The list of ship launches in 1940 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1940. __NOTOC__ Date Ship Class Builder Location Country Notes 2 January Coaster Charles Hill & Sons Ltd. Bristol For Osborn & Wallis Ltd. 8 January Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy. 9 January Tanker Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Athel Line Ltd. 9 January Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For West Hartlepool Steam Navigatio Co. Ltd. 9 January Cargo ship J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Confield Steamship Co. Ltd.9 JanuaryJohn Brown and CompanyClydebank 9 January Cargo ship Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. Glasgow For Hain Steamship Co. 11 January Coaster James Pollock & Sons Faversham For London & Rochester Trading Co. Ltd. 18 January Tug Charles Hill & Sons Ltd. Bristol For Poole Harbour Commissioners. 24 January Cargo ship Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne For Ellermans Wilson Line Ltd. 24 January Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For Pontypridd Steamship Co. 24 January C-type coaster S. P. Austin & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Wm. France, Fenwick & Co. Ltd. 24 January Mormacmail Merchant Sun Shipbuilding Converted to escort carrier in 1941 24 January Smiths Dock Company River Tees 25 January Cargo ship Short Brothers Ltd. Sunderland For Rowland & Marwoods Steamship Co. Ltd. 25 January Coastal tanker Rowhedge Ironworks Ltd Rowhedge For National Benzole Co. Ltd.25 JanuaryVickers-ArmstrongsTyneside 25 January Coaster Scott & Sons Ltd. Bowling For J. Summers & Sons Ltd. 25 January Cargo ship William Gray & Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool For Ellerman & Papayannie Lines Ltd. 25 January Cargo ship William Gray & Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool For Constants Ltd. 27 January Harland & Wolff Govan For Royal Navy.29 JanuaryCammel LairdBirkenhead January SK-124 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. January SK-125 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. January SK-126 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. January SK-127 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. 2 February Cargo ship William Denny and Brothers Ltd. Dumbarton For British & Burmese Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. 7 February Ferry Fleming & Furguson Ltd. Paisley For Government of Newfoundland. 8 February Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy.8 FebruarySwan HunterWallsend 8 February Cargo ship Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd Haverton Hill-on-Tees For Reardon Smith Line Ltd. 8 February Cargo ship Charles Connell & Co Ltd Glasgow For J. Nourse Ltd. 10 February Cargo ship Blythswood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Glasgow For Manchester Liners Ltd. 12 February Fishing trawler Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd. Beverley For T. Hambling & Co. Ltd.13 FebruaryScotts Greenock 14 February Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy.14 FebruaryJohn Brown and CompanyClydebank 21 February Cargo ship Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For J. I. Jacobs Ltd. 22 February Cargo ship Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne For Ellermans Wilson Line Ltd.22 FebruaryYarrowGlasgow 22 February Cargo ship Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd. Hong Kong For Rhederi M. Jebsen A/S. 22 February Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Bolton Steam Shipping Co Ltd. 23 February Cargo ship J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Graig Shipping Co. Ltd.24 FebruarySwan HunterWallsend 24 February Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 24 February Cargo ship William Pickersgill & Co. Ltd. Southwick For W. J. Tatum Ltd. 26 February Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For B. J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd. 27 February Tug Henry Robb Ltd. Leith For Manchester Ship Canal Company. 27 February Lighthouse Tender Cochrane & Sons Ltd Selby For Trinity House.28 FebruaryJohn Brown and CompanyClydebank 29 February C-type coaster Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd. Troon For P. & A. Campbell Ltd. Requisitioned by the Admiralty, converted to a troopship. February Malangen Trawler G. Seebeck A.G. Wesermünde Captured by Norway 13 April 1940 and renamed February 2 unnamed vessels Tank barges Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For private owners. 4 March Markay Maritime Commission Type N tanker Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Kearny, New Jersey 6 March Chantiers de la Loire and Chantiers de Penhoët Saint-Nazaire 7 March Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 7 March Cargo ship Smith's Dock Co. Ltd. Middlesbrough For Prince Line Ltd. 7 March Cargo ship Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd Haverton Hill-on-Tees For Reardon Smith Line Ltd. 9 March Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For Pool Shipping Co. Ltd. 12 March Cargo ship Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. Glasgow For British India Steam Navigation Company. 14 March Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For Ambrose, Davies & Matthews Ltd. 16 March PG-555 Fishing trawler Schichau Seebeckwerft Bremerhaven For Grundmann & Gröschel 21 March Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 21 March Cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For Court Line. 21 March Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 21 March Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For Red 'R' Shipping Co. Ltd. 21 March Cargo ship Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. Dundee For Britain Steamship Co. 22 March Cargo ship Bartram & Sons Ltd Sunderland For J & C. Harrison Ltd. 22 March Cargo ship John Readhead & Sons Ltd. South Shields For Strick Line. 23 March Cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For Lamport & Holt. 23 March Cargo ship William Gray & Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool For Metcalfe Shipping Co. Ltd. 26 March Cable laying ship Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne For H. M. Postmaster General. 26 March Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For T. & J. Harrison. 26 March Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For Uskport Steamship Co. Ltd.27 MarchJ. Samuel WhiteCowes 27 March Coaster Scott & Sons Ltd. Bowling For J. Summers & Sons Ltd. March Cargo ship Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd. Hong Kong For China Navigation Co. Ltd. 6 April Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy.9 AprilFairfieldGovan9 AprilSwan HunterWallsend 9 April Cargo ship J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For The Albyn Line Ltd. 9 April Cargo ship Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Burnett Steamship Co. 10 April Cargo ship William Hamilton & Co. Ltd. Port Glasgow For Leith Hill Shipping Co. Ltd. 10 April Cargo ship Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. Linthouse For Hain Steamship Co. Ltd. 11 April Vizalma Fishing trawler Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd. Beverley For Atlas Steam Fishing Co. Ltd. 19 April Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy. 20 April Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy 22 April Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy.22 AprilScottsGreenock22 AprilL-class destroyerHawthorn LeslieNewcastle 23 April Cargo ship Short Brothers Ltd. Sunderland For Hindustan Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. 23 April Cargo ship Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne For Port Line. Requisitioned by the Admiralty and completed as the minelayer HMS Port Napier. 23 April Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For Putney Hill Steamship Co Ltd. 24 April C-type coaster S. P. Austin & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Fenwick, Fisher Steamship Co. 23 April Cargo ship Blythswood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Glasgow For Prince Line Ltd.24 AprilYarrowGlasgow 24 April Cargo liner Cammell Laird & Co. Ltd. Birkenhead For Ellerman Lines Ltd. 27 April Paddle steamer A. & J. Inglis Ltd. Glasgow For London & North Eastern Railway. 29 April Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Cape of Good Hope Motorship Co. Ltd. 29 April Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Hain Steamship Co. April SK-128 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. April SK-129 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. 4 May Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 7 May Cargo ship Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. Dundee For Adelaide Steamship Co.7 MayN-class destroyerJohn Brown and CompanyClydebankTo Poland as Piorun 1940, returned as HMS Noble 1946, sold for scrap in 1955 7 May Cargo ship Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For Ropner Shipping Co. Ltd. 8 May Cargo ship William Gray & Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool For Bowring Steamship Co. Ltd.9 MayCoaster Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd.Goole For S. Morris Ltd. 9 May Icemaid type collier Grangemouth Dockyard Co. Ltd. Grangemouth For G. Gibson & Co. Ltd. 18 May Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For Thomasson Shipping Co. Ltd. 21 May Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Cape York Motorship Co. Ltd. 21 May Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Asiatic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. 21 May Cargo ship William Gray & Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool For British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. 21 May Refrigerated cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Mail Line. 22 May Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy.22 MayN-class destroyerFairfieldGovanFor Royal Australian Navy 22 May Cargo ship William Pickersgill & Co. Ltd. Southwick For Stanhope Steamship Co. Ltd. 23 May Harland & Wolff Govan For Royal Navy. 23 May Cargo ship Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. Glasgow For Burns, Philip & Co. 23 May Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 23 May Tug Scott & Sons Ltd. Bowling Completed as Cardiff for Great Western Railway. 23 May Cargo ship J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For South American Saint Line Ltd. 23 May Cargo ship Smith's Dock Co. Ltd. Middlesbrough For Prince Line Ltd. May Cochrane & Sons Ltd. Selby For the Admiralty. May SK-130 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company Mobile, Alabama For Southern Kraft Corporation. 1 June Philadelphia Navy Yard Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 4 June Cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For T. & J. Harrison. 4 June Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 5 June Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy. 5 June Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd Blyth, Northumberland For Royal Navy.5 JuneAlexander Stephens and SonsGlasgow 6 June Cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For Bank Line.7 JuneSwan HunterWallsend9 JuneCantieri Riuniti dell'AdriaticoTriesteFor Regia Marina 10 June Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For British Channel Islands Shipping Co. Ltd. 13 June New York Naval Shipyard Brooklyn, New York 17 June Ferry Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne For Turkish Government. 18 June Harland & Wolff Belfast For Royal Navy. 18 June Cargo liner Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd. Greenock For Ministry of War Transport. 18 June Cargo ship John Readhead & Sons Ltd. South Shields For Bank Line. 20 June Cargo ship Charles Connell & Co Ltd Glasgow For Ben Line. 20 June Cargo ship Harland & Wolff Belfast For Lamport & Holt. 20 June Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For Turnbull, Scott & Co. Ltd. 21 June Cargo ship Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland For C. G. Dunn Shipping Co. Ltd. 22 June Cargo ship William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Pallion For Tower Steamship Co. Ltd. 24 June Cargo ship Short Brothers Ltd. Sunderland For Charlton Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. 24 June Cargo ship William Hamilton & Co. Ltd. Port Glasgow For Dorset Steamship Co. Ltd. 25 June Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Cape of Good Hope Motorship Co. Ltd. 26 June Harland & Wolff Govan For Royal Navy. 26 June Cargo ship Lithgows Ltd. Port Glasgow For Asiatic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. 27 June Cargo ship Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Burntisland For British Channel Traders Ltd. June SK-131 Tank barge Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company