Navies of Europe
Austo-Hungarian Empire | Kaiserliche Marine | SMS | Seiner Majestät Schiff (English: His Majesty's Ship) |
Belgium | Belgian Navy | BNS | Belgium Naval Ship (NATO prefix) |
Denmark | Royal Danish Navy | HDMS | (Danish: KDM) His/Her Danish Majesty's Ship (Danish: Kongelige Danske Marine) |
Estonia | Estonian Navy | ENS (Estonian: EML) | Estonian Naval Ship (NATO designation) |
Finland | Finnish Navy | FNS | Finnish Navy vessels are given the prefix "FNS", short for Finnish Navy Ship. Prefixes are not used in Finnish-language communications. |
France | French Navy | FS | French Ship (NATO designation); France does not use prefixes internally |
German Empire | Kaiserliche Marine | SMS | Seiner Majestät Schiff (English: His Majesty's Ship) |
Germany, Nazi | Kriegsmarine | KMS | "Kriegsmarine Schiffe" (no official prefix; a few authors use "DKM" for "Deutsche Kriegsmarine" while most use "KMS") |
Germany, West | Bundesmarine | FGS | Federal German Ship (NATO designation); West Germany did not use prefixes internally |
Germany | Deutsche Marine | FGS | Federal German Ship (NATO designation); Germany does not use prefixes internally |
Greece,Kingdom | Royal Hellenic Navy | VP | Vassilikón Ploíon, "Royal Ship"; RHS (Royal Hellenic Ship) or HHMS (His Hellenic Majesty's Ship) in use by English-language authors and contemporary foreign navies. |
Greece | Hellenic Navy | HS | Hellenic Ship (NATO designation); Greece does not use prefixes internally |
Ireland | Naval Service | L.É. | Long Éireannach = Irish Ship |
Italy, Kingdom of | Regia Marina | RN | Regia Nave -- Royal Ship, sometimes unofficially "RM", standing for "Regia Marina" |
Italy | Marina Militare | ITS | Italian Ship (NATO designation); Italy no longer uses prefixes |
Latvia | Latvian Navy | LVS | Latvian Ship (NATO designation) |
Lithuania | Lithuanian Navy | LNS | Lithuanian Ship (NATO designation) |
Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Navy | HNLMS Hr.Ms. or Zr.Ms. |
English: His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship
Dutch: Harer Majesteits or Zijner Majesteits [His/Her Netherlands Majesty's ship name] - "Hr.Ms. Potvis" translates as "Her Majesty's Potvis" and not "Her Majesty's Ship Potvis" |
Norway | Royal Norwegian Navy | HNoMS | (Norwegian: KNM) His Norwegian Majesty's Ship (Norwegian: Kongelige Norske Marine) |
Poland | Polish Navy | ORP | Ship of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Okret Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) |
Portugal | Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa | NRP | Portuguese Republic Ship (Navio da República Portuguesa) |
Romania | Romanian Navy | NMS | Nava Majestatii Sale (His/Her majesty's Ship) - used before 1945 by the Royal Romanian Navy |
Spain | Armada Española | SPS [not SNS or ESPS] | Spanish Ship, though the derivation of SPS is unclear, the usage is widely and authoritatively attested. (Spain does not use prefixes internally) SPS is not a typo for SNS, Spanish Naval Ship = Español Buque Naval, and ESPS would seem to be Español Ship, which is even worse. |
Sweden | Marinen | HSwMS | HMS for Hans/Hennes majestäts skepp (His/Her Majesty's Ship). This is changed to "HSwMS" ("His Swedish Majesty's Ship") to differentiate Swedish vessels from those of the Royal Navy. |
Turkey | Turkish Navy | TCG | Ship of the Turkish Republic (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Gemisi) |
United Kingdom | Royal Fleet Auxiliary | RFA | Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
Royal Navy | HMS | His/Her Majesty's Ship |
NEWSLETTER
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