[sci.military] Ship prefixes

creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (05/01/89)

From: creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps)

   I was going through some old papers (products of my early-teen research)
and found a list of prefixes. Anyone feel like merging what's been posted?
Some of these are probably obsolete.

CV	aircraft carrier
CVA	attack class aircraft carrier
CVB	large class aircraft carrier
CVE	escort type aircraft carrier
CVL	light aircraft carrier

CVHE	helicopter (escort?) aircraft carrier
CVHA	helicopter (?) aircraft carrier
CVU	(?) aircraft carrier

BB	battleship
BBG	guided missile battleship

CC	battle cruiser
CA	heavy cruiser
CL	light cruiser
CLAA	anti-arcraft light cruiser
CB	large type cruiser
CG	guided missile cruiser (formerly DL)

DD	destroyer
DM	destroyer minelayer
DMS	destroyer minesweeper
DE	destroyer escort
DDR	destroyer radar picket
DL	frigate (destroyer leader)

PF	patrol frigate
PC	patrol chaser (submarine chaser)
PT	torpedo patrol boat
PG	gunboat

SS	submarine
SSB	ballistic missile submarine
AGSS	(?) submarine
APSS	(?) submarine

Also, in general one of the above followed by N means nuclear-powered. Anything
followed by G means guided missiles, unless it's obvious that the N or G means
something else.

LS	landing ship
LSD	landing ship
LST	landing ship, tank
LSM	landing ship medium
LSM(R)	landing ship medium w/rockets
LSU	landing ship utility
LCVP	landing craft vehicle personnel

A=auxiliary

AK	cargo ship
AKA	atack cargo ship

AP	transport ship
APA	attack transport ship
APD	troop transport destroyer
APL	transport; self-propelled or towed

AT	tug
ATF	fleet tug
YTB	harbor tug
ATO	old tug
ATA	auxiliary tug
ATR	rescue tug

AO	oil tanker
AOG	gasoline tanker

AR	repair ship
ARH	repair ship- hull repairs
ARB	repair ship- battle damage
ARG	repair ship- landing craft
ARV	repair ship- aircraft

   On battle cruisers (CC) and large cruisers (CB): six CC were started, but
cancelled:

CC-1	U.S.S. Lexington (ex-Constitution)
CC-2	U.S.S. Constellation
CC-3	U.S.S. Saratoga
CC-4	U.S.S. Ranger (ex-Lexington)
CC-5	U.S.S. Constitution (ex-Ranger)
CC-6	U.S.S. United States

   CC-1 became CV-2, U.S.S. Lexington. CC-3 became CV-3 (carriers).

   Three CB were planned:

CB-1	U.S.S. Alaska
CB-2	U.S.S. Guam
CB-3	Hawaii

   but only CB-1 and CB-2 were completed and commisioned.

[mod.note:  Add to that, CB-4 through CB-6, respectively Philippines,
Puerto Rico, and Samoa; these three were never even laid down.  - Bill ]

   By the way, I have lists of several hundred more USN ships on paper, which
I may type in eventually. Unfortunately, all I have are the names, prefixes,
and numbers of the ships. My junior high research practices (ten+ years ago)
weren't all that deep, although I did get lots of ship names. Anyone
interested in building a net ships list?

   Anyway, I have all the battleships already typed in, as well as a pretty-
much complete list of CV's, excluding maybe the very newest, which I can
type in quickly. Also pretty extensive, although incomplete, lists of
destroyers (DD, DE, DL, ...), cruisers, submarines, and more.

   (I even have SS-19 1/2, U.S.S. Seal.)

-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Steve Creps, Indiana University, Bloomington, home of the "Hoosiers"
	creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (129.79.1.6)
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