List of survey vessels of the Royal Navy

RN Ensign
Ships of the Royal Navy
  • Ships by name:
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D–F
  • G–H
  • I–L
  • M–N
  • O–Q
  • R–T
  • U–Z
  • fleet aircraft carriers
  • escort carriers
  • seaplane carriers
  • amphibious assault shipping
  • battlecruisers
  • dreadnought battleships
  • pre-dreadnought battleships
  • ironclads
  • bomb vessels
  • breastwork monitors
  • corvettes and sloops
  • cruisers
  • destroyers
  • torpedo boats
  • fireships
  • frigates
  • gun-brigs
  • gunboats and gunvessels
  • mine countermeasure vessels
  • monitors
  • patrol and attack craft
  • royal yachts
  • ships of the line
  • submarines
  • support ships
  • survey vessels
  • shore establishments
  • hospitals and hospital ships
  • air stations
  • aircraft wings
  • fleets and major commands
  • squadrons and flotillas
    		•
    • v
    • t
    • e

    Active ships

    Antarctic patrol vessel

    • HMS Protector (2011–) which carries the survey motor boat (SMB) James Caird IV.[1][2]

    Ocean survey vessels

    • HMS Scott (1997–)

    Coastal survey vessels

    • Survey Motor Launch
      • HMS Magpie (2018–)

    Decommissioned ships

    Antarctic patrol vessels

    • HMS Protector (1955–70)
    • HMS Endurance (1968–91)
    • HMS Endurance (1991–2008)

    Ocean survey vessels

    • Hecla class
      • HMS Hecla (1964–97)
      • HMS Hecate (1965–90)
      • HMS Hydra (1966–86)
      • HMS Herald (1974–2001)

    Coastal survey vessels

    • Bulldog class
      • HMS Beagle (1968–2002)
      • HMS Bulldog (1968–2001)
      • HMS Fawn (1968–91)
      • HMS Fox (1968–89)
    • HMS Roebuck (1986–2010)
    • Echo-class multi–purpose survey vessels
      • HMS Echo (2003–2022) which carries SMB Sapphire.[3]
      • HMS Enterprise (2003–2023) which carries SMB Spitfire.

    Inshore survey vessels

    • Echo class
      • HMS Echo (1958–85)
      • HMS Egeria (1959–85)
      • HMS Enterprise (1959–85)
    • Ham class
      • HMS Waterwitch (ex–HMS Powderham) (1964–86)
      • HMS Woodlark (ex–HMS Yaxham) (1964–86)
    • Ton class
      • HMS Mermaid (ex–HMS Sullington) (1964–68)
      • HMS Myrmidon (ex–HMS Edderton) (1964–68)

    Survey Motor Launches (SML)

    • SML 2[4]
    • SML 4[4]
    • SML 6[4]
    • SML 322[4]
    • SML 323[4]
    • SML 324[4]
    • SML 325[4]
    • SML 326[4]
    • HMS Meda (ex–HDML 1301) (1945–1966)[5]
    • HMS Medusa (ex–HDML 1387) (1952–1965)[6]
    • HMS Gleaner (1983–2018)

    Earlier survey vessels

    • HMS Merlin (1666–1698), the Navy's first hydrographic survey vessel
    • HMS Hecate (1839–65)
    • HMS Myrmidon (1867–88)
    • HMS Triton
    • HMS Fantome (1906–14, 1920–24)
    • HMS Endeavour (1913–42)
    • HMS Melisande (1918–19)
    • HMS Challenger (1932–53)
    • HMS White Bear (1939–45)
    • HMS Vidal (1954–71)
    • Hunt class
      • HMS Beaufort (1920–35)
      • HMS Fitzroy (1920–38)
      • HMS Flinders (1920–38)
      • HMS Kellett (1920–38)
    • 24 class
      • HMS Iroquois (1923–31)
      • HMS Herald (ex–HMS Merry Hampton) (1924–39)
      • HMS Ormonde (1924–36)
    • Bittern class
      • HMS Stork (1936–39)
    • Hastings class
      • HMS Folkestone (1938)
      • HMS Scarborough (1938)
    • Halcyon class
      • HMS Franklin (1938–52)
      • HMS Gleaner (1938–39)
      • HMS Jason (1938–39)
      • HMS Scott (1939–64)
      • HMS Seagull (1946–50)
      • HMS Sharpshooter (1946–62) – renamed HMS Shackleton, 1955
    • Bay class
      • HMS Dampier (1948–68)
      • HMS Owen (1949–65)
      • HMS Cook (1950–64)
      • HMS Dalrymple (1950–66)

    References

    1. ^ "HMS Protector". Royal Navy -British MOD. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
    2. ^ "Mustang delivers SMB for Royal Navy". Maritime Journal. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
    3. ^ "HMS Echo finds 18 wrecks off Libya". gov.uk Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
    4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Survey Ship List" (PDF). Survey Ships Association. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
    5. ^ "HDML Boats, 1300-1349". The Medusa Trust. 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
    6. ^ "HMS Medusa History". The Medusa Trust. 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
    • Mason, Geoffrey B. (2007). "Hydrographic Survey Work in the Royal Navy up to the 1980s". naval-history.net.