List of escort vessel classes of World War II

During World War II, the navies of both the Allies and the Axis Powers built and operated hundreds of relatively small warships for the purpose of ensuring the safety of merchant convoys. These warships displaced around 1,000 tons and were typically armed with one-to-three guns of three-to-five inches in caliber, numerous smaller anti-aircraft guns and depth charge throwers.

Summary

Allied escort vessel classes

United States (destroyer escorts and frigates and patrol craft)

• Evarts-class destroyer escort - 97 built
• Buckley-class destroyer escort - 148 built
• Cannon-class destroyer escort - 72 built
• Edsall-class destroyer escort - 85 built
• Rudderow-class destroyer escort - 22 built
• John C. Butler-class destroyer escort - 83 completed
• Tacoma-class frigate - 96 built
• PC-461 class submarine chaser - 343 built
• PCE-842 class patrol craft escort - 68 built

United Kingdom (frigates and corvettes)

• Black Swan-class sloop – 12 (original) + 25 (modified)
• River-class frigate – 151 built
• Loch-class frigate – 26 built (4 more completed after the end of the war)
• Bay-class frigate – 7 built (23 more completed after the end of the war)
• Flower-class corvette – 294 built
• Castle-class corvette – 49 built

Axis escort vessel classes

Japan (Kaibōkan)

• Shimushu-class escort ship – 4 built
• Etorofu-class escort ship – 14 built
• Mikura-class escort ship – 8 built
• Hiburi-class escort ship – 9 built
• Ukuru-class escort ship – 29 built
• Type C escort ship – 56 built
• Type D escort ship – 67 built

Italy

• Gabbiano-class corvette - 49 built

Germany (Flottenbegleiter)

• F-class escort ship - 10 built

Romania

• Amiral Murgescu