§ Commander Purseyasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the numbers, by types, of ships of the Royal Navy down to and including submarines, completed and afloat as at 31st August, 1945, indicating those ships paid off into Reserve, on loan to foreign and dominion navies, and utilised for any service other than that for which they were built.
Mr. AlexanderThe numbers of ships of the Royal Navy completed and afloat as at 31st August, 1945, down to and including submarines, are as follows:
1398W
Battleships 15 Includes 5 reduced to Reserve Fleet Category C, of which 2 are utilised as accommodation ships and one as Training Ship. Monitors 3 Fleet Carriers and Seaplane Carriers 8 Includes 2 reduced to Reserve Fleet Category C. Light Fleet Carriers 5 Escort Carriers 40 Includes 34 assigned to U.K. from U.S.A.; 1 utilised as trials carrier: 2 utilised as Training Carriers; 1 utilised as Accommodation Ship and 2 reduced to Reserve Fleet Category C. Aircraft Transports 1 To be handed over to M. of W.T. Cruisers 47 ncludes 2 reduced to Reserve Category C, 2 reduced to Reserve Category B, 2 utilised as Accommodation Ships, 1 utilised as a Trooping Cruiser. Anti-Aircraft Ships 2 Includes 1 utilised as Base Ship and 1 reduced to Reserve Category C. Auxiliary Anti-Aircraft Ships 1 Fighter Direction Ships 2 Fleet Destroyers 111 Includes 2 reduced to Reserve Category C, 5 reduced to Reserve Category B, 2 available for scrapping, and 1 utilised as Landing Craft Base Ship. Escort Destroyers 114 Includes 16 reduced to Category C, 5 reduced to Category B, 1 on loan from Turkish Government, 19 allocated for disposal, 5 allocated as Aircraft Target Ships and 1 utilised as Accommodation Ship.
Cutters 7 Transferred from U.S.A. to U.K. in April, 1941. Submarines 128 includes 1 on loan from Turkish Government, 2 prize submarines and 6 allocated for disposal. 2. Of the above ships, the following numbers are on loan to other Navies:— 1 Battleship. 3 Cruisers. 8 Fleet Destroyers. 20 Escort Destroyers. 15 Submarines. Reserve Category B is a maintained reserve. This means that the ships placed in this category are maintained in a state which would enable them to be used if necessary. Reserve Category C is an unmaintained reserve.