List of British naval forces military equipment of World War II

This is a list of the military equipment of the Royal Navy and other British naval forces of World War II. This list shows the equipment for British naval and naval aviation forces like naval artillery on board British ships and boats as well as the weapons used by British naval forces such as torpedoes and naval mines.

Naval artillery

Battleship and monitor main armament

• BL 14-inch Mk VII^[1]
• BL 15-inch Mk I^[2]
• BL 16-inch Mk I^[3]

Heavy cruiser main armament

• BL 7.5-inch Mk VI^[4]
• BL 8-inch Mk VIII^[5]

Light cruiser main armament and battleship and heavy cruiser secondary armament

• QF 4-inch Mk V^[6]
• Dido-class cruisers
• BL 6-inch Mk XII^[8]
• BL 6-inch Mk XXII^[9]
• BL 6-inch Mk XXIII^[10]

Small ship main armament

British made

• QF 6-pounder 10 cwt^[11]
• QF 12-pounder 12 cwt^[12]
• QF 4 inch Mk IV^[13]
• BL 4-inch Mk IX^[14]
• QF 4-inch Mk XVI^[15]
• QF 4-inch Mk XIX^[16]
• QF 4.5-inch Mk I – V^[17]
• BL 4.7-inch Mk I and Mk II^[18]
• QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun^[19]
• QF 4.7-inch Mk XI naval gun^{[20][page needed]}

US naval artillery obtained by Lend-Lease and

agreement

• 3-inch/50 calibre gun^[21]
• 4-inch/50 calibre gun^[22]

Submarine armament

• QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XII and Mk XXII^[23]

Armed boats armament

• QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss^[24]
• QF 6-pdr Class M Mark I with Auto Loader Mk III^[25]

Anti-aircraft guns

Machine guns

• Lewis gun^[26]
• Vickers .50 machine gun^[27]

Autocannons

• QF 2-pounder Mk I and Mk VIII^[28]
• Oerlikon 20 mm cannon - licensed production of Swiss design^[29]
• Bofors 40 mm gun license production of Swedish design^[30]

Anti-aircraft artillery

British made

• QF 3-inch 20 cwt^[31]
• QF 4.7-inch Mk VIII naval gun^[32]

US made obtained through Destroyers-for-bases deal

• 3-inch/23 calibre^[33]

Other

• Holman Projector^[34]
• Unrotated Projectile^[35]

Torpedoes

• 18-inch torpedoes Mk VIII-XVII^[36]
• 21-inch torpedo Mk II-XI^[37]
• 24.5-inch torpedo^[36] - fitted to Nelson-class battleships only

Naval mines

• Mark XVII contact naval mine^[38]

Anti-submarine weapons

Depth charges

• Mark VII depth charge^[39]
• Mark VII Heavy
• Mark VII Airborne DC
• Mark VIII Airborne DC
• Mark X, X*
• Mark XI Airborne DC

Anti-submarine projectile launchers

• Hedgehog - multiple spigot mortar^[40]
• Squid - three barrelled 12-inch anti-submarine mortar^[41]

Naval radar

See List of World War II British naval radar

Boilers

• Admiralty 3-drum boiler^[42]

Small arms

• Lanchester submachine gun - 9mm Parabellum^[43]

Notes

References

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
  ISBN 0-87021-459-4
  .