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Military


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)
FinlandFinnish NavyFNS 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 VPVassilikón 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 ServiceL.É. Long Éireannach = Irish Ship
Italy, Kingdom ofRegia Marina RN Regia Nave -- Royal Ship, sometimes unofficially "RM", standing for "Regia Marina"
Italy Marina MilitareITS Italian Ship (NATO designation); Italy no longer uses prefixes
Latvia Latvian NavyLVS Latvian Ship (NATO designation)
Lithuania Lithuanian Navy LNS Lithuanian Ship (NATO designation)
Netherlands Royal Netherlands NavyHNLMS

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 EspañolaSPS [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.
SwedenMarinen 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 KingdomRoyal Fleet Auxiliary RFA Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Navy HMS His/Her Majesty's Ship



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