GLOSSARY OF SHIP NAMES

Notes and Symbols

Some vessels, identified only by number and for which we have been unable to obtain additional information, are not listed.

*– The identification of this ship is uncertain.

†– There is a discrepancy between Dr. Moneymaker’s observations and the location reported in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships or other sources.

‡– No information was located to confirm the identity of this ship.

°– The ship is referred to only in a footnote.

U.S. Navy and Other American Military Vessels

Ship Classification

1

AG– Miscellaneous Auxiliary
AH– Hospital Ship
AO– Oiler
AP– Transport
APD– High Speed Transport
APV– Aircraft Ferry
AR– Repair Ship
AS– Submarine Tender
ATF– Fleet Ocean Tug
AV– Seaplane Tender
AVD– Seaplane Tender (Destroyer)
BB– Battleship
CA– Heavy Cruiser
CL– Light Cruiser
CV– Fleet Aircraft Carrier
CVE– Escort Carrier
CVL– Light Aircraft Carrier
DD– Destroyer
DM– Light Minelayer
DMS– Fast Minesweeper
LCI– Landing Craft Infantry
LCT– Landing Craft Tank
LST– Landing Ship Tank
USAT– U.S. Army Transport

1

Ship Names

1

USS Argonne (AG-31)
USS Arizona (BB-39)
USS Astoria (CA-34)
USS Atlanta (CL-51)
USS Barker (DD-213)
USS Birmingham (CL-62)
USS Blue (DD-387)
USS Boise (CL-47)
USS Breese (DM-18)
USS Brooklyn (CL-40)
USS California (BB-44)
USS Chemung (AO-30)
USS Chester (CA-27)
USS Clark (DD-361)
USS Colhoun (APD-2)
USS Curtiss (AV-4)
USS Duncan (DD-485)
USS Edwards, John D. (DD-216)*
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Farenholt (DD-491)
USS Farragut (DD-348)
USS Fulton (AS-11)
USS Gleaves (DD-423)
USS Gold Star (AG-12)
USS Grayson (DD-435)
USS Gwin (DD-433)
USS Helena (CL-50)
USS Holland (AS-3)
USS Honolulu (CL-48)
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Houston (CA-30)
USS Hunt (DD-674)
USS Hutchins (DD-476)[1]
USS Indianapolis (CA-35)†
USS Ingraham (DD-444)
USS Juneau (CL-52)
USS Kitty Hawk (APV-1)
USS Lang (DD-399)
USS Langley (AV-3/formerly CV-1)
USS Langley (CVL-27)
USS Lansdowne (DD-486)
USS Long Island (CVE-1)
USS Macdonough (DD-351)
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
USS McFarland (AVD-14)
USS Medusa (AR-1)
USS Meredith (DD-434)
USS Minneapolis (CA-36)
USS Monssen (DD-436)
USS Mount Vernon (AP-22)
USS Nashville (CL-43)
USS North Carolina (BB-55)
USS Northampton (CA-26)
USS O’Brien (DD-415)
USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
USS Otus (AS-20)
USS Pensacola (CA-24)
USS Perkins (DD-377)
USS Philadelphia (CL-41)
USS Phoenix (CL-46)
USS Plunkett (DD-431)[2]
USS Rochambeau (AP-63)°
USS Quincy (CA-39)
USS Ramsay (DM-16/formerly
DD-124)†
USS Remey (DD-688)
USS Rigel (AR-11)
USS Sabine (AO-25)
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)
USS San Francisco (CA-38)
USS San Juan (CL-54)
USS Saratoga (CV-3)

USS Savannah (CL-42)
USS Seminole (ATF-65)
USS Solace (AH-5)
USS Southard (DMS-10)*
USS Sterett (DD-407)
USS Trinity (AO-13)
USS Tucker (DD-374)
USS Utah (AG-16/formerly BB-31)
USS Vestal (AR-4)
USS Victoria (AO-46)
USS Vincennes (CA-44)
USS Vulcan (AR-5)
USS Walke (DD-416)*
USS Warrington (DD-383)
USS Washington (BB-56)
USS Wasp (CV-7)
USS West Point (AP-23)
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
USS Wharton (AP-7)
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
USS Zane (DMS-14/formerly DD-337)
LCT-325†
LST-23†
LST-313°
LST-325°
LST-333°
USAT Bushrod Washington°
USAT Francis L. Lee
USAT Hines‡
USAT Robert Rowan°

1

British and Commonwealth Royal Navy Vessels

1

HMS Abdiel – minelayer°
HMS Cornwall – heavy cruiser°
HMS Dorsetshire – heavy cruiser°
HMS Eagle – aircraft carrier
HMS Enterprise – light cruiser
HMS Hector – armed merchant cruiser°
HMS Howe – battleship
HMS King George V – battleship
HMS Macacombe‡[3]
HMS Manchester – light cruiser
HMS Paladin – destroyer°
HMS Prince of Wales – battleship
HMS Tenedos – destroyer°
HMS Warspite – battleship
HMAS Canberra – heavy cruiser
HMAS Shropshire – heavy cruiser
HMNZS Achilles – light cruiser
HMNZS Leander – light cruiser

Other Military Vessels

K-21 – Russian submarine°
Scharnhorst – German battleship
Tirpitz – German battleship

Merchant and Privately Owned Ships and Miscellaneous Vessels

SS Admiral Cole
D/S Bjørkhaug° (Norwegian Merchant Ship)
Brastagi (War Shipping Administration; formerly Dutch owned)
Fort Confidence° (British Ministry of War Transport)
Hudson° (Dutch Tug)
Maréchal Joffre
Normandie‡[4]
President Polk (APL Line)
RMS Queen Elizabeth (Cunard Line)

1

[1] Incorrectly identified as the USS Cunningham in Book IV.

[2] References to the USS Plunkett in the Pacific in Book II disagree with the location reported inthe Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships; references to it in the Mediterranean in Book III agree.

[3] We have not been able to find a ship with this or any similar name in the British, Australian, Canadian,
or New Zealand Navies.

[4] The ship delivering planes to Sydney is not the ocean liner SS Normandie, which was in New York
harbor at the time being refurbished as a troopship. On February 9, 1942 a spark from a welding torch
ignited a fire which spread throughout the ship. She capsized the next day.