Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 15:00-15:21

When the Royal Navy used foreign-built warships

Foreign construction and captured ships appear in wartime Royal Navy service, but not as a normal peacetime source of major units.

Royal NavyShipyardsWarship ConstructionWorld War IWorld War II
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Question

Has the Royal Navy ever had a warship built outside the United Kingdom?

Short answer

Yes in wartime and through captures, but not as a normal peacetime source of major warships.

Notes

The Royal Navy did receive ships built outside British yards during both world wars. It also incorporated numerous captured French vessels in earlier periods. Those emergency and wartime cases differed from normal peacetime procurement. The service does not appear to have commissioned foreign-built major units as a routine peacetime policy.