I appreciate this is deviating further from the original discussion…
Just to add a bit more ‘fun’ to the ships naming, the following is an amalgamation of two articles about the Ships Naming Committee and WW2 warship names…
I think the sources were articles in Warship World magazine and Ships Monthly..
WW2 Ships Names:
Prequel:
Two Fiji class cruisers cancelled at the end of September 1939, which were ordered in August 1939 under the 1939 New Construction Programme from Portsmouth and Devonport Dockyards. Two aircraft carriers, five heavy cruisers, two improved Belfast class cruisers and three Dido class cruisers, originally included in the 1940 New Construction Programme. These ships were sacrificed by the First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound, in a vain attempt to try to preserve the battleship programme. Next four heavy cruisers authorised in the 1940 Supplementary New Construction Programme which faded away from the building programme in the Summer of 1942. There were six modified Fiji class cruisers authorised in the 1942 New Construction Programme where numbers were decimated when they were replaced in the building programme by light fleet carriers. What were the names of these planned warships, masked in anonymity at the present time?
1939 Fiji class cruisers
The 1939 New Construction Programme authorised the construction of four cruisers. The plan was to order two Fiji class cruisers in August 1939 and a second pair of the class in March 1940. In the event of war breaking out there were contingency plans to bring forward the order for the second pair of the class at the same time ordering a batch of four Dido class cruisers. When the war broke out the Admiralty ordered six Dido class cruisers which all proceeded and brought forward the order for the second pair of Fiji class cruisers. It was not until the end of September that the Board of Admiralty decided to cancel the first pair of 1939 Fiji class cruisers which had been ordered from the Dockyards. The two ships which proceeded continued the Colony class name theme becoming BERMUDA and NEWFOUNDLAND. The list of names put forward for Fiji class cruisers built under the 1938 New Construction Programme included MALTA and GIBRALTAR which later in the war were given to two very large aircraft carriers planned in the 1943 New Construction Programme. Is it possible that these two names were given to the cancelled cruisers?
The 1940 Programme
This programme as we have seen was originally to include two aircraft carriers, five heavy cruisers, two Belfast class cruisers and three Dido class cruisers. One of the heavy cruisers, as we have seen, was named BELLEROPHON. The Martin Gilbert study of the Churchill War Papers although made in November 1939 – before the 1940 New Construction Programme had evolved – indicates that BELLEROPHON and SUPERB were put forward, but for which class is not known. There were thoughts of building some very large heavy cruisers at that date. The Dido names are DEFENCE, EUROPA, PATHFINDER, ARGONAUT, BELLONA and DIADEM. Only the latter three were used in the 1939War Programme Dido class, the other three being names BLACK PRINCE, ROYALIST and SPARTAN. The name PATHFINDER was given to a “P” class destroyer. The mention of DEFENCE may give us a lead into another of the names allocation to the cruisers in the early 1940s. Six cruisers planned under the 1941 New Construction Programmes were named MINOTAUR, SWIFTSURE, BELLEROPHON, TIGER, DEFENCE and SUPERB. Utilising the doctrine of transfer of names it is possible that the five heavy cruisers in the draft 1940 Programme were named BELLEROPHON, SUPERB, MINOTAUR, SWIFTSURE and TIGER. The first name is a known fact, the second has clearly been passed forward as the name of a major ship whilst DEFENCE could have been given to one of the three Dido class.
The problem now is what were the names of the other Dido class ships? Again using the doctrine of the transfer of names could it be that APOLLO and ARIADNE were chosen? These names were given to two fast minelayers planned under the 1941 New Construction Programme and would equally have been suitable for Dido class cruisers. The name EUROPA quoted in the 1939 list does not seem to be suitable given German dominance of a large part on the Continent in the winter of 1939/40. Possible names for the three Dido class ships are thus APOLLO, ARIADNE and DEFENCE.
The names of the two Belfast class cruisers cannot be ascertained with any certainty. There was a list of ten TOWN names submitted to the King in the August 1940 list which included LANCASTER and LINCOLN, names which were given to former United States Navy destroyers acquired in the Summer of 1940. The other eight names were BEDFORD, BIRKENHEAD, BRISTOL, CHATHAM, CHESTER, DARTMOUTH, NOTTINGHAM and STAFFORD. None of these names were given to major warships in the war. LANCASTER and LINCOLN could be the names given but this surmise is on weak ground.
The two aircraft carriers would have been units of the Implacable class. One possible name is IRRESISTIBLE which was later given to the aircraft carrier of the same class ordered under the 1940 Supplementary New Construction Programme. More of her later. The second ship is possibly INVINCIBLE. A file note dated the 6 February 1940 in the 1940 New Construction file sets out the costs of the major warships including the Lion class battleships. Fascinatingly it quotes the names of the for battleships, LION, TEMERAIRE, CONQUEROR and THUNDERER and the pre-war programmed Implacable class aircraft carriers. It also quotes the name INVINCIBLE, which has been added later against the 1940 New Construction Programme aircraft carrier section. Both names conformed with aircraft carrier naming policy. Had the 1940 New Construction Programme proceeded as originally envisaged, the Implacable class could have consisted of IMPLACABLE, INDEFATIGABLE, IRRESISTIBLE and INVINCIBLE; a fine set of names.
The 1940 Supplementary Programme
This programme approved by the War Cabinet included one aircraft carrier of the Implacable class and four cruisers of an improved Belfast type. It was originally planned to mount 6” guns in the new cruisers. According the British Warship Names the first name proposed for the aircraft carrier was AUDACIOUS which was later changed to IRRESISTIBLE to conform with naming policy. Soon after the aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL was lost in November 1941 it was decided to give this name to the new aircraft carrier. She was ultimately built to a new design and became the name ship of the class.
The design of the four cruisers authorised in the 1940 Supplementary New Construction Programme was changed early in 1941 when the decision was made to give the ships 8” guns. The details of the 1941 New Construction Programme were printed for the Cabinet on the 20 April 1941, with the plans being approved by the Cabinet on the 24 April 1941. On the 30 May 1941 the First Lord of the Admiralty, A. V. Alexander, wrote to the Secretary to the King, Sir Alexander Hardinge putting forward proposals to re-name two heavy cruisers. BENBOW was to become CORNWALLIS with EFFINGHAM to be ALBERMARLE. Original names for this class were BELLEROPHON, BLAKE, HAWKE and SWIFTSURE, BELLEROPHON became BENBOW, later CORWALLIS, SWIFTSURE became EFFINGHAM, later ALBERMARLE. The changes in name were approved by the King. The timing could indicate that the names were given to the cruisers when they were first conceived in the Autumn of 1940. We seem to be of fairly safe ground in deducing that the names of the other two heavy cruisers in the class were BLAKE and HAWKE, names which were used subsequently in improved Fiji class cruisers ordered under the 1942 New Construction Programme. This assumption gives the Admiral class a nice set of homogeneous names: ALBERMARLE, BLAKE, CORNWALLIS and HAWKE.
Matters were not straight forward with the “S” and “T” class destroyers. Names submitted by the Committee included SEYMOUR, SPLENDID, STRENUOUS and TIPPERARY. SEYMOUR became SAUMAREZ, STRENUOUS became SUCCESS, SPLENDID became SPITFIRE and then SENTINEL. TIPPERARY became TEMPEST and finally TENACIOUS.
There was only one change in the suggested Black Swan class sloop names, OSTRICH became SWALLOW, and finally PEACOCK.
1941 Programme.
The suggestions for the six main warships, a monitor, three cruisers and two fast minelayers were all approved. The monitor ABERCROMBIE followed previous practice whilst the three cruiser names were BELLEROPHON, MINOTAUR and SWIFTSURE. The two minelayers APOLLO and ARIADNE bore the names of cruisers converted into minelayers in the First World War.
The only destroyer names which found disfavour were UNITY and CRUSADER from the “U” and “C” classes respectively, these were changed to URSA and COMUS. The “C” class destroyers at this point were named PELLEW (Leader), CARYSFORT, CHAMPION, COMET, CONTEST, CRESCENT, CROWN and COMUS.
1941 Supplementary Programme.
In November 1941 the three cruisers of the 1941 Supplementary Programme were named DEFENCE, SUPERB and TIGER. The Committee indicated that they would like to utilise the name LION in preference to DEFENCE if it was available. The battleship LION however was still very much a live project at this point in time for plans existed to restart the suspended ship in 1942.
For some reason, it was suggested that the “C” class destroyers were to be renamed! CARYSFORT to be PIQUE, CHAMPION = RANGER, COMET = SIBYL, CONTEST = SPITFIRE, CRESCENT = STRENUOUS and COMUS = TOURMALINE, the Leader PELLEW retained her name.
Two destroyers taken over from Turkey were to be named COSSACK and MASHONA, but as they were effectively “I” class destroyers the names chosen were ITHURIEL and INCONSTANT.
The 1942 New Construction Programme.
This programme when it was printed for the War Cabinet on the 21 April 1942 included two fleet aircraft carriers, names proposed were AUDACIOUS and TREMENDOUS the latter later became COLOSSUS, finally AUDACIOUS and EAGLE, incidentally, four light fleet carriers, named ALBION, AMPHION, DOMINION and ENDYMION, and six improved Fiji class cruisers, EDGAR, MAJESTIC, MARS, THESEUS, TRIUMPH and WARRIOR. It was also originally intended to proceed with the construction of the battleship LION which had been suspended since the outbreak of war and one of the heavy cruisers. The Cabinet approved the programme on the 27 April 1942. Events in the Pacific were soon to result in work ceasing on armaments for the LION and the heavy cruiser; work had not yet re-commenced at the shipyard on the battleship whilst the heavy cruiser was never formally ordered. In August 1942 it was decided to order another nine light fleet carriers at the expense of four of the 1942 cruisers and other ships. The Cabinet was initially unhappy at the loss of the four cruisers from the programme and a committee was set up to investigate the matter. The result of their deliberations was a recommendation to build three more light fleet carriers and retain one of the four cruisers. The remaining three cruisers were now definitely cancelled. The Cabinet approved the recommendations made by the committee on the 22 September 1942. There were now sixteen light fleet carriers on order or planned, Names suggested but discarded were ALBERMARLE, GOLIATH, MARLBOROUGH and MONARCH, these were replaced with EDGAR, OCEAN, THESEUS and WARRIOR, and three improved Fiji class cruisers. One cruiser was then cancelled in November 1942 when the 1943 New Construction Programme was being formulated, the remaining two cruisers having the names of BLAKE and HAWKE.
What can be deduced about the names of the cruisers from this set of circumstances? Firstly they would have all been named. Secondly they were unlikely to have initially had Admiral class names for the heavy cruisers, although suspended, remained in the building programme when the 1942 New Construction Programme was approved by the War Cabinet. The point when the improved Fiji class cruisers were deleted from the plans was September 1942 when the three additional light fleet carriers were authorised. The names of these three light fleet carriers were POWERFUL, TERRIBLE and MAGNIFICENT. The first two are strong old cruiser names whilst the third had belonged to a pre-dreadnought battleship. It seems likely that these are all transfers from cancelled cruisers. Two of the earlier light fleet carriers were re-named. ETHALION became EDGAR and BRAVE was renamed WARRIOR; again both the new names are fine old cruiser names from the First World War era. The sixth name is more of a problem and we need to look forward to the next class for a possible answer.
The destroyers followed the alphabetical sequence for the sixteen new fleet destroyers with the exception of the four Leaders. They were named HARMAN, HOLMES, HOSTE and LAWSON, whilst the suggestion for the destroyers were ACASTA, ACHERON, ACORN, ARDENT, ARROGANT, ATTENTIVE, BASILISK, BEAR, BLANCHE, BLAZE, BRAZEN and BRISK. The three intermediate destroyer flotilla’s again had two Leaders in each flotilla the names suggested were ODIN, OTTER, PERSEUS, PHAETON, PIONEER, POMONE, PRINCE, RAINBOW, ROB ROY, SALMON, SARACEN, SCEPTRE, SEAHORSE, SIMOON, SPITEFUL, SPLENDID, STRONGBOW, SUN, TELEMACHUS and VICTOR.
It was decided in early July that the fleet destroyers should have a distinctive set of names comparable to the Tribal class and it was agreed they should be known as the Battle class. Plans Division also requested that the names of the intermediate destroyers which were originally the 1941 “C” group should all be given names beginning with “CA”. It was also agreed that the next twenty-six vessels of the class should also be given “C” names. All the Committee suggestions for the “CA” group were approved by the King, but even now matters were not straightforward. Included in the names was CAMPANIA. Admiral Dreyer however wanted this name for an aircraft carrier. The Committee advised that as the King had already approved the names then, the Admiral would have to take his case to the First Lord. Admiral Dreyer did just that. An escort carrier was duly named CAMPANIA whilst the “CA” class destroyer previously given the name became CARRON.
The Battle class list originally included TEXEL and PORTLAND, these were replaced by ST JAMES and VIGO. Of the “C” class destroyers, CHAMPION was changed to CHEQUERS, CHARIOT, CHASE, CRESCENT and CERBERUS became CHEVRON, CHAPLET, CREOLE and CELT.
1943 Programme.
After all the vacillations which occurred in 1942 the Committee had few problems when considering names for the new programme. The four fleet aircraft carriers, AFRICA, GIBRALTAR, MALTA and NEW ZEALAND and eight light fleet carriers, ALBION, ARROGANT, BULWARK, CENTAUR, ELEPHANT, HERMES, MONMOUTH and POLYPHEMUS.
There were some changes to the Battle class destroyer names, ALGIERS became ALBUERA, LISSA became BARROSA and PLASSY became OUDENARDE.
Thirty-six “A” class names were chosen for submarines. The only one not used was ARROGANT which was already included in the light fleet carrier list.
The names selected by the Committee for a batch of “U” class submarines which were subsequently cancelled were VENETIA, VETERAN, VICIOUS, VITALITY, VOLODOR, VOLLEY, VORTIGERN and VOYAGER.
1944 Programme.
This was the last major building programme of the Second World War and included five cruisers.
The suggested names for the cruisers put forward in June 1944 were EDGAR, INVINCIBLE, MINOTAUR, NEPTUNE and RAINBOW, the names finally selected were EDGAR, CENTURION, MINOTAUR, NEPTUNE and MARS. The only name that cannot be accounted for is NEPTUNE; the previous cruiser bearing this name had been lost in December 1941. The CENTURION was an old battleship, which had become a target ship and was then sunk as a breakwater off the Normandy beaches in June 1944. EDGAR and MARS were names relinquished by light fleet carriers when they were redesigned as aircraft maintenance carriers and re-named PERSEUS and PIONEER in early 1944. MINOTAUR was still a modified Fiji class cruiser. She was not renamed until she was given to Canada in July 1944. There does seem to be quite a strong case for NEPTUNE being one of the six 1942 cruisers. The custom of transferring names from class to class as the programmes changed could quite logically have been used. The 1942 group of cruisers in the Spring of 1942 could have borne the names EDGAR, MAGNIFICENT, MARS, NEPTUNE, POWERFUL and TERRIBLE. All names fit in with the policy evident in the earlier group of six cruisers building under the 1941 programme.
Fourteen “Daring” class and eight “Gallant” class destroyers plus five sloops and twenty “A” class submarines were planned. The “Daring” class included DACOIT, which first became DECISIVE and then DOUGHTY, whilst the “Gallant” class included GRIFFIN which was replaced by GUINIVERE. The five sloops included BITTERN which was replaced by WOODPECKER, the other four vessels were named PARTRIDGE, WATERHEN, WILD SWAN and WRYNECK. The twenty “A” class submarines were to be named BAHADUR, BANNER, BANTERER, BEACON, BEAR, BLACK DOG, BLANCHE, BLONDE, BLOODHOUND, BLUEJACKET and BOUDICEA (which had replaced the original suggestion BESERK), BODYGUARD, BOREAS, BOWMAN, BRAZEN, BRISKIS, BUCKLER, BULAWAYO, BURLY and BUSHRANGER.
