List of coastal defence ships of World War II

Ships of World War II
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Coastal defence ship is a catchall category for warships with overlapping characteristics and duties, grouped here for purposes of concision and comparison. They included ships variously called coastal defence ships, coastal battleships, German Küstenpanzerschiff, Kystforsvarsskib, Panserskip; the Dutch Kruiser, Pantserschip and Slagschip; and the Swedish 1:a klass Pansarbåt and Pansarskepp.

Coastal defence ships were cruiser-sized shallow-draft vessels capable of close to shore littoral and riverine operations. Some had limited blue-water capabilities. Coastal defence ships differed from earlier monitors by having a higher freeboard and usually both higher speed and secondary armament. Their construction and appearance was similar to miniaturized pre-dreadnought battleships. They carried heavier armour than cruisers or gunboats of equivalent size, were typically equipped with a main armament of two or four heavy and several lighter guns in turrets or casemates, and could steam at a higher speed than most monitors.^[1][2][3][4]

In service they were mainly used as movable coastal artillery rather than instruments of sea control or fleet engagements like the battleships operated by blue-water navies. Apart from specially built coastal defence ships, some navies used various obsolescent ships in this role. The Royal Navy deployed four Majestic-class battleships as guardships in the Humber at the start of the First World War. Similarly, the U.S. Navy redesignated the Indiana and Iowa classes as "Coast Defense Battleships" in 1919. Such ships tended to be near the end of their service lives and while generally considered no longer fit for front-line service, they were still powerful enough for defensive duties in reserve situations.^[1][2][3][4]

The List of ships of World War II contains major military vessels of the war, arranged alphabetically and by type. The list includes armed vessels that served during the war and in the immediate aftermath, inclusive of localized ongoing combat operations, garrison surrenders, post-surrender occupation, colony re-occupation, troop and prisoner repatriation, to the end of 1945. For smaller vessels, see also List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons. Some uncompleted Axis ships are included, out of historic interest. Ships are designated to the country under which they operated for the longest period of the World War II, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.

List of coastal defence ships of World War II

Ship	Operator	Class	Type	Displacement (tons)	First commissioned	Fate
Äran	Swedish Navy	Äran	coastal defence ship	3,650	7 September 1902	paid off 16 June 1947, scrapped 1961
Drottning Victoria		Sverige	coastal defence ship	7,125	12 March 1921	paid off 22 March 1957, scrapped 1959
Eidsvold	Royal Norwegian Navy	Eidsvold	coastal defence ship	4,233	1 March 1901	sunk 9 April 1940
Gustaf V	Swedish Navy	Sverige	coastal defence ship	7,125	12 December 1922	paid off 22 March 1957, scrapped 1970
Harald Haarfagre	Royal Norwegian Navy	Tordenskjold	coastal defence ship	3,858	21 March 1898	captured by Germany 9 April 1940, renamed Thetis by Kriegsmarine, scrapped 1948
Hertog Hendrik	Royal Netherlands Navy	Koningin Regentes	coastal defence ship	5,002	5 January 1904	converted to floating battery as Batterijschip Vliereede December 1939, captured by Germany May 1940, converted to AA battery as Ariadne, returned to Netherlands post-war, stricken 1969
Ilmarinen	Finnish Navy	Väinämöinen	coastal defence ship	3,900	17 April 1934	sunk 13 September 1941
Independencia	Argentine Navy	Libertad	riverine battleship	2,336	5 March 1892	Stricken 1951
Jacob van Heemskerck	Royal Netherlands Navy		coastal defence ship	4,920	22 April 1908	converted to floating battery as Batterijschip IJmuiden April 1939, scuttled May 1940, raised by Germany as AA battery Undine, returned to Netherlands post-war, stricken 1974
Libertad	Argentine Navy	Libertad	riverine battleship	2,336	26 November 1892	paid off 1947
Manligheten	Swedish Navy	Äran	coastal defence ship	3,650	3 December 1904	paid off 1950
Niels Juel	Royal Danish Navy		coastal defence ship	3,400	23 May 1923	beached 29 August 1943, captured by Germany, sunk 3 May 1945
Norge	Royal Norwegian Navy	Eidsvold	coastal defence ship	4,230	7 February 1901	sunk 9 April 1940
Oscar II	Swedish Navy	Oscar II	coastal defence ship	4,206	3 April 1907	paid off 1950, scrapped 1974
Peder Skram	Royal Danish Navy	Herluf Trolle	coastal defence ship	3,494	24 September 1908	scuttled 29 August 1943
Soerabaja	Royal Netherlands Navy		coastal defence ship	6,530	6 October 1910	sunk 18 February 1942, raised for Japan 1942, sunk 1943
Sri Ayudhya	Royal Thai Navy	Thonburi	coastal defence ship	2,350	19 July 1938	sunk 1 July 1951
Sverige	Swedish Navy	Sverige	coastal defence ship	6,852	14 May 1917	paid off 30 January 1953, scrapped 1958
Tapperheten		Äran	coastal defence ship	3,650	April 1903	paid off 1947, scrapped 1952
Thonburi	Royal Thai Navy	Thonburi	coastal defence ship	2,265	31 January 1938	wrecked 17 January 1941, refitted, struck 19 June 1959
Tordenskjold	Royal Norwegian Navy	Tordenskjold	coastal defence ship	3,858	21 March 1898	captured by Germany 9 April 1940, renamed Nymphe by Kriegsmarine, scrapped 1948
Väinämöinen	Finnish Navy	Väinämöinen	coastal defence ship	3,900	29 April 1932	to Soviet Union 29 May 1947, scrapped 1968
Wasa	Swedish Navy	Äran	coastal defence ship	3,650	6 December 1902	paid off 1940, scrapped 1961

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