMS X1 (1923)
• Odin (O) class (1926)
• Parthian (P) class (1929)
• Rainbow (R) class (1930)
• River (Thames) class (1932)
• Swordfish (S) class (1932)
• Grampus class (1935)
• Shark class (1934)
• Triton class (1937)
• Undine class (1937)
• U class (1940)
• S class (1941)
• T class (1941)
• X-Craft midget (1942)
• A class (1944)
• WW2 British Amphibious Ships and Landing Crafts
• LSI(L) class
• LSI(M/S) class
• LSI(H) class
• Boxer class LST
• LST(2) class
• LST(3) class
• LSH(L) class
• LSF classes (all)
• LCI(S) class
• LCI(L) class
• LCS(L2) class
• LCG(M)(1) class
• WW2 British MTB/gunboats
• WW2 British MTBs
• MTB-1 class (1936)
• MTB-24 class (1939)
• MTB-41 class (1940)
• MTB-424 class (1944)
• MTB-601 class (1942)
• MA/SB class (1938)
• MTB-412 class (1942)
• MGB 6 class (1939)
• MGB-47 class (1940)
• MGB 321 (1941)
• MGB 501 class (1942)
• MGB 511 class (1944)
• MGB 601 class (1942)
• MGB 2001 class (1943)
• WW2 British Gunboats
• Denny class (1941)
• Fairmile A (1940)
• Fairmile B (1940)
• HDML class (1940)
• WW2 British Sloops
• Bridgewater class (2090)
• Hastings class (1930)
• Shoreham class (1930)
• Grimsby class (1934)
• Bittern class (1937)
• Egret class (1938)
• Black Swan class (1939)
• River class (1942)
• Loch class (1944)
• Bay class (1944)
• Kingfisher class (1935)
• Shearwater class (1939)
• Flower class (1940)
• Castle class (1943)
• WW2 British Misc.
• Roberts class monitors (1941)
• Halcyon class minesweepers (1933)
• Bangor class minesweepers (1940)
• Bathurst class minesweepers (1940)
• Algerine class minesweepers (1941)
• Motor Minesweepers (1937)
• ww2 British ASW trawlers
• Basset class trawlers (1935)
• Tree class trawlers (1939)
• HMS Albatross seaplane carrier
• WW2 British river gunboats
• HMS Guardian netlayer
• HMS Protector netlayer
• HMS Plover coastal mines.
• Medway class sub depot ships
• HMS Resource fleet repair
• HMS Woolwhich DD depot ship
• HMS Tyne DD depot ship
• Maidstone class sub depot ships
• HmS Adamant sub depot ship
• Athene class aircraft transport
• British ww2 AMCs
• British ww2 OBVs
• British ww2 ABVs
• British ww2 Convoy Escorts
• British ww2 APVs
• British ww2 SSVs
• British ww2 SGAVs
• British ww2 Auxiliary Mines.
• British ww2 CAAAVs
• British ww2 Paddle Mines.
• British ww2 MDVs
• British ww2 Auxiliary Minelayers
• British ww2 armed yachts

• WW2 French Battleships
• Dunkerque class (1935)
• Richelieu class (1940)
• Gascoigne class (Project)
• WW2 French cruisers
• Duguay Trouin class (1923)
• Duquesne class (1925)
• Suffren class (1927)
• Pluton (1929)
• Jeanne d’Arc (1930)
• Algérie (1930)
• Emile Bertin (1933)
• La Galissonnière class (1934)
• De Grasse class (started)
• St Louis class (started)
• WW2 French Destroyers
• Chacal class
• Guepard class
• Aigle class
• Vauquelin class
• Le Fantasque class
• Mogador class
• Bourrasque class
• L'Adroit class
• Le Hardi class
• La Melpomene class TBs
• Le fier class TBs
• WW2 French Submarines
• Requin class
• 600/630 Tonnes class
• Redoutable class
• Saphir class (1928)
• Surcouf (1929)
• Aurore class (1939)
• Morillot class (1940)
• Emeraude class (project)
• Phenix class (project)
• Aircraft Carrier Béarn (1923)
• Ct Teste seaplane carrier (1929)
• Joffre class CVs (started)
• French ASW sloops
• Bougainville class Avisos
• Elan class Minesweepers
• Chamois class Minesweepers
• French ww2 sub-chasers
• Sans souci class seaplane tenders
• ww2 French river gunboats
• ww2 French AMCs

• Sovetsky Soyuz class (started)
• Kronstadt class battlecruisers
• Krasny Kavkaz (1916)
• Svetlana class cruisers (1920)
• Kirov class cruisers (1934)
• Chapayev class cruisers (1940)
• WW2 Soviet Destroyers
• Sverdlov (Novik 1911)
• Leningrad class (1933)
• Tashkent (1937)
• Kiev class (1940)
• Gnevnyi class (1936)
• Storozhevoi class (1936)
• Opytinyi (1935)
• Ognevoi class (1940)
• WW2 Soviet submarines
• AG class (1920)
• Series I (1928)
• Series II (1931)
• Series III (1930)
• Series IV (1934)
• Series V/V bis (1933)
• Series VI/VI bis (1933)
• Series IX/IX bis (1935)
• Series X/X bis (1936)
• Series XI (1935)
• Series XIII/XIII bis (1937)
• Series XV (1940)
• Series XIV (1938)
• Series XVI (1947)
• Soviet ww2 Gunboats and Monitors
• Soviet ww2 guardships
• Soviet ww2 Minesweepers
• Soviet ww2 Minelayers
• Soviet ww2 MTBs
• Soviet ww2 sub-chasers
• Yosif Stalin class icebreakers

• Royal Canadian Navy
• IROQUOIS class destroyers
• Canadian RIVER class
• Canadian LOCH class
• Canadian FLOWER class
• Improved Flower class
• Canadian armed trawlers
• Canadian MACS

• Arunta class destroyers (1940)
• HMAS Albatros (1928)
• Barcoo class frigates (1943)
• Yarra class sloops (1935)

• HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)
• Java class cruisers (1921)
• Tromp Class Cruisers (1937)
• Holland class battecruisers (project)
• Eendracht class cruisers (project)
• Dutch Submarines
• Admiralen class destroyers
• Tjerk Hiddes class destroyers
• Dutch minelayers/minesweepers
• Ning Hai class (1931)
• WW2 Chinese Gunboats

✙ Axis ww2 Fleets

• WW2 Japanese Battleships
• Kongō class Fast Battleships (1912)
• Fuso class battleships (1915)
• Ise class battleships (1917)
• Nagato class Battleships (1919)
• Yamato class Battleships (1941)
• B41 class Battleships (project)
• B64/65 Battlecruiser (1939-41)
• WW2 Japanese cruisers
• Tenryū class cruisers (1918)
• Kuma class cruisers (1919)
• Nagara class (1921)
• Sendai class Cruisers (1923)
• IJN Yūbari (1923)
• Furutaka class Cruisers (1925)
• Aoba class heavy cruisers (1926)
• Nachi class Cruisers (1927)
• Takao class cruisers (1930)
• Mogami class cruisers (1934)
• Tone class cruisers (1937)
• Katori class cruisers (1939)
• Agano class cruisers (1941)
• Oyodo (1943)
• Seaplane & Aircraft Carriers
• IJN Hōshō (1921)
• IJN Akagi (1925)
• IJN Kaga (1927)
• IJN Ryujo (1931)
• IJN Soryu (1935)
• IJN Hiryu (1937)
• Shokaku class (1940)
• Zuiho class (1937)
• Ruyho (1933)
• Hiyo class (1941)
• Chitose class (1943)
• IJN Taiho (1944)
• IJN Shinano (1944)
• Unryu class (1944)
• IJN Ibuki (1942)
• Taiyo class (1940)
• IJN Kaiyo (1938)
• IJN Shinyo (1934)
• Notoro (1920)
• Kamoi (1922)
• Chitose class (1936)
• Mizuho (1938)
• Nisshin (1939)
• IJN Aux. Seaplane tenders
• Akistushima (1941)
• Shimane Maru class (1944)
• Yamashiro Maru class (1944)
• Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation
• WW2 Japanese Destroyers
• Mutsuki class (1925)
• Fubuki class (1927)
• Akatsuki class (1932)
• Hatsuharu class (1932)
• Shiratsuyu class (1935)
• Asashio class (1936)
• Kagero class (1938)
• Yugumo class (1941)
• Akitsuki class (1941)
• IJN Shimakaze (1942)
• WW2 Japanese Submarines
• KD1 class (1921)
• Koryu class
• Kaiten class
• Kairyu class
• IJN Midget subs
• WW2 Japanese Amphibious ships/Crafts
• Shinshu Maru class (1935)
• Akistu Maru class (1941)
• Kumano Maru class (1944)
• SS class LS (1942)
• T1 class LS (1944)
• T101 class LS (1944)
• T103 class LS (1944)
• Shohatsu class LC (1941)
• Chuhatsu class LC (1942)
• Moku Daihatsu class (1942)
• Toku Daihatsu class (1944)
• WW2 Japanese minelayers
• IJN Armed Merchant Cruisers
• WW2 Japanese Escorts
• Tomozuru class (1933)
• Otori class (1935)
• Matsu class (1944)
• Tachibana class (1944)
• WW2 IJN Gunboats
• WW2 Japanese Sub-chasers
• WW2 Japanese MLs
• Shinyo class SB

• WW2 Italian battleships
• Littorio class battleships
• Cavour class battleships
• Doria class battleships (1916)
• WW2 Italian Cruisers
• Alberto di Giussano class
• Trento class (1927)
• Cadorna class (1931)
• Zara class Cruisers (1931)
• R. Montecuccoli class (1934)
• Duca d'Aosta class (1935)
• Duca degli Abruzzi class (1937)
• Costanzo Ciano class (1939)
• Capitani Romani class (1941)
• Giuseppe Miraglia
• Aircraft carrier Aquila
• WW2 Italian Destroyers
• Leone class destroyers
• Sella class
• Sauro class
• Turbine class
• Navigatori class
• Freccia class
• Folgore class
• Maestrale class
• Oriani class
• Cdt Medaglie d'Oro class
• WW2 Italian TBs
• Spica class
• Pegaso class
• Ciclone class
• Ariete class
• WW2 Italian Submarines
• Mameli class
• Balilla class
• Archimede class
• Glauco class
• Marcello class
• Liuzzi class
• Marconi class
• Cagni class
• Romolo class
• Pisani class
• Bandiera class
• Squalo class
• Bragadin class
• Settembrini class
• Argonauta class
• Sirena class
• Perla class
• Acciaio class
• Flutto class
• ww2 Italian light MBs
• MS class boats
• VAS class ASW boats
• MTS class (1940)
• SLC/SSB class
• Eritrea sloop (1936)
• Diana sloop (1942)
• Gabbaiano class Corvettes (1942)
• Italian minelayers
• Italian gunboats

• ww2 german battleships
• Bismarck class Battleships (1940)
• Scharnhorst class battleships (1936)
• Deutschland class Cruisers (1931)
• K class Battleships
• ww2 german cruisers
• KMS Emden (1925)
• Königsberg class cruisers (1927)
• Leipzig class cruisers (1929)
• Hipper class cruisers (1937)
• KMS Graf Zeppelin (1939)
• WW2 German submarines: U-Boats
• Seeteufel (1944)
• Type Ia U-Boats (1936)
• Type II U-Boats (1935)
• Type IX U-Boats (1936)
• Type VII U-Boats (1933)
• Type XB U-Boats (1941)
• Type XIV U-Boats (1941)
• Type XVII U-Boats (1945)
• Type XXI U-Boats (1944)
• Type XXIII U-Boats (1944)
• Prototype U-Boats (1942-45)
• German mini-subs and human torpedoes
• WW2 German Destroyers
• Beute Zerstörer
• Spähkreuzer (1940)
• WW2 German Torpedo Boats
• F class escorts
• ww2 German minesweepers
• S-Bootes (E-Boats)
• Other Light Boats
• Manta (paper project, 1944)
• WW2 German Amphibious Ships
• German Commerce Raiders
• Bremse minelayer
• Brummer minelayer
• Brummer(II) minelayer
• Saar U-tender
• Bauer class U-tenders
• Nordsee S-tender
• Tsingtau S-tender
• Tanga S-tender
• Lüderitz class S-tenders
• Nachtigal class tenders
• Grille staadtjacht/minelayer
• Hela tender
• Castor minelayer
• Togo AA Cd ship

⚑ Neutral Navies

• Rivadavia class Battleships
• Cruiser La Argentina
• Veinticinco de Mayo class cruisers
• Argentinian Destroyers
• Santa Fe class sub.
• Bouchard class minesweepers
• King class patrol vessels

• Minas Gerais class Battleships (1912)
• Bahia class cruisers
• Brazilian Destroyers
• Humaita class sub.
• Tupi class sub.
• Almirante Latorre class battleships
• Cruiser Esmeralda (1896)
• Cruiser Chacabuco (1911)
• Chilean DDs
• Fresia class subs
• Capitan O’Brien class subs
• Danish ww2 Torpedo-Boats
• Danish ww2 submarines
• Danish ww2 minelayer/sweepers

• Coastal BB Vainamoinen
• Finnish ww2 submarines
• Finnish ww2 minelayers
• Greek ww2 Destroyers
• Greek ww2 submarines
• Greek ww2 minelayers

• Cruiser ORP Dragon
• Cruiser ORP Conrad
• Brislawicka class Destroyers
• Witcher ww2 Destroyers
• Minelayer Gryf
• Wilk class sub.
• Orzel class sub.
• Jakolska class minesweepers
• Polish Monitors

• Douro class DDs
• Delfim class sub
• Velho class gb
• Albuquerque class gb
• Nunes class sloops
• Romanian ww2 Destroyers
• Romanian ww2 Submarines

• Norwegian ww2 Torpedo-Boats

• España class Battleships
• Blas de Lezo class cruisers
• Canarias class cruisers
• Cervera class cruisers
• Cruiser Navarra
• Dédalo Seaplane Carrier
• Spanish Gunboats
• Spanish Minelayers

• Kocatepe class Destroyers
• Tinaztepe class Destroyers
• İnönü class submarines
• Submarine Dumplumpynar
• Submarine Sakarya
• Submarine Gur
• Submarine Batiray
• Atilay class submarines

• Cruiser Dalmacija
• Dubrovnik class DDs
• Beograd class DDs
• Osvetnik class subs
• Hrabi class subs
• Gunboat Beli Orao
• Taksin class
• Ratanakosindra class
• Sri Ayuthia class
• Puket class
• Tachin class
• Sinsamudar class sub

☢ The Cold War

☭ warsaw pact.

• Chapayev class (1945)
• Sverdlov class (1951)
• Kynda class (1961)
• Kresta I class (1964)
• Kresta II class (1968)
• Kara class (1969)
• Kirov class (1977)
• Slava class (1979)
• Moksva class (1965)
• Kiev class (1975)
• Kusnetsov class aircraft carriers (1988)
• Skoryi class destroyers (1948)
• Neustrashimyy (1951)
• Kotlin class (1953)
• Kildin class (1959)
• Krupny class (1959)
• Kashin class (1963)
• Kanin class (1967)
• Sovremenny class (1978)
• Udaloy class (1980)
• Project Anchar DDN (1988)
• Kola class (1951)
• Riga class (1954)
• Petya class (1960)
• Mirka class (1964)
• Grisha class (1968)
• Krivak class (1970)
• Koni class (1976)
• Neustrashimyy class (1988)
• Poti class (1962)
• Nanuchka class (1968)
• Pauk class (1978)
• Tarantul class (1981)
• Dergach class (1987)
• Svetlyak class (1989)
• Whiskey SSK (1948)
• Zulu SSK (1952)
• Quebec SSK (1950)
• Romeo SSK (1957)
• November SSN (1957)
• Golf SSB (1957)
• Hotel SSBN (1959)
• Echo I SSGN (1959)
• Echo II SSGN (1961)
• Juliett SSG (1962)
• Foxtrot SSK (1963)
• Victor SSN I (1965)
• Yankee SSBN (1966)
• Alfa SSN (1967)
• Charlie SSGN (1968)
• Papa SSGN (1968)
• Victor II SSN (1971)
• Tango SSK (1972)
• Delta I SSBN (1972)
• Delta II SSBN (1975)
• Victor III SSN (1977)
• Delta III SSBN (1976)
• Delta IV SSBN (1980)
• Typhoon SSBN (1980)
• Oscar SSGN (1980)
• Sierra SSN (1982)
• Mike SSN (1983)
• Akula SSN (1984)
• Kilo SSK (1986)
• P2 class FACs
• P4 class FACs
• P6 class FACs
• P8 class FACs
• P10 class FACs
• Komar class FACs (1960)
• Project 184 FACs
• OSA class FACs
• Shershen class FACs
• Mol class FACs
• Turya class HFL
• Matka class HFL
• Pchela class FACs
• Sarancha class HFL
• Babochka class HFL
• Mukha class HFL
• Muravey class HFL
• MO-V sub-chasers
• MO-VI sub-chasers
• Stenka class sub-chasers
• kronstadt class PBs
• SO-I class PBs
• Poluchat class PBs
• Zhuk clas PBs
• MO-105 sub-chasers
• Project 191 River Gunboats
• Shmel class river GB
• Yaz class river GB
• Piyavka class river GB
• Vosh class river GB
• Saygak class river GB
• Yurka class
• Gorya class
• Project 255 class
• Sasha class
• Vanya class
• Zhenya class
• Almaz class
• Sonya class
• Yevgenya class
• Andryusha class
• Ilyusha class
• Alesha class
• Rybak class
• Baltika class
• SChS-150 class
• Project 696 class
• MP 10 class
• Polocny class
• Ropucha class
• Alligator class
• Ivan Rogov class
• Aist class HVC
• Pomornik class HVC
• Gus class HVC
• T-4 class LC
• Ondatra class LC
• Lebed class HVC
• Tsaplya class HVC
• Utenov class

• Parchim class corvettes (1985)
• Hai class sub-chasers (1958)
• Volksmarine's minesweepers
• Volksmarine's FAC
• Volksmarine's Landing ships

• ORP Warzsawa (1970)
• ORP Kaszub (1986)
• Polish Landing ships
• Polish FACs
• Polish Patrol ships
• Polish Minesweepers

• Missile Destroyer Muntenia (1982)
• Tetal class Frigates (1981)
• Romanian river patrol crafts

✦ NATO

• Zerstorer class DDs (1958)
• Hamburg class DDs (1960)
• Lütjens class missile DDs (1965)
• Gneisenau class FFs (1958)
• Scharnhorst class FFs (1959)
• Köln class FFs (1958)
• Deutschland FFG (1960)
• Bremen class FFs (1979)
• Brandenbug class FFs (1992)
• Hai class SSK (1957)
• Type 201 class SSK (1961)
• Type 202 class SSK (1965)
• Type 205 class SSK (1962)
• Type 206 class SSK (1971)
• Type 209 class SSK (1972)
• Bundesmarine amphibious ships
• Thetis class corvettes
• Corvette Hans Burkner
• Rhein class suppert ships
• Mosel class support ships
• Lahn class support ships
• Silbermöwe class FACs
• Jaguar class FACs
• Hugin/Pfeil FACs
• Zobel class FACs
• S41 class FACs
• S61 class FACs
• S71 class FACs
• KW class PBs
• Kw 15 class PBs
• Neustadt class PBs
• Bamberg class minelayers
• Sachsenwald class mine transports
• Type 319 minesweepers
• Lindau class minesweepers
• Vegesack class minesweepers
• Schutze class minesweepers
• Bundesmarine R Boote
• Hansa inshore Ms.
• Ariadne class inshore Ms.
• Frauenlob class inshore Ms.
• Holnis class indhore Ms.
• Hameln class indhore Ms.
• Frankentahl class indhore Ms.
• Hvidbjornen class Frigates (1962)
• Frigate Beskytteren (1976)
• Peder Skram class Frigates (1965)
• Thetis class frigates (1989)
• Bellona class corvettes (1955)
• Niels Juel class corvettes (1979)
• Delfinen class submarines (1958)
• Narhvalen class submarines (1970)
• Bille class Torpedo Boats (1946)
• Flyvefisken class Torpedo Boats (1954)
• Falken class Torpedo Boats (1960)
• Soloven class Torpedo Boats (1962)
• Willemoes class FAC (1976)
• Flyvefisken class FAC (1989)
• Daphne class Patrol Boats (1960)
• Danish Minelayers
• Danish Minesweepers
• CV Karel Doorman (1948)
• De Zeven Provinciën class cruisers (1945)
• Holland class DDs (1953)
• Friesland class DDs (1953)
• Roodfier class Frigates (1953)
• Frigate Lynx (1954)
• Van Speijk class Frigates (1965)
• Tromp class Frigates (1973)
• Kortenaer class frigates (1976)
• Van H. class Frigates (1983)
• K. Doorman class Frigates (1988)
• Dolfijn clas sub. (1959)
• Zwaardvis class subs. (1970)
• Walrus class subs. (1985)
• ATD Rotterdam (1990s)
• Dokkum class minesweepers (1954)
• Alkmaar class minesweepers (1982)
• Hydra class FFs (1990)
• Greek cold war Subs
• Greek Amphibious ships
• Greek MTBs/FACs
• Greek Patrol Vessels

• Giuseppe Garibaldi (1983)
• Conte di Cavour (2004)*
• Trieste (2022)*
• Missile cruiser Garibaldi (1960)
• Doria class H. cruisers (1962)
• Vittorio Veneto (1969)
• Impetuoso class (1956)
• Impavido class (1957)
• Audace class (1971)
• De La Penne class (1989)
• Orizzonte class (2007)*
• Grecale class (1949)
• Canopo class (1955)
• Bergamini class (1960)
• Alpino class (1967)
• Lupo class (1976)
• Maestrale class (1981)
• Bergamini class (2013)*
• Thaon di Revel class (2020)*
• Albatros class (1954)
• De Cristofaro class (1965)
• Minerva class (1987)
• Cassiopeia class (1989)
• Esploratore class (1997)*
• Sirio class (2003)*
• Commandanti class (2004)*
• Toti class (1967)
• Sauro class (1976)
• Pelosi class (1986)
• Sauro class (1992)*
• Todaro class (2006)*
• San Giorgio LSD (1987)
• Gorgona class CTS (1987)
• Italian Landing Crafts (1947-2020)
• Folgore PB (1952)
• Lampo class PBs (1960)
• Freccia class PBs (1965)
• Sparviero class GMHF (1973)
• Stromboli class AOR (1975)
• Anteo SRS (1980)
• Etna class LSS (1988)
• Vulcano AOR (1998)*
• Elettra EWSS (2003)*
• Etna AOR (2021)*
• Lerici class (1982)
• Gaeta class (1992)*

• Jean Bart (1949)
• Dixmude (1946)
• Arromanches (1946)
• Lafayette class light carriers (1954)
• PA 28 class project (1947)
• Clemenceau class (1957)
• Jeanne d'Arc (1961)
• PA 58 (1958)
• PH 75/79 (1975)
• Charles de Gaulle (1994)
• De Grasse (1946)
• Chateaurenault class (1950)
• Colbert (1956)
• Surcouf class (1953)
• Duperre class (1956)
• La Galissonniere class (1960)
• Suffren class (1965)
• Aconit (1970)
• Tourville class (1972)
• G. Leygues class (1976)
• Cassard class (1985)
• Le Corse class (1952)
• Le Normand class (1954)
• Cdt Riviere class (1958)
• Estiennes D'Orves class (1973)
• Lafayette class (1990)
• Floreal class (1990)
• La Creole class (1940)
• Narval class (1954)
• Arethuse class (1957)
• Daphne class (1959)
• Gymnote test SSBN (1964)
• Le Redoutable SSBN (1967)
• Agosta SSN (1974)
• Rubis SSN (1979)
• Amethyste SSN (1988)
• Le Triomphant SSBN (started 1989)
• Issole (1958)
• EDIC class (1958)
• Trieux class (1958)
• Ouragan lass (1963)
• Champlain lass (1973)
• Bougainville (1986)
• Foudre class (1988)
• CDIC lass (1989)
• Le Fougueux class (1958)
• La Combattante class (1964)
• Trident class (1976)
• L'Audacieuse class (1984)
• Grebe class (1989)
• Sirius class (1952)
• Circe class (1972)
• Eridan class (1979)
• Vulcain class (1986)

• Alm. P. da Silva-class (1963)
• Joao Belo class (1966)
• Coutinho class (1969)
• B. de Andrada class (1972)
• V. De Gama class (1989)

• HCMS Bonaventure (1957)
• St Laurent class DDE (1951)
• Algonquin class DDE (1952)
• Restigouche class DDs (1954)
• Mackenzie class DDs (1961)
• Annapolis class DDH (1963)
• Iroquois class DDH (1970)
• River (mod) 1955
• Tribal class FFs (Pjct)
• City class DDH (1988)
• Ojibwa class sub. (1964)
• Kingston class MCFV (1995)

• Cold War Aircraft Carriers
• Centaur class (1947)
• HMS Victorious (1957)
• HMS Eagle (1946)
• HMS Ark Royal (1950)
• HMS Hermes (1953)
• CVA-01 class (1966 project)
• Invincible class (1977)
• Daring class (1949)
• 1953 design (project)
• Cavendish class (1944)
• FADEP program (1946)
• County class GMD (1959)
• Bristol class GMD (1969)
• Sheffield class GMD (1971)
• Manchester class GMD (1980)
• Type 43 GMD (1974)
• Rapid class (1942)
• Tenacious class (1941)
• Whitby class (1954)
• Blackwood class (1953)
• Leopard class (1954)
• Salisbury class (1953)
• Tribal class (1959)
• Rothesay class (1957)
• Leander class (1961)
• BB Leander class (1967)
• HMS Mermaid (1966)
• Amazon class (1971)
• Broadsword class (1976)
• Boxer class (1981)
• Cornwall class (1985)
• Duke class (1987)
• T class (1944)
• Amphion class (1945)
• Explorer class (1954)
• Stickleback class (1954)
• Porpoise class (1956)
• Oberon class (1959)
• HMS Dreanought SSN (1960)
• Valiant class SSN (1963)
• Resolution class SSBN (1966)
• Swiftsure class SSN (1971)
• Trafalgar class SSN (1981)
• Upholder class (1986)
• Vanguard class SSBN (started)
• Fearless class (1963)
• HMS Ocean (started)
• Sir Lancelot LLS (1963)
• Sir Galahad (1986)
• Ardennes/Avon class (1976)
• Brit. LCVPs (1963)
• Brit. LCM(9) (1980)
• Ton class (1952)
• Ham class (1947)
• Ley class (1952)
• HMS Abdiel (1967)
• HMS Wilton (1972)
• Hunt class (1978)
• Venturer class (1979)
• River class (1983)
• Sandown class (1988)
• HMS Argus ATS (1988)
• Ford class SDF (1951)
• Cormorant class (1985)
• Kingfisger class (1974)
• HMS Jura OPV (1975)
• Island class OPVs (1976)
• HMS Speedy PHDF (1979)
• Castle class OPVs (1980)
• Peacock class OPVs (1982)
• MBT 538 class (1948)
• Gay class FACs (1952)
• Dark class FACs (1954)
• Bold class FACs (1955)
• Brave class FACs (1957)
• Tenacity class PCs (1967)
• Brave class FPCs (1969)

• Dédalo aircraft carrier (1967)
• Principe de Asturias (1982)
• Liniers class DDs (1946)
• Oquendo class DDs (1956)
• Audaz class FFs (1955)
• Baleares class FFs (1971)
• Descubierta class FFs (1978)
• Numancia class FFs (1987)
• Pizarro class gunboats (1944)
• Artevida class Cvs (1952)
• Serviola class Cvs (1990)
• Spanish cold-war submarines
• Spanish FACs
• Spanish Minesweepers

• Berk class FFs (1971)
• Atilay class sub. (1974)
• Cakabey class LST
• Osman Gazi class LST
• Turkish Fast Attack Crafts
• Turkish Patrol Boats

• Aircraft carriers
• United States class (1950)
• Essex cold war
• Midway class (mod)
• Forrestal class (1954)
• Kitty Hawk class (1960)
• USS Enterprise (1960)
• Nimitz Class (1972)
• Iowa Class (cold war)
• Des Moines Class (1947)
• Worcester Class (1948)
• Boston Class (1955)
• Galveston Class (1958)
• Providence Class (1958)
• Albany Class (1962)
• USS Long Beach (1960)
• Leahy Class (1961)
• USS Bainbridge (1961)
• Belknap Class (1963)
• USS Truxtun (1964)
• California Class (1971)
• Virginia Class (1974)
• CSGN Class (1976)
• Ticonderoga Class (1981)
• Mitscher class (1952)
• Fletcher DDE (1950s)
• USS Norfolk (1953)
• F. Sherman class (1956)
• Farragut class (1958)
• Charles F. Adams class (1958)
• Gearing FRAM I class (1960s)
• Sumner FRAM II class (1970s)
• Spruance class (1975)
• Dealey class (1953)
• Claud Jones class (1958)
• Bronstein class (1962)
• Garcia class (1963)
• Brooke class (1963)
• Knox class (1966)
• OH Perry class (1976)
• Guppy class Submarines (1946-59)
• Barracuda class SSK (1951)
• Tang class SSK (1951)
• USS Darter SSK (1956)
• Mackerel (T1) class SSK (1953)
• USS Albacore SSK (1953)
• USS X1 Midget subs (1955)
• Barbel class SSK (1958)
• USS Nautilus SSN (1954)
• USS Seawolf SSN (1955)
• Skate class SSN (1957)
• Skipjack class SSN (1958)
• USS Tullibee SSN (1960)
• Tresher/Permit class SSN (1960)
• Sturgeon class SSN (1963)
• Los Angeles class SSN (1974)
• Seawolf class SSN (1989)
• Grayback class SSBN (1957)
• USS Halibut SSBN (1959)
• Gato SSG (1960s)
• G. Washington class SSBN (1959)
• Ethan Allen class SSBN (1960)
• Lafayette class SSBN (1962)
• Ohio class SSBN (1979)
• Migraine class RP (1950s)
• Sailfish class RP (1955)
• USS Triton class RP (1958)
• Iwo Jima class HC (1960)
• Tarawa class LHD (1973)
• Wasp class LHD (1987)
• Thomaston class LSD (1954)
• Raleigh class LSD (1962)
• Austin class LSD (1964)
• Anchorage class LSD (1968)
• Whibdey Island class LSD (1983)
• Parish class LST (1952)
• County class LST (1957)
• Newport class LST (1968)
• Tulare class APA (1953)
• Charleston class APA (1967)
• USS Carronade support ship (1953)
• Agile class (1952)
• Ability (1956)
• Avenger (1987)
• USS Cardinal (1983)
• Adjutant class (1953)
• USS Cove (1958)
• USS Bittern (1957)
• Minesweeping boats/launches
• USS Northampton CS (1951)
• Blue Ridge class CS (1969)
• Wright class CS (1969)
• PT812 class (1950)
• Nasty class FAC (1962)
• Osprey class FAC (1967)
• Asheville class FACs (1966)
• USN Hydrofoils (1962-81)
• Vietnam Patrol Boats (1965-73)
• Hamilton class (1965)
• Reliance class (1963)
• Bear class (1979)
• cold war CG PBs

♕ EUROPE

• Eithne class PBs (1983)
• Cliona class PBs
• Deidre/Emer class PBs
• Orla class fast PBs

• Tre Kronor class (1946)
• Öland class DDs (1945)
• Halland class DDs (1952) (1945)
• Ostergotland class DDs (1956)
• Spica III class Corvettes (1984)
• Goteborg class Corvettes (1989)
• U1 class subs (mod.1963)
• Hajen class subs (1954)
• Sjoormen class subs (1967)
• Nacken class subs (1978)
• Vastergotland class subs (1986)
• Gotland class subs (1995)
• T32 class MTBs (1951)
• T42 class MTBs (1955)
• Plejad class FACs (1951)
• Spica I class FACs (1966)
• Spica II class FACs (1972)
• Hugin class FACs (1973)
• Swedish Patrol Boats
• Swedish minesweepers
• Swedish Icebreakers

• Destroyer Split (1950)
• Kotor class Frigates (1984)
• SUTJESKA class submarines (1958)
• Heroj class submarines (1967)
• SAVA class submarines (1977)
• UNA class midget submarines (1985)
• Mala class swimmer delivery vehicles
• DTM 221 class landing craft
• Type 21/22 class landing craft
• Silba class landing ships
• Minelayer Galeb (1950)
• TYPE 201 fast attack craft
• TYPE 240 fast attack craft
• TYPE 400 Cobra FAC
• MORNAR class OPV
• TYPE 501/509 ‘KRALJEVICA’ OPV
• TYPE 132 CPC
• Mirna class CPC

☯ ASIA

• Type 7 Anshan class (1955)
• Type 051 Luda class (1972)
• Type 052 Luhu Class (1991)
• Type 065 Chengdu class (1956)
• Type 065 Jiangnan class (1967)
• Type 053K Jiangdong class (1973)
• Type 053H Jianghu class (1977)
• Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class (1990)
• Type 03 class (1956)
• Type 033 class (1963)
• Ming class (1973)
• Han class SSN (1970)
• Xia class SSBN (1981)
• Wuhan class SSBN (1987)
• Huchuan class THF (1966)
• Hoku class FAC (1965)
• Huangfeng class FAC (1966)
• Hola class FAC (1966)
• Houxin/Houjian class FAC (1990s)
• Yu Ling class LST (1971)
• Yukan class LST (1978)
• Yudao class LST (1980)
• Yunnan class LC (1968)
• Huangpu class RPC (1950)
• Shantou class CPC (1956)
• Shanghai class LPC (1959)
• Hainan class LPC (1964)
• Yulin class RPC (1964)
• Haikou class LPC (1968)
• Haijui class LPfC (1987)
• Chinese Minesweepers

• Vikrant class CVs (1961)
• Viraat class CVs (1986)
• Cruiser Delhi (1948)
• Cruiser Mysore (1957)
• Raja class DDs (1949)
• Rajput class DDs (1980)
• Delhi class DDs (1990)
• Khukri class FFs (1956)
• Talwar class FFs (1958)
• Brahmaputra class FFs (1957)
• Nilgiri class FFs (1968)
• Godavari class FFs (1980)
• Kusura class subs (1970)
• Shishumar class subs (1984)
• Sindhugosh class subs (1986)
• Indian Amphibious ships
• Indian corvettes (1969-90)
• Khukri class corvettes (1989)
• SDB Mk.2 class PBs (1977)
• Vikram class OPVs (1979)
• Sukanya class OPVs (1989)

• Fatahilla class Frigates (1977)
• Pattimura class corvettes (1956)
• Indonesian Marines
• Indonesian Mine Vessels
• Indonesian FAC/OPVs

• Harukaze class DD (1955)
• Ayanami class DD (1957)
• Murasame class DD (1958)
• Akizuki class DD (1959)
• Amatukaze missile DD (1963)
• Yamagumo class DDE (1965)
• Takatsuki class DD (1966)
• Minegumo class DDE (1967)
• Haruna class DDH (1971)
• Tachikaze class DD (1974)
• Shirane class DDH (1978)
• Hatsuyuki class DDs (1980)
• Hatakaze class DDs (1984)
• Asigiri class DDs (1986)
• Kongo class DDs (started 1990)
• Akebono class FFs (1955)
• Isuzu class FFs (1961)
• Chikugo class FFs (1970)
• Ishikari class FFs (1980)
• Yubari class FFs (1982)
• Abukuma class FFs (1988)
• Oyashio class Sub. (1959)
• Hayashio class Sub. (1961)
• Natsushio class Sub. (1963)
• Oshio class Sub. (1964)
• Uzushio class Sub. (1970)
• Yushio class Sub. (1979)
• Harushio class Sub. (1989)
• Japanese Landing Ships
• Japanese Large Patrol Ships
• Japanese Patrol Crafts
• Japanese Minesweepers
• Japanese Sub-chasers

• Najin class Frigates
• Experimental Frigate Soho
• Sariwan class Corvettes
• Sinpo class subs.
• Sang-O class subs.
• Yono class subs.
• Yugo class subs.
• Hungnam class LCM
• Hante class LST
• Songjong class HVC
• Sin Hung/Ku Song FACs
• Anju class FACs
• Iwon class FACs
• Chaho class FACs
• Hong Jin class FAC-G
• Sohung class MTBs
• Sinpo class MTBs
• Nampo class FALC

• Cruiser Babur (1956-85)
• Tariq class DDs (1949)
• Taimur class DDs (1954)
• Badr class DDs (1956)
• Alamgir FRAM I DDs (1977)
• Babur missile DD (1982)
• Jhelum class FFs (1848)
• Zulfiqar class FFs (1948)
• Leander class FFs (1988)
• Saif(Garcia) class FFs (1989)
• Badr(Booke) class FFs (1989)
• Tariq(amazon) class FFs (1993)
• Ghazi(i) sub (1964)
• Hangor class subs (1970)
• Hashmat clas subs (1979)
• Agosta90B class (2001)
• SX404 midgets subs
• Town class LPC (1965)
• Pakistani FACs
• Pakistani Minesweepers

• Datu Kalantian class Frigates (1976)
• Bacolod City class LS(L)
• Philippino Patrol Crafts

• Ulsan class frigates (1980)
• Pohang class corvettes (1984)
• Dong Hae class corvettes (1982)
• Han Kang class patrol corvettes (1985)
• Chamsuri (PKM 268) PBs (1978)
• ROKS coast guard vessels
• Paek Ku class FAC (1975)
• Kang Keong class minehunters (1986)

• Kwang Hua class FFs (1991)
• Kwang Hua II class FFs (1993)
• Hai Lung class sub. (1986)
• LCU 1466 class LCU (1955)
• Fuh Chow class FAC
• Lung Chiang class FAC
• Hai Ou class FAC(M)
• MWW 50 class minehunters

☪ MIDDLE EAST

• Eilat class Corvettes (1993)
• SAAR 5 Project
• SAAR 4.5 FAC
• Dvora class FAC
• Shimrit class MHFs
• IDF FACs/PBs
• Etzion Geber LST
• Ash class LCT

• Destroyer Artemiz (1965)
• Bayandor class FFs (1963)
• Alvand class FFs (1969)
• Khalije Fars class DDs (2016)*

♅ OCEANIA

• HMAS Sydney (1948*)
• HMAS Melbourne (1955*)
• Tobruk class DDs (1947)
• Voyager class DDs (1952)
• Perth class MDD (1963)
• Quadrant class FFs (1953)
• Yarra class FFs (1958)
• Swan class FFs (1967)
• Adelaide class MFFs (1978)
• Anzac class MFFs (1990s)
• Oxley class subs (1965)
• Collins class subs (1990s)
• Australian Amphibious ships
• Fremantle class PBs

• HMNZS Royalist (1956)
• Pukaki class patrol Crafts (1974)
• Moa class patrol crafts (1983)
• HMNZS Aotearoa (2019)*

☩ South America

• ARA Independencia (1958)
• ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (1968)
• Belgrano class cruisers (1951)
• Almirante Brown class Frigates (1981)
• Mantilla class corvettes (1981)
• Espora class corvettes (1982)
• Salta class submarines (1972)
• Santa Cruz class submarines (1982)

• Minas Gerais aircraft carrier (1956)
• Cruiser Barroso (1951)
• Cruiser Tamandare (1951)
• Acre class destroyers (1945)
• Niteroi class Frigates (1974)
• Ihnauma class Frigate (1986)
• Tupi class submarines (1987)
• Brazilian patrol ships
• O'Higgins class cruisers
• Lattore Cruiser (1971)
• Almirante class destroyers (1960)
• Prat class M. Destroyers (1982)
• Almirante Lynch class Frigates (1972)
• Thomson class subs (1982)
• Small surface combatants

• 7 de Agosto class destroyers (1956)
• Padilla class Frigates (1982)
• Intrepido class midget submarines (1972)

• Almirante Grau(ii) class
• Almirante Grau(iii) class
• Abtao class sub.
• PR-72P class corvettes
• Velarde class OPVs

℣ AFRICA

• October class FAC/M (1975)
• Ramadan class FAC/M (1979)

• Wager class destroyers (1950)
• President class Frigates (1960)
• Maria Van Riebeeck class subs (1969)
• Astrant class subs (1977)
• Minister class FAC(M) (1977)
• SANDF Minesweepers

✚ MORE

• ⚔ Indochina War naval ops
• ⚔ Korean War naval ops
• ⚔ 1956 intervention in Suez
• ⚔ 1960 Cuban crisis
• ⚔ 1960 US/Soviet compared strenghts
• ⚔ 1963-69 Algerian war naval ops
• ⚔ Naval warfare in Vietnam
• ⚔ Middle East naval fights
• ⚔ 1980 Falkland wars
• ⚔ 1990 Gulf War
• ⚔ Modern PLAN
• Liaoning -Type 001 (2011)
• Shandong -Type 002 (2017)
• Fujian -Type 003 (2022)
• Unnamed -Type 004 (2026)
• Type 052 Luhu class (1994)
• Type 051B Luhai class(1999)
• Project 956E/EM Hanzhou class
• Type 052B Luyang I class (2002)
• Type 051C (Luzhou class)
• Type 052C (Luyang II) (2003)
• Type 052D (Luyang III) (2013)
• Type 055 (Renhai class) (2017)
• Type 055A (Renhai II) (2025)
• Type 054/54A Jiangkai class
• Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class
• Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class
• Type 056/56A Jiangdao class
• Type 096 class SSBN (2025)
• Type 094/094A Jin class SSBN
• Type 032 Qing class SSB
• Type 095 class SSN (2026)
• Type 093/093A Shang class SSN
• Type 039A Yuan class SSK
• Type 039B Yuan class SSK
• Type 039C Yuan class SSK
• Type 039G/G1 Song class SSK
• Type 035A/B Ming class SSK
• Project 636M Kilo SSK
• Type 022 Houbei clas
• Type 037II Houjian class
• Type 037IG Houxin class
• Type 037IS Haiqing class
• Type 062I Shanghai III
• Type 075 LHD Yushen class
• Type 071 ATD Yuzhao class
• Type 072A LST Yuting III class
• Type 072III LSD Yuting II class
• Type 072II LST Yukan class
• Type 073A HLS Yunshu class
• Type 073III HLS Yudeng class
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• Type 074 MLS Yuhai class
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History Cooperative

Roman Boats

The Roman Navy was always considered an inferior arm and was strictly under army control. But already during the First Punic War, Rome proved itself capable of launching a fleet capable of checking an established naval power such as Carthage .

Romans were no sailors though. They had no knowledge of ship building. Their ships were in fact built copying the example of captured Carthaginian vessels, combined with the expertise supplied by the Greek cities of southern Italy.

Rather unexpected success in battle was obtained by a logical Roman idea that a warship was little more than a floating platform on which the soldiers could be brought into close contact with the enemy.

For this purpose they invented a huge boarding plank with a large spike on the end, which could be raised and lowerd like a drawbridge. Before battle it would be raised and then dropped onto an enemy’s deck. The spike would embed itself into the oppnent’s deck planking and the legionaries could board the enemy vessel across it. This elaborate contraption was called ‘the raven’ (corvus) This invention gave Rome five victories at sea. However, it is believed that it’s weight, carried above the water line, also made the ships unstable, and could in rough seas cause them to capsize.

In effect, much of this achievement of their sea victories was minimized by the losses the Romans hence suffered at sea. Partially the corvus might well be responsible for some of these losses. But generally it was the inept way the Romans handled their vessels as well as their ill fortune in running into several tempests.

It is possible that Rome’s losses at sea through lack of seamanship and ignorance of navigation had her rely completely on the Greek cities to provide ships when they were required. But as Rome gained control of the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, so the sea power of the Greek cities declined, and in the years 70-68 BC the pirates of Cilicia were able to carry on their trade with impunity right up to the Italian coastline.

The threat to the vital corn supply was such that the Senate was stung into action and gave Pompey an extraordinary command to clear the seas of pirates. He achieved this in only three months. Far too short a period in which to have built any ships of his own. His fleet was largely composed of vessels pressed into service from the Greek cities. After this there is evidence of fleets kept in the Aegean, although they may not always have been in great fighting condition.

It was the civil war between Caesar and Pompey which so clearly demonstrated the true significance of sea power and at one time there had been as many as a thousand ships engaged in the Mediterranean. As the struggle continued Pompey’s son, Sextus, acquired a fleet sufficient to keep Octavian at bay and endanger the grain supply to Rome.

Octavian and Agrippa set to work to construct a large fleet at Forum Iulii, and train the crews. In 36 BC Sextus was finally defeated at Naucholus and Rome became, once more, mistress of the western Mediterranean. The final event of the civil war was the Battle of Actium, which destroyed Antony.

Octavian was left with some 700 ships of various sizes, ranging from heavy transports to light galleys (liburnae, which were his private property and which he manned with slaves and freedmen of his personal service. – No Roman citizenry ever handled an oar !

These ships formed the first standing fleet, the best ships forming the first permanent squadron of the Roman Navy and established at Forum Iulii (Fréjus) .

Augustus saw, as with the army itself, the need for a permanent arrangement for maintaining the peace, but the most strategic and economical situations for the main bases had yet to be evolved. Forum Iulii controlled the north-western Mediterranean, but soon further bases were needed to protect Italy itself and the corn supply to Rome and the Adriatic. an obvious choice was Misenum on the Bay of Naples, and considerable harbour works and buildings were started by Augustus, the port thereafter remaining the most important naval base throughout Imperial times.

Augustus also constructed a new naval harbour at Ravenna at the head of the Adriatic, helping to deal with any potential trouble form Dalmatia and Illyria, should it arise. Another important area which Augustus felt needed special care and protection was Egypt, and it is probable that he founded the Alexandrine Fleet. (For services to Vespasian in the civil war it was rewarded with the title Classis Augusta Alexandrina).

The squadron had a detachment along the African coast at Caesarea when Mauretania became a province and may have been responsible for supplying the armies sent there under Claudius. A Syrian squadron, the Classis Syriaca was believed by later Roman historians to have been founded by Hadrian , but it is believed that is was created much earlier. Along the northern frontiers squadrons were created to meet the needs along the coasts and rivers as the empire expanded.

The conquest of Britain involved massive naval preparations. Ships were assembled at Gesoraicum (Boulogne) and this harbour remained the main base for the Classis Britannica. The fleet naturally played a vital part in the conquest of Britain, in bringing supplies to the troops. One of the finest recorded achievements in the conquest of Britain is the circumnavigation of the Scotland under Agricola, proving that in fact Britain was an island. In AD 83 the fleet was used to soften the position in Scotland by making lightning raids up the east coast; it also discovered the Orkney islands.

In the campaign against the Germans the Rhine played a major role. Squadrons of the fleet were operating along the lower stretches of the river as early as 12 BC under Drusus the Elder, but with as yet little understanding of the tides his ships were left high and dry in the Zuyder Zee and his forces were only saved by the Frisian allies. Drusus also constructed a canal to shorten the distance from the Rhine to the North Sea. This was used by his son Germanicus in AD 15, in whose campaign the fleet was again much in evidence.

But the stormy weather of Northern Europe generally proved a lot to handle for a Roman fleet more accustomed to the calm waters of the Mediterranean. The fleets both in Germany and Britain suffered heavy losses throughout.

Although its activities could hardly be called distinguished, the fleet of the Rhine did receive the title Augusta from Vespasian an later shared with the Lower German units the title pia fidelis Domitiana, following the suppression of Antonius Saturninus.

The headquarters of the German fleet, the fleet of the Rhine, or Classis Germanica, were at today’s town of Alteburg near Cologne.. There were probably other stations lower down the river, especially near the mouth, where navigation became hazardous.

The Danube, the other great natural boarder guarding the Roman empire from the northern hordes, has a natural division into two parts at the Iron Gates in the Kazan Gorge at it was probably difficult to pass in times of low water. The river thus came to have two fleets, the Pannonian fleet, Classis Pannonica, in the west, and the Moesian fleet, Classis Moesica, to the east. The Pannonian fleet owed its creation to the campaign of Augustus in 35 BC. The natives attempted naval warfare on the Sava river with dugout canoes but with short-lived success.

Hostile patrols and supply routes along the rivers Sava and Drava became factors in this campaign. As soon as the Danube became the frontier the fleet was moved there, although Roman patrols will have continued along the main southern tributaries of the great stream.

With Trajan’s conquest of Dacia added the need also patrol the northern tributaries- and furthermore the need to guard the coast toward the vast Black Sea, the Pontus Euxinus. Extensively colonized by the Greeks in the eighth to sixth century BC, it did not attract any serious attention from Rome until the reign of Claudius ; until then power had been invested in friendly or client kings.

Little attempt had been made to control piracy. It was the annexation of Thrace which brought part of the shoreline under direct Roman control and there appears to have been a Thracian fleet, the Classis Perinthia, which may have been of native origin.

The Armenian campaigns under Nero’s rule led to the taking over of Pontus , and the royal fleet became the Classis Pontica. During the civil war following Nero’s death the Black Sea became a battleground. The freedman Anicetus, commander of the fleet, raised the standard of Vitellius , destroyed the Roman ships and the town of Trapezus and then turned to piracy assisted by tribes from the eastern shore who used a type of boat known as camera.

Thus, a new fleet had to be fitted out and this, with legionary support, frown Anicetus into his stronghold at the mouth of the river Khopi on the east shore from where he was alas surrendered to the Romans by the local tribesmen. Under Hadrian the Black Sea was divided between the Classis Pontica, responsible for the southern and eastern parts of the Black SEa, the mouth of the Danube and the coastline to the north as far as the Crimea was the responsibility of the Classis Moesica

Organization of the Fleet

The commanders of the fleet were praefecti recruited from the equestrian order like those of the auxiliaries. their status in the military and civil hierarchy underwent changes in the first century AD. At first there was a tendency to use army officers, tribunes and primipilares (first centurions), but under Claudius it became linked with civil careers and some commands were given to imperial freedmen. Though this proved unsatisfactory, one need only look at the example of Anicetus to understand why.

There was a reorganization under Vespasian, who raised the status of the praefecture, and the command of the Misene Fleet became one of the most important and prestigious equestrian posts obtainable. This, together with the praefecture of Ravenna, became a purely administrative position with active service a very unlikely event. The praefectures of the provincial fleets ranked with auxiliary commands.

The lower commands present a complex system. In the first place many of these positions were Greek, owing to the origins of Roman navigation. The navarch must have been the squadron commander, the trierarch a ship captain, but just how many ships constituted a squadron is unknown, although there are indications that it might have been ten.

The basic difference between army and navy was that navy officers could never hope for promotion into another arm, until the system was changed by Antoninus Pius . The highest rank any sailor could achieve until then was to become a navarch. Each ship had a small administrative staff under a beneficarius and the whole crew was considered a century under a centurion assisted by an optio.

Presumably the centurion was responsible for the military aspects and had under his command a small force of trained infantry who acted as a spearhead in an assault party. The rowers and the other crew members would have some arms training and would have been expected to fight when called upon. The exact relationship between centurion and trierach may have been difficult at times, but custom must have established precise spheres of authority.

The sailors themselves were normally recruited from the lower ranks of society, but were free men. However, the Romans had never readily taken to the sea and few sailors would have been from Italian origin. Most would have originated from amongst the sea-faring peoples of the eastern Mediterranean.

Service was for twenty-six years, a year longer than the auxiliaries, marking the fleet as a slightly inferior service, and citizenship was the reward for discharge. Very occasionally whole crews might for a special piece of gallantry be fortunate enough to receive immediate discharge and there are also cases where they were enrolled into the legion.

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Roman ships and navigation in ancient Rome

Building ships in the ancient world relied mostly on rules of thumb and inherited techniques rather than science. Early shipbuilders built the outer hull first, then proceeded with the frame and the rest of the ship while the planks forming the outer hull were sewn together. Building a ship (that would not sink) starting from the outer hull was quite a difficult task and required a lot of experience.

From the sixth century BC onwards, the locked mortise and tenon method rather than the sewing method was used to join the planks together and starting from the first centuries AD, Mediterranean shipbuilders shifted to another shipbuilding method which consisted of building the ship starting from the frame and then proceeding with the hull and the rest of the ship. This shipbuilding method (frame first, hull, then rest of the ship) is still the method being used today to build modern ships. It is more systematic and allowed the Romans to build ships on an almost industrial scale.

Roman ships: warships

Sensing the threat that Carthage posed, a committee was set up in 311 BC to plan for the development of the Roman navy. The Romans captured a Carthaginian quinquereme that had run aground as it tried to block the passage of Roman ships on their way to Sicily. The Romans reverse engineered the ship to build hundreds of large quinqueremes. The Roman copies were however far from perfect: Roman quinqueremes were much heavier and less manoeuvrable than their Carthaginian counterparts.

Warships were built to be lightweight, very fast and manoeuvrable. Because they were so lightweight, they would often lay crippled on the surface, and not sink, after a naval battle to be later towed back to shore. Warships also had to be able to go near the coast which is the reason why they were flat with no ballast. They had a heavy spike usually made of bronze that was used to pierce the hulls or break the oars of enemy ships. They used both wind and human power, and had a square sail and a large number of oars on each side.

The trireme was the dominant warship from the 7th to the 4th century BC. It had three rows (the word trireme us derived from the Latin word "triremis" meaning "with three banks of oars") with rowers in the top, middle and lower rows, with approximately 50 rowers in each row. Contrary to popular perception and what is shown in many movies, rowers on military Roman ships were not slaves but mostly freemen of the provinces called peregrines ( peregrinus ) and Roman citizens enrolled in the army. The quadriremes (four rows of oarsmen) and quinqueremes (five rows) were even larger than the triremes. According to Polybius, the Roman quinquireme was 45m long and 5m wide which was truly big for its time. It had 300 rowers with 90 oars on each side. Being heavier than the trireme (it would displace about 100 tons), it was also more stable in bad weather and faster. A 100 tons quinquireme ramming an enemy ship at high speed would totally pulverize it.

Rome tested and improved its warships during the First Punic War which lasted a good 23 years. The First Punic War started when Messana (today Messina) asked Rome to expel the Carthaginians from its territory. Sensing that Carthage was too close to its territory and could potentially pose a threat, Rome saw the opportunity to have a strategic presence in Sicily and to finally "deal" with the Carthaginian threat. Rome sent 230 warships and 100 freighters with an estimated 100,000 oarsmen and 40,000 soldiers! After over two decades of fighting and a number of epic naval battles, Rome managed to defeat the world's most powerful navy to become the dominant naval power in the Mediterranean or as the Romans called it Mare Nostrum ("our sea").

Another function of Roman military ships was to patrol the Mediterranean sea and to sometimes escort merchant ships. During the Empire it was quite common to see the huge galleys of the Roman navy patrolling the Mediterranean for any pirates and escorting other large merchant ships. The Mediterranean sea remained actually pretty safe up until the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century.

Roman ships: merchant ships

The merchant ship's main function was to transport lots of cargo over long distances and at a reasonable cost. Merchant ships transported agricultural goods, for example olive oil from Greece, wine, grain from Egypt's Nile valley, and raw materials such as marble, granite, iron bars, copper, lead ingots, etc. Unlike warships, merchant ships did not have to be fast or very manoeuvrable. Since they anchored to ports, they also did not have to have a flat hull like warships and had instead a V-shaped hull and a ballast which rendered them more stable. They also had double planking which strengthened their hull thereby allowing them to transport heavy cargo.

The merchant ships' cargo capacity varied from 70 up to 600 tons for the largest Roman ships. Most ships had a cargo capacity of 100 to 150 tons, 150 tons being the capacity of a ship transporting 3,000 amphorae. The largest ships, with a capacity of 600 tons, were 150 ft (46m) long. Some ships like the Isis had a tonnage equal to 1,200 and were close to 180 ft (55m) long, with a beam of 45ft (14m) and 45 ft (14m) from the deck to the bottom of the hull. They could carry one thousand tons of grain or enough to feed an entire city for a year. If we compare to modern ships though, a Panamax container ship today has a length of 950 ft (290m) and a carrying capacity of 52,500 tons (DWT) or 44 times the capacity of the Isis ship. Nevertheless, Roman ships were huge for their time and after the collapse of the Roman Empire no ships of their cargo-carrying capacity were built until at least the 16th century AD.

Merchant ships mainly used mainly wind power. They had from one to three masts with large square sails and a small triangular sail called the supparum at the bow. They also had oarsmen (usually slaves).

Navigation in ancient Rome

In a world where navigational instruments such as GPS's or even compasses did not exist, one can wonder how did the Romans manage to navigate the seas? We note that the compass was already in use in China from the second century BC but appeared in Europe only in the 14th century AD. Knowing the direction of north is one of the most basic conditions of navigating in open seas as it allows the mariner to know in which direction he is heading (north, south, east, west). The Romans' navigational skills were learned from the Phoenicians (the predecessors of the Carthaginians). The Phoenicians had learned astronomy from the Chaldeans from Chaldea, a semitic nation located in the far southeastern corner of Mesopotamia which existed from the late 10th century (or early 9th) to the mid-6th century BC. According to Pliny, they applied the Phoenicians' knowledge of astronomy to navigation at sea to become the best mariners of their time. For example, Phoenician mariners knew that the constellation Ursa Minor orbited the celestial North Pole in a tighter circle than Ursa Major and used Ursa Minor to give them a more precise direction of north. There were other, less accurate, ways of estimating direction. For example, Roman seamen would look at the sun at noon or they would estimate directions relative to the wind and swell.

Roman seamen navigated along the coasts whenever they could which greatly facilitated navigation. One of the advantages of the Mediterranean is the proximity of the mainland and the great number of islands (especially in places like Greece). Seamen sailed by noting their position relative to a succession of recognizable landmarks and used sailing directions which already existed in antiquity. The first sailing directions for coastal trips in the Mediterranean were written in Greek. They were called periploi in Greek and were introduced in the 4th century BC. By 50 AD, there were sailing directions written in Latin and other languages not only for the Mediterranean but also for routes along the Atlantic coast of France and Africa and for routes past the Persian Gulf to India and beyond.

Piloting these ancient Roman ships was far from easy. Ancient Roman ships did not have all the equipment of modern ships and used wind and muscle power alone. Just like with modern sailboats, seamen had to have a good understanding of the weather, of how to operate the three large sails in relation to the direction of the wind and in various weather conditions. Another challenge in both merchant and warships was coordinating the rowers. Rowers that were not well-coordinated were less efficient and could even hit each other's oars. In order to coordinate the sometimes over a hundred rowers, a wind instrument or sometimes a percussion instrument would be played. Another way to coordinate the rowers was to have a person make hand gestures kind of like a conductor conducting an orchestra.

How did the ancient Romans travel?

Some Roman ships had cabins usually located at the stern that could accommodate only the most wealthy Romans. Rich Romans just did not sleep on deck.

Wealthy Romans would often own their own ships just like wealthy people today own yachts. It is worth noting that a 218 BC Roman law forbade Senators from owning ships with a capacity to carry more than 300 amphorae . The law was written so that Senators and the patrician class in general did not engage in trade and just stuck to generating wealth from agriculture from the large lands that they owned.

Sailing routes and time of travel in the Mediterranean

There were a large number of Roman ships constantly sailing the commercial shipping lanes of the Mediterranean on more or less regular schedules and routes, bringing supplies from the provinces (e.g. Egypt, Gaul, Greece, etc) to the ports of the Italian peninsula. Goods from all over the world would come to the city through Pozzuoli situated west of the bay of Naples or through the gigantic port of Ostia situated at the mouth of the Tiber river.

Large merchant ships approached the port everyday and were intercepted by a number of towboats to be dragged to the quay. It is estimated that 1,200 large merchant vessels reached the port of Ostia every year or about five per navigable day! We note that commercial navigation in the Mediterranean was suspended during the four winter months. The Romans called it mare clausum .

The time of travel along the many shipping lanes could vary widely. Roman ships would usually ply the waters of the Mediterranean at average speeds of 4 or 5 knots. The fastest Roman ships would reach average speeds of 6 knots. A trip from Ostia to Alexandria in Egypt would take about 6 to 8 days depending on the winds. Travel from south to north or from east to west would usually take more time due to the unfavourable winds.

Apart from military and merchant ships, there were smaller fishing ships, other auxiliary ships of various uses and private ships of wealthy Romans plying the waters of the Mediterranean.

• The Ancient Mariners (Casson, L., Princeton University Press, 1991)
• Natural History (Gaius Plinius Secundus / Pliny the Elder, Penguin Classics, 1991).
• The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World (Oleson, J.P., Oxford University Press, 2009).

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	and the . Vita-romae.com Copyright vita-romae.com © 2013-2024 Total number of visitors / nombre total de visiteurs: The History of Shipbuilding As We Know It Read Later   From the humble vessels of ancient civilizations navigating coastal waters to the majestic seafaring giants of the modern era exploring the farthest reaches of the oceans, shipbuilding has been an instrumental force in shaping the course of human progress for millennia. Beyond its utilitarian purpose, each hull fashioned, and every sail unfurled tell tales of exploration, trade, conflict, and cultural exchange. As we delve into the annals of maritime history, the story of shipbuilding unfolds as a reminder of our relentless pursuit of discovery, economic expansion, and the dance between human ingenuity and the boundless horizons of the open sea. The First Circumnavigation of the World Happened by Accident, Not Design 8 Lost Shipwrecks That Still Hold Promise of Treasure and Fame Shipbuilding Innovations Through the Ages The oldest boat ever discovered is the  Pesse canoe , found in 1955 in the village of Pesse in the Netherlands during excavation work. Using radiocarbon dating it has been estimated that the canoe is from around 8040 BC, but archaeologists believe it could be even older than that. A pretty straightforward design, the Pesse canoe is a “dugout canoe,” meaning it was carved from a single tree trunk. The Pesse canoe, shown here, believed to be the world's oldest known boat, and was made roughly 10,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period, from a Scots pine trunk, in the Netherlands region. (Drents Museum /  CC BY 3.0 ) Ancient Greece To get to the first  ships , we have to fast forward a few thousand years to the ancient world. It was during this period that the first leaps in shipbuilding as we think of it today were made. In the East Mediterranean, the Greeks emerged as masters of the sea.  The  trireme  is the most famous of the ancient Greek ships. Characterized by its three rows of oars on each side, the trireme epitomized Greek naval dominance, displaying exceptional maneuverability crucial for engaging in intense sea battles. The  Battle of Salamis  in 480 BC, fought between the Greek city-states, led by the Athenians and Spartans, and the Persian Empire led by King Xerxes I is a prime example of this. Under the command of Themistocles, the Greek fleet and their triremes dominated the Persians, easily able to exploit the tighter quarts of the straits between Salamis and the Greek mainland. Remnants of 18th Century Ship May Provide Clues to Revolutionary-era Shipbuilding Plain Sailing: Shapes And Speed In Historic Naval Designs Fleet of triremes based on the full-sized replica Olympias ( Public Domain ) Slightly smaller were the biremes which used two rows of oars instead of the three. Outside of battle the Greeks used various different designs for their merchants’ ships including the pentekonter and round ship, both of which were instrumental in forming Greece’s impressive trade networks. Most ancient Greek ships were built from oak, pine, or cedar and were built using the same construction techniques. A hallmark of Greek shipbuilding is the shell-first construction method which involved the initial assembly of the hull's skeleton followed by the attachment of planks. These planks formed the hull, which was waterproofed via the application of tar and pitch which protected the wood from decay and the harsh elements of the sea. The Athenians, renowned for their naval prowess, made significant contributions to ship design. Under the strategic guidance of Themistocles, Athens expanded its fleet, emphasizing advancements in speed and maneuverability. Roman Shipbuilding While the Roman Empire started as a land power, the Punic Wars against the Carthaginians saw them become a major naval power too. For the most part Roman shipbuilders weren’t really innovators. Being late to the game they tended to look at what their enemy was using, copying their designs. At the forefront of the Roman navy was the Liburnians, agile warships equipped with two banks of oars celebrated for their speed and versatility. Alongside these ships the Romans also used their own versions of biremes and triremes, adapted from Greek designs. Parallel to their military endeavors, the Romans crafted various merchant ships, including the corbita and the navis oneraria, facilitating trade and contributing to the empire's economic vitality. The construction techniques used were also remarkably similar to those of the Greeks, utilizing the same oak, pine and cedar materials and the same hull-first method. A slight variation is that while both powers’ ships featured masts and sails to complement their man-powered oars the Romans tended to favor hemp over the linen used by the Greeks. The Corvus, the Roman ship boarding device. (Chewie/ CC BY-SA 2.5 ) This isn’t to say Roman ship design wasn’t without innovation. During the Punic Wars, the Romans invented the  Corvus , a boarding device that allowed Roman soldiers to bridge and board enemy ships easily. They would then use these captured Carthaginian ships to improve the design of their own fleet. The naval superiority attained by Rome culminated in the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, where the Romans constructed the largest fleet in their history.  Egyptians on the Nile It wasn’t just in the Mediterranean that strides were being made in shipbuilding. Some of the ancient world’s most impressive shipbuilding actually originated in Egypt where the approach to ship construction was a diverse as the civilization itself. Some of Egypt’s earliest vessels were known as papyrus boats, constructed using the plentiful  papyrus  reeds that lined the Nile. These simple boats, though lightweight, served essential functions in fishing, transportation, and religious ceremonies. As Egypt advanced, so did its construction techniques and wooden ships begin to take center stage with Acacia and Cedar wood becoming the primary materials of shipbuilding. Detail showing fabrication of papyrus boats. Limestone, painted. Wall fragment from the Sun Temple of Nyuserre Ini at Abu Gorab, Egypt.  (Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)/ CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Notably Egyptian designs often differed from those of the Greeks and Romans. Notably, some ships utilized a distinctive "stitched plank" construction, where wooden planks were intricately sewn together using ropes, creating a flexible yet robust hull. The design of Egyptian ships was tailored to the specific needs of riverine and coastal navigation. These vessels, equipped with a single mast and sail, proved crucial for trade along the Nile and the maritime routes connecting the Mediterranean and Red Sea. Their adaptability allowed for efficient transportation of goods, fostering economic activities that were foundational to ancient Egyptian society. The ancient Egyptians also had a much more profound religious connection to their ships and the Nile they sailed on. Egyptian ships often took on sacred roles and some were expressly built for religious processions, transporting statues of gods during ceremonies that symbolized the intertwining of daily life and spirituality. Completed ships have even been found in royal tombs, ready to serve their owners in the afterlife. Of course, the Egyptians didn’t just build ships for peaceful purposes, they had some of the ancient world’s most advanced warships. Their often-massive war galleys featured defensive elements such as raised sides or bulwarks to shield against enemy projectiles. Equipped with both sails and oars, they displayed exceptional maneuverability on the Nile and the Mediterranean. These ships excelled at close quarters naval combat and ramming was a popular Egyptian tactic.   In East Asia, the Chinese were busy building their own ships. From the eighth century BC onwards, they were building the junk, a distinctive ship design characterized by efficient square sails and robust hulls. These ships were used for long-distance voyages and featured multiple masts. Facilitating navigation across the South China Sea and beyond, which contributed to the region's flourishing maritime trade. Around this time ancient India was taking a different approach to shipbuilding.  Dhows , characterized by their distinctive triangular sails graced the waters of the Indian Ocean. These graceful ships were pivotal for trade, connecting the Indian subcontinent with the Middle East and East Africa. A painting of a Baghlah, traditional deep sea dhow (Xavier Romero-Frias/ CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Unfortunately, we lack detailed descriptions of ship designs used in other parts of Ancient Asia, particularly Japan. We do not know if, as an island power, ancient Japan was reliant on shipbuilding, with coastal trade and fishing being central to the economy and influencing shipbuilding techniques. The Japanese seem to have taken a more pragmatic approach, with their boats featuring single mast and simple rigging designs. Medieval and Viking Ships- Bigger and Better As the old powers fell and new ones rose shipbuilding continued to advance. In the North, the Vikings began building their iconic  long ships , symbols of Norse seafaring prowess that dominated waterways across Europe. These long, slender ships, characterized by a shallow draft and capable of both rowing and sailing, epitomized the versatility of Viking naval engineering. The Mediterranean powers lived up to the Greek and Roman legacy of shipbuilding. The medieval era saw the emergence of key vessels such as the  cog  and carrack. The mighty cog, broad-hulled with a single mast became the workhorse of medieval trade in the region. Meanwhile, the carrack, with its high forecastle and aftcastle was an absolute powerhouse, excelling in both trade and naval warfare. These ships were some of the first to be armed with cannons and were capable of extended sea journeys. They marked a pivotal shift towards larger and more complex designs. Medieval shipbuilders employed traditional craftsmanship but were innovators in their own right. The introduction of bulkheads, dividing the hull into compartments, not only enhanced stability but also contributed to safety at sea. Rigging and sail design underwent refinements, improving the maneuverability and overall efficiency of these vessels. The medieval period also saw a major evolution in naval warfare. Ships played a significant role in the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Notable among them was the massive carrack the “Grace Dieu,” Henry V of England's flagship (although delays meant it wasn’t finished in his lifetime). This imposing vessel, with its multiple masts and heavy armaments, represented the pinnacle of medieval shipbuilding. It was ships like this that made England a maritime juggernaut, a title it has enjoyed for many centuries.  19th century depiction of the Grace Dieu by Antoine Léon Morel-Fatio. ( Public Domain ) The Age of Exploration- Setting Sail for New Horizons Following the medieval era came the  Age of Exploration , spanning from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth. It was a period of intense maritime exploration and expansion of European influence across the globe. Unsurprisingly then, it was also a period of major advancements in shipbuilding and design. The demand for ships capable of navigating vast oceans led to the creation of innovative designs, marking a departure from the maritime traditions of the past. One of the era's most influential ships was the infamous “Santa Maria,” the flagship of Christopher Columbus himself during his first voyage to the Americas in 1492. It may not have been the era's most technologically advanced ship, but the Santa Maria played a pivotal role in the exploration of the New World, symbolizing the spirit of discovery that defined the Age of Exploration.  In fact, other ships in Columbus’s fleet were more impressive than his flagship (which sank off the coast of Hispaniola on December 24, 1492). A notable advancement during this period was the development of caravels, exemplified by the "Niña" and the "Pinta," the other two Spanish-built ships in Columbus's fleet. These vessels, with their distinctive triangular sails and improved hull design, were highly maneuverable and well-suited for long-distance voyages. The Niña, in particular, became renowned for its role in subsequent transatlantic journeys, highlighting the adaptability of caravels. AI image of the three ships of Christopher Columbus: Santa Maria, Niña, Pinta. ( Charles /Adobe Stock) It wasn’t just the Spanish making leaps. The Portuguese were pioneers in maritime engineering and exploration too. They introduced the world to the carrack-squared rigging system, enhancing the sail configuration of ships like the "São Gabriel" and the "São Rafael." These vessels, led by Vasco da Gama, successfully navigated the treacherous waters around the Cape of Good Hope, opening direct sea routes to Asia. As ships got bigger and bigger, the materials used to build them also had to transform. The “Golden Hind,” captained by Sir Francis Drake, is a notable example. Its builders embraced technological innovation by using an oak frame combined with copper sheafing. This enhanced the ship’s durability, allowing it to circumnavigate the globe under Drake’s command and making it one of the Elizabethan era’s most famous ships.  It wasn’t just building techniques and ship designs that improved. The introduction of navigational instruments like the astrolabe and quadrant made navigating the oceans’ vast expanses that much easier. The "Victoria," the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, utilized these instruments in its historic circumnavigation of the globe, proving the feasibility of long-distance sea travel. The Industrial Revolution and Modern Ships The modern era's rapid technological advancement began with the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the 1760s and lasting into the 20th century. This period transformed not just societies but revolutionized the field of shipbuilding. It was this era that saw the traditional wooden ship fade into obscurity as the use of iron and later steel paved the way for larger, more powerful ships.  While iron wasn’t necessarily new to ship construction, the Koreans had been using it in the armor of their “geobukseon” turtle ships since the late 16th century, the introduction of iron-hulled steamships marked a watershed moment for not just shipbuilding but navigation as a whole. This really began with the "SS Savannah," which launched in 1819. This hybrid ship made history as the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. While it still relied on sails for a sizable portion of the journey, the inclusion of a steam engine demonstrated the potential of hybrid propulsion systems. The latter half of the 19th century saw the gradual adoption of steel in ship construction, offering enhanced strength and durability and giving birth to steel giants. The battleship "HMS Dreadnought," commissioned in 1906, epitomized this shift. With an all-big-gun armament and steam turbine propulsion, the Dreadnought set the standard for modern battleships, influencing naval architecture for decades. The HMS Dreadnought was a sign of things to come, and the 20th century marked an era of unprecedented innovation in shipbuilding, giving rise to colossal vessels that transformed the seascape. The advent of steel and later aluminum, coupled with advancements in propulsion and navigation technology, ushered in yet another new age of maritime engineering. The ill-fated ocean liner "RMS  Titanic ," launched in 1912, exemplified the ambition and scale of early 20th-century shipbuilding. Though tragically short-lived, the Titanic was equipped with technological marvels such as wireless communication and innovative safety features like its double hull construction and watertight compartments. Despite its tragic maiden voyage, the Titanic spurred further advancements in ship safety and design. It also taught designers not to call their ships unsinkable. In tracing the captivating journey of shipbuilding, from the ingenious designs of ancient civilizations to the cutting-edge innovations of the present and the speculative glimpses into the future, one thing becomes clear: the evolution of ships mirrors humanity's unyielding spirit of exploration and adaptation. Shipbuilding, an art forged in the crucible of necessity, has not only shaped the course of human history but also continues to propel us toward new horizons.  We may feel like we’ve conquered the seas, but new challenges await us. Engineers have turned their sights to the stars and companies like SpaceX and its Starship are building the kinds of vessels our ancestors could only have dreamed of. Human ingenuity knows no bounds and our enduring quest for discovery has only just begun. Top image: AI image of the three ships of Christopher Columbus: Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta. Source:  Charles /Adobe Stock By  Robbie Mitchell Beighton. R. 2021. World’s first crewless, zero emissions cargo ship will set sail in Norway. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html Bryan. E. 2013. WMD- The Turtle Ship. Military History Matters. Available at: https://www.military-history.org/feature/wmd-the-turtle-ship.htm D. Ferreiro. L. 2020. Bridging the Seas: The Rise of Naval Architecture in the Industrial Age, 1800–2000. MIT Press. Available here: https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/4953/Bridging-the-SeasThe-Rise-of-Naval-Architecture-in Groeneveld. E. 2018. Viking Ships. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/Viking_Ships/ Labate. 2017. Roman Shipbuilding & Navigation. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1028/roman-shipbuilding--navigation/ Landström. B. 1970. Ships of the Pharaohs: 4000 Years of Egyptian Shipbuilding. Doubleday & Company. If one accepts that Noah built an ark, this theory of progression gets turned on its head. Frequently Asked Questions The earliest historical evidence of boats is found in Egypt during 4 BC. Egypt was narrowly aligned along the Nile, totally supported by it, and served by transport on its uninterruptedly navigable surface below the First Cataract (at modern-day Aswān). On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew set sail from the port of Palos in southern Spain on three vessels: la Santa Clara (Niña), la Pinta and la Santa Gallega (Santa Maria). Not only have ships and boats been used for transportation throughout history, but they have also been used for a number of other reasons including to transport cargo, fishing, as a type of defense from armed forces, sports, leisure, and relaxation. I’m a graduate of History and Literature from The University of Manchester in England and a total history geek. Since a young age, I’ve been obsessed with history. The weirder the better. I spend my days working as a freelance... Read More Related Articles on Ancient-Origins What Were Boats In Ancient Rome Made Out Of Ancient Rome Boats The boats of ancient Rome had several uses and were made from a range of materials. The Romans relied heavily on their boats for fishing, transportation, and warfare. In addition, some boats were even used as living quarters and places of recreation. Nonetheless, this paper will focus on what ancient Roman boats were made of. Wood was the most frequently used material for ancient Roman boats. Boats of this type were mainly constructed using wood harvested from forests in the area. This included oak, fir, maple, and pine. Wood was considered an ideal choice for constructing boats because it was lightweight, yet strong enough to withstand the waves and winds of the Mediterranean Sea. Some parts of a boat, such as its sail, did not need to be quite as strong. Consequently, linen or felt, which was a material made from wool and goat hair, was used to create the sails. This was lightweight and durable, making it an ideal choice for sails. Furthermore, some boats were constructed with animal hide. These hides, usually from horses or other animals, were stretched over a wooden frame in order to form a flexible yet strong material. This type of boat was used mainly for fishing, as the hides were not durable enough for other uses. Finally, metal was occasionally used for boat building, although it was not a popular choice. The metal was mainly used on decorative elements of the ship, such as its oars, mast, and bow. It was also used to reinforce certain parts of the boat, such as the hull, in order to increase its durability. Despite this, metal boats were few and far between in ancient Rome as they were costly and difficult to make. Types of Boats in Ancient Rome During the time of Ancient Rome, there were a variety of boats used for various purposes. Fishing boats were some of the most common, although there were also warships and cargo ships for transporting goods and people. The warships, which the Romans called “galleys,” were usually long, sleek ships with multiple oars on either side. Cargo ships, by contrast, were larger vessels designed for transporting goods. In addition, leisure ships were popular among the wealthy classes. These vessels were lavishly decorated and outfitted with amenities such as indoor living quarters and baths. They served mainly as extravagant recreational vessels for the upper classes, allowing them to cruise the Mediterranean Sea in luxury. Pontoon boats were also popular among the Romans. These vessels were large wooden platforms with sails, and they were mainly used for transport and trade. They were extremely easy to maneuver and could carry a large amount of cargo, making them an ideal choice for merchants. Function of Boats in Ancient Rome The primary functions of boats in ancient Rome were transportation, fishing, and warfare. Boats such as galleys were used by the Roman army to conquer foreign lands and defend against invaders. Fishing boats were used to catch fish in the Mediterranean, while cargo ships and pontoon boats were used for transportation and trade. In addition, leisure ships were used for recreation by the wealthy classes. These vessels were luxurious and could be outfitted with amenities such as indoor living quarters and baths. They were mainly used for pleasure cruises and leisure purposes. Lastly, boats were also used for religious purposes. Many Romans believed that the goddess Venus and the god Neptune were closely associated with the sea, and thus it was important that boats were made with respect. This is why many Roman boats were decorated with religious symbols such as fish or birds. Design & Construction of Boats in Ancient Rome The design and construction of boats in Ancient Rome was relatively simple and efficient. The main materials used were wood, metal, felt, and animal hide. In general, the construction process involved attaching various parts together, such as the hull and decks, using nails and wooden pegs. The oars, masts, and sails were also key components of the boats. The oars were mainly made of wood and were used to propel the boats through the water. The masts and sails were usually made from linen or felt and were designed to capture the wind in order to move the boats along. Lastly, the design of some boats, particularly galleys, were embellished with intricate decorations. These decorations usually included carvings of gods and goddesses, animals, and plants. The purpose of these decorations was to protect the crew and gods, who were believed to be associated with the sea. Technological Advances in Boats in Ancient Rome The technology used to build boats in Ancient Rome was relatively simple and remained largely unchanged over the centuries. Nevertheless, there were some minor advances in boat building technology over time. These included improvements in the materials used for construction and the introduction of technologies such as the cod rudder for increased maneuverability. In addition, the Romans were also the first to use hemp rigging for sails. This allowed for increased sail area and thus increased speed. Furthermore, technological advances such as the use of wooden pegs and brass nails to assemble boats made construction easier and more efficient. Finally, the Romans developed a new type of boat known as the liburnian. This vessel was revolutionary due to its enhanced speed, maneuverability, and double-layered hull. It was a light, swift warship that could easily outmaneuver other vessels of the time. Impact on Society and Legacy of Ancient Roman Boats The impact of boats in ancient Rome was immense and they played an important role in the development of the Roman Empire. Boats such as galleys and pontoon boats enabled the Romans to trade, transport goods, and explore new lands. Fishing boats provided a reliable food source for the entire population. Moreover, the invention of the liburnian warship revolutionized naval warfare and allowed the Romans to conquer the Mediterranean Sea. The legacy of Roman boat building is still seen today. The use of many materials and technologies such as rope, nails, and hemp rigging can still be seen in modern-day boat design. Perhaps most notably, the liburnian warship has had a lasting influence on naval warfare. In fact, modern-day naval ships are often based on its design. Ancient Roman boats were an essential part of life in the Roman Empire. They were used for a variety of purposes such as transportation, fishing, warfare, and recreation. Wood, metal, linen, and animal hide were the primary materials used in their construction while the designs varied depending on the purpose of the boat. There have been numerous technological advances in boat building, many of which have been adopted and still used today. Indeed, the Roman boats have had a tremendous impact on the development of the Roman Empire and the world. Moshe Rideout Moshe Rideout is a professional writer and historian whose work focuses on the history of Ancient Rome. Moshe is passionate about understanding the complexity of the Roman Empire, from its architecture to its literature, political systems to social structures. He has a Bachelor's degree in classic studies from Rutgers University and is currently pursuing a PhD in classical archaeology at UMass Amherst. When he isn't researching or writing, he enjoys exploring ruins around Europe, drawing inspiration from his travels. Leave a Comment Cancel reply share this! June 22, 2020 3-D reconstructions of boats from the ancient port of Rome by Clara Barrau, CNRS Today, Fiumicino in Italy is a busy airport, but 2,000 years ago this area was filled with boats—it was a large artificial harbor only a stone's throw from the ancient port of Rome (Ostia). To tie in with the opening of the site's newly refurbished museum, Giulia Boetto, a CNRS researcher at the Camille Jullian Centre (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université), has coordinated 3-D reconstructions of three of the wooden boats found at Fiumicino. These boats, in use between the 2nd and early 5th centuries AD, were abandoned in the port , at which time, they became waterlogged and covered with a layer of sediment. These oxygen-free conditions enabled the boats to survive until they were excavated, almost 60 years ago. Recovered and initially housed in the museum , which required major structural work, these wooden remains were documented using state-of-the-art digital survey techniques, then analysed and reconstructed in 3-D, thanks to Boetto's expertise in naval archaeology. The researcher also called on Marseille-based start-up Ipso Facto to create 3-D models of the remains and on her colleague Pierre Poveda, a CNRS research engineer in the same laboratory, to restore the missing parts using archaeological comparisons and iconographic representations. By the end of the year, these 3-D reconstructions will be housed at the new Roman Ship Museum in the Archaeological Park of Ancient Ostia. This exhibition will enable visitors to discover ancient boat construction techniques and what life was like on board these Roman vessels. It will also allow them to virtually navigate in what was the most important Mediterranean port complex during the Roman Empire. 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Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account. E-mail newsletter Five Canoes Discovered Northwest of Rome Are the Oldest Boats Ever Found in the Mediterranean The 7,000-year-old vessels offer evidence of advanced seafaring technology and an extensive regional trade network, a new study suggests Christian Thorsberg Daily Correspondent For more than 30 years, one of Italy’s most well-hidden archaeological treasures has been an underwater village called La Marmotta. The site, with well-preserved artifacts, was discovered in 1989 in a lake just northwest of Rome and 23 miles upstream from the Mediterranean Sea. Found among its wooden buildings were five canoes, stretching up to 32 feet long and made from hollowed-out trees. Estimated to be 7,000 years old, the boats showed signs of being equipped with advanced maritime technology, including towing accessories and reinforcements. Because the original discovery of La Marmotta had only ever been published in the Italian language, widespread study of the canoes and their place in history remained limited. But now that a team of international researchers revisited the site and published their findings in English in the journal PLOS One , scientists around the world are learning about the boats for the first time—and the bustling, sophisticated Mediterranean trade they suggest. "These artifacts offer further insights into the daily lives, symbolic and technological capabilities of the ancient inhabitants," says Niccolò Mazzucco , the study’s senior author and an archaeologist at the University of Pisa, to LiveScience’s Jennifer Nalewicki. "No other site in the Mediterranean presents such [an] amount of harvesting tools." The five canoes are the oldest boats ever found in the Mediterranean, and among the ten oldest known in Europe. Radiocarbon dating placed their origins between 5700 and 5100 B.C.E., and an archaeobotanical study of the canoes showed they were each made from different materials—alder, poplar, oak, beech and lime tree wood—allowing for different weights, maneuverability and strength. This variety suggests different strategies and specialization among early Mediterranean villages, the researchers write. One of the most exciting finds has been wooden T-shaped objects, drilled with two to four holes, that explain how the canoes were outfitted to carry large loads. These artifacts “are undoubtedly reminiscent of much more recent navigation systems,” the researchers write. The structure suggests the boats were towed using rope, allowing for the movement of goods, people and animals, likely for trade. “So, these details are really important because they’re actually a testimony of how they could have transported a lot of goods,” Lasse Sørensen , an archaeologist at the National Museum of Denmark who was not involved in the study, tells Lesté-Lasserre. Foreign grains, animal remains, pottery, paint, tools and figurines found at La Marmotta further suggest a vibrant ancient trade economy. The canoes may also have been outfitted with sails, outriggers or support floats, the study suggests. Some of the smallest canoes were likely used for fishing trips. Both short- and long-distance travel would be possible, the researchers write. In 1998, a team built a reproduction of a canoe found at La Marmotta and sailed nearly 500 miles around the Mediterranean Sea. Covering 30 miles per day in good conditions, they estimated that the experienced seafaring villagers must have been able to cover much more ground. The complex construction of the canoes and this evidence of sophisticated trade and travel, the researchers write, also demonstrate a level of social organization previously unconsidered of the area at that time. “In this way, La Marmotta is causing a literal sea change in our view of those first Neolithic farming groups,” the team writes. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. Christian Thorsberg | READ MORE Christian Thorsberg is an environmental writer and photographer from Chicago. His work, which often centers on freshwater issues, climate change and subsistence, has appeared in Circle of Blue , Sierra  magazine, Discover  magazine and Alaska Sporting Journal . New Species of Plant-Eating Dinosaur Discovered Earthquake-Induced Piezoelectricity Plays Key Role in Formation of Large Gold Nuggets: Study 5,600-Year-Old Stone Bridge Indicates Early Human Arrival in Spain’s Mallorca New Abelisaurid Dinosaur Species Discovered in France Webb Discovers Six Free-Floating Exoplanets in NGC 1333 Paleontologists Discover Matching Sets of Dinosaur Footprints in Africa and South America Cretaceous Amber Fossils Shed New Light on Evolutionary Origin of Tardigrades Three Ancient Roman Boats Reconstructed in 3D A team of researchers from Italy and France has made realistic 3D reconstructions of three wooden boats from the ancient Roman port of Ostia. 3D reconstructions of the three boat types found at Ostia: a fishing boat (left), a small sailboat (center) and a harbor lighter (right). Image credit: D. Peloso, Ipso Facto / P. Poveda, Centre Camille Jullian, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université. Ostia was a harbor city situated at the mouth of the River Tiber, some 30 km (18 miles) to the west of Rome. The settlement was founded in the 7th century BCE during the reign of Ancus Marcus, the fourth king of Rome. It had three goals: to give Rome an outlet to the sea, ensure its supply of wheat and salt, and prevent an enemy fleet to ascend the Tiber. 3D reconstructions of a fishing boat (left), a small sailboat (center) and a harbor lighter (right) from Ostia. Image credit: D. Peloso, Ipso Facto / P. Poveda, Centre Camille Jullian, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université. In the 1950s, archaeologists found the remains of several wooden ships at the site of Ostia. “These boats were in use between the 2nd and early 5th centuries CE,” said Dr. Giulia Boetto, a researcher in the Camille Jullian Centre at the Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, and colleagues. “They were abandoned in the port when they became outdated. They then became waterlogged and covered with a layer of sediment.” “These oxygen-free conditions enabled the boats to survive until they were excavated, almost 60 years ago.” Dr. Boetto, Camille Jullian Centre’s Dr. Pierre Poveda and Dr. Daniela Peloso from the French start-up Ipso Facto created 3D models of three boat types — a fishing boat, a small sailboat and a harbor lighter — found at Ostia. “These 3D reconstructions will be housed at the new Roman Ship Museum in the Archaeological Park of Ancient Ostia,” they said. “This exhibition will enable visitors to discover ancient boat construction techniques and what life was like on board these Roman vessels. It will also allow them to virtually navigate in what was the most important Mediterranean port complex during the Roman Empire.” Archaeology 2,700-Year-Old Stone Seal Unearthed in Israel Landscape of Fear: Fear of Violent Conflicts Influenced Development of Non-State Societies in Ancient Europe Study: Clovis People Used Planted Pikes for Hunting of Megaherbivores Stonehenge’s Altar Stone Was Transported from Scotland, Archaeologists Say New Archaeological Site Sheds More Light on Hunting Abilities and Adaptability of Neanderthals Gobekli Tepe’s Carvings Represent World’s Oldest Solar Calendar, New Research Suggests Ancient-Rome.info History of ancient roman empire Ancient Roman Boats Ships Ancient Roman Boats: There are some quite historic ships that were used at that time. They are: A thick log, generally from the oak was hollowed and a narrow canoe was made out of it. It was in Europe that they were first made. It was built there in the 8000 BC and they continued been made for a very long time. Ancient Roman Boats Some of the replicas of such a boat were made in the later years and they were given different other names. Around the wooden frame, a skin was tied on the piece of wood. This was not a widespread kind of a boat. This boat looks like the very first attempt of the mankind in boat making. There was a small form of reed boats that were made up of grass. These boats have been used majorly in Egypt. In the South American region, the reed boat is still quite commonly being made. This was the quickest form of a ship. It has a very narrow structure that attributes to its speed. This used to generally sail for the purpose of transportation. This was like a racer boat and was considered to be quite a high tech. This could very well chance and defeats the enemy boat because of its speed and strength. Roman merchant ship The assembly of this ship was a very difficult job. The ship was reared in such a manner that it had rudders that connected to each of the sides. The largest known Roman merchant ship is the Caligula’s giant ship. It was a classic example of the Chinese sailing vessel. It is still in use and it has not become redundant yet. There is proper sail that is attached to the ship. A lot of very long and exploratory expenditures took place on the junk. This was traditionally a very Arabian ship. The word dhow has been used and applied by the European in many ways. What is common in these categories of ships is that all of them have a common triangular lantern. This is a European ship that had a flat bottom. Some of the replicas of this type of ship were made later on. This is the rowing ship that was commonly used at the time of wars. This is by nature and existence a very Spanish and Portuguese merchant ship. 217 COMMENTS Ships of ancient Rome Ships of ancient Rome. Ancient Rome had a variety of ships that played crucial roles in its military, trade, and transportation activities. [1] Rome was preceded in the use of the sea by other ancient, seafaring civilizations of the Mediterranean. The galley was a long, narrow, highly maneuverable ship powered by oarsmen, sometimes stacked in ... Roman Shipbuilding & Navigation The ancient Romans built large merchant ships and warships whose size and technology were unequalled until the 16th century CE. Roman seamen navigated across the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean and out into the Atlantic along the coasts of France, England and Africa. Nemi ships The remains of the hull of one of the two ships recovered from Lake Nemi.Workers in the foreground give an indication of scale. 1930 The remains of a Lake Nemi ship in 1929. The Nemi ships were two ships, of different sizes, built under the reign of the Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD on Lake Nemi.Although the purpose of the ships is speculated upon, the larger ship was an ... Roman Ships However, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians gave their rostres animal forms, before this instrument normalized itself as a weapon. The ramming function began to disappear on the Roman ships after the fall of the last great Hellenistic fleet, that of the Lagids. ... Roman fishing boats (1000 BC - 9 AD). The Cymba was the classic fishing boat ... Roman Boats The Fleet. The Roman Navy was always considered an inferior arm and was strictly under army control. But already during the First Punic War, Rome proved itself capable of launching a fleet capable of checking an established naval power such as Carthage. Romans were no sailors though. They had no knowledge of ship building. Roman Naval Warfare Against Carthage. Rome had employed naval vessels from the early Roman Republic in the 4th century BCE, especially in response to the threat from pirates in the Tyrrhenian Sea, but it was in 260 BCE that they built, in a mere 60 days, their first significant navy. A fleet of 100 quinqueremes and 20 triremes was assembled in response to the threat from Carthage. The Museum of Roman Ships at Fiumicino In the early 50s when the Italian government began excavating for a new airport, they stumbled upon an ancient port built by Emperor Claudius in 46 C.E. An archeologist's dream: they found boats ... What Were Boats In Ancient Rome Made Ot Of Boats in Ancient Rome played a vital role in daily life, as the sea was an integral part of the economy and transportation. Boats served to transport goods, people, and military personnel along coastal areas. Fishing was an important activity and a source of income for many families. Trade vessels and war ships were also a crucial part of Roman ... Roman ships and navigation in ancient Rome The merchant ships' cargo capacity varied from 70 up to 600 tons for the largest Roman ships. Most ships had a cargo capacity of 100 to 150 tons, 150 tons being the capacity of a ship transporting 3,000 amphorae. The largest ships, with a capacity of 600 tons, were 150 ft (46m) long. Some ships like the Isis had a tonnage equal to 1,200 and ... Harbour and River Boats of Ancient Rome HARBOUR AND RIVER BOATS OF ANCIENT ROME By LIONEL CASSON From the moment Rome's port city of Ostia was founded, boats of all kinds were needed to take care of the traffic about the Tiber's mouth and up-river to the capital. As the centuries passed, and both Rome and Ostia grew, the number and variety of such boats increased apace. The History of Shipbuilding As We Know It Some of the ancient world's most impressive shipbuilding actually originated in Egypt where the approach to ship construction was a diverse as the civilization itself. Some of Egypt's earliest vessels were known as papyrus boats, constructed using the plentiful papyrus reeds that lined the Nile. These simple boats, though lightweight ... What Were Boats In Ancient Rome Made Out Of Ancient Roman boats were an essential part of life in the Roman Empire. They were used for a variety of purposes such as transportation, fishing, warfare, and recreation. Wood, metal, linen, and animal hide were the primary materials used in their construction while the designs varied depending on the purpose of the boat. There have been ... 3-D reconstructions of boats from the ancient port of Rome Today, Fiumicino in Italy is a busy airport, but 2,000 years ago this area was filled with boats—it was a large artificial harbor only a stone's throw from the ancient port of Rome (Ostia). Boat Boat - Greek, Roman, Sailing: Little is known about the construction of small craft used by the Greeks and Romans, though the construction of ships from about 55 bce can be described. The fragments of contemporary literature and art produce little more than some type names and the impression that some small boats were built with speed particularly in view. Five Canoes Discovered Northwest of Rome Are the Oldest Boats Ever Five Canoes Discovered Northwest of Rome Are the Oldest Boats Ever Found in the Mediterranean. The 7,000-year-old vessels offer evidence of advanced seafaring technology and an extensive regional ... Three Ancient Roman Boats Reconstructed in 3D Three Ancient Roman Boats Reconstructed in 3D. A team of researchers from Italy and France has made realistic 3D reconstructions of three wooden boats from the ancient Roman port of Ostia. 3D reconstructions of the three boat types found at Ostia: a fishing boat (left), a small sailboat (center) and a harbor lighter (right). Ancient maritime history Maritime history dates back thousands of years. In ancient maritime history, [1] evidence of maritime trade between civilizations dates back at least two millennia. [2] The first prehistoric boats are presumed to have been dugout canoes which were developed independently by various Stone Age populations. In ancient history, various vessels were used for coastal fishing and travel. Ancient Roman Boats Ships Ancient Roman Boats: There are some quite historic ships that were used at that time. They are: Logboat. A thick log, generally from the oak was hollowed and a narrow canoe was made out of it. It was in Europe that they were first made. It was built there in the 8000 BC and they continued been made for a very long time. Ancient Roman Boats Ancient 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck found off coast of Italy The wreckage of an ancient Roman ship from more than 2,000 years ago has been found off the coast of Italy. The cargo ship was found off the port of Civitavecchia, about 50 miles (80km) north-west ... Trireme The early trireme was a development of the penteconter, an ancient warship with a single row of 25 oars on each side (i.e., a single-banked boat), and of the bireme (Ancient Greek: διήρης, diērēs), a warship with two banks of oars, of Phoenician origin. [5] The word dieres does not appear until the Roman period. Three Roman Shipwrecks Unearthed In Serbian Coal Mine The two smaller ships were each carved from a single tree trunk. Researchers quickly noticed these vessels matched ancient descriptions of boats used by Slavic groups to ferry across the Danube River and attack the Roman frontier. The largest ship is nearly 50 feet long with a flat bottom and appears to have been constructed with Roman techniques. List of surviving ancient ships Ancient Rome Netherlands 34.9 ft (10.6 m) Alkedo: 1st century AD [35] [36] Pleasure craft Ancient Rome Italy 72 ft (22 m) Arles Rhône 3: 1st century AD [37] Trade ship Ancient Rome France : 102 ft (31 m) Marseille 5: 1st-2nd century AD [38] [39] Coastal working boat Ancient Rome France (Marseille) 52.4 ft (16.0 m) Marseille 6 catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht