Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Dance-class trawler

The Dance class of World War II were armed trawlers of the Royal Navy. They were used for anti-submarine (A/S) and minesweeping work and were nearly identical to the Isles class, of which they are usually considered a subclass. They were very similar to Tree class trawlers, and were only more armed.

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HMT Foxtrot in December 1942
Class overview
NameDance class
Operators
Built1940–1941
In service1940–1946
Completed20
General characteristics
TypeArmed trawler
Displacement545 tons
Length164 ft (50 m)
Beam27 ft 8 in (8.43 m)
Draught11 ft 1 in (3.38 m) (mean)
PropulsionOne triple expansion reciprocating engine, 850 ihp (630 kW)
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement40
Armament

The Dance class of World War II were armed trawlers of the Royal Navy. They were used for anti-submarine (A/S) and minesweeping work and were nearly identical to the Isles class, of which they are usually considered a subclass. They were very similar to Tree class trawlers, and were only more armed.

One Dance-class trawler (Sword Dance) was a war loss, and one (Saltarelo) was transferred to Portugal in 1945. Four were transferred to Italy in 1946: Gavotte, Hornpipe, Minuet and Two Step. None remained in service with the Royal Navy by the end of 1946. Many of these ships were named after dances or traditions.

Ships in class

Construction data for Isles-class trawlers of the Royal Navy
Ship Pennant number1 Builder1 Launched1 Completed2 Notes
Cotillion T104 Ardrossan Dockyard Company, Ardrossan, UK 21 December 1940 8 August 1941 Sold 28 March 1947 1
Coverley T106 Ardrossan Dockyard Company, Ardrossan, UK 21 May 1941 8 August 1941 Mercantile Jannikke 1947, Otofjord 19491
Fandango T107 Cochrane & Sons 26 March 1940 11 July 1940 Sold 19461
Foxtrot T109 Cochrane & Sons 23 April 1940 30 August 1940 To War Department 1946, scrapped Barrow 19511
Gavotte T115 Cook, Welton & Gemmell 7 May 1940 24 August 1940 To Italy 1946 as RD.3121
Hornpipe T120 Cook, Welton & Gemmell 21 May 1940 19 September 1940 To Italy 1946 as RD.3161
Mazurka T30 Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd., Port Glasgow, UK 28 November 1940 8 January 1941 Sold March 19461
Minuet T131 Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd. 1 March 1941 10 June 1941 To Italy 1946 as RD.3071
Morris Dance T117 Goole Shipbuilding 6 August 1940 7 October 1940 Sold 19471
Pirouette T39 Goole Shipbuilding 22 June 1940 30 August 1940 Mercantile Tridente 19471
Polka T139 Hall, Russell & Company, Aberdeen 29 January 1941 17 June 1941 Sold April 19461
Quadrille T133 Hall, Russell & Company 16 March 1941 14 July 1941 Mercantile Elsa 1946, Murten 19501
Rumba T122 A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 31 July 1940 2 October 1940 Mercantile Rumba 1946, Buk Hae Ho 19531
Sarabande T125 A. & J. Inglis 29 August 1940 17 December 1940 Mercantile Volen 1946, Betty 19531
Saltarelo T128 Henry Robb, Leith 6 August 1940 19 October 1940 To Portugal 1947 as Salvador Correia1
Sword Dance T132 Henry Robb 3 September 1940 16 January 1941 Sank after collision with Thyra-II off east coast of Scotland 5 July 19423
Tango T146 Smith's Dock Company 29 November 1940 21 April 1940 Sold July 19461
Tarantella T142 Smith's Dock Company 27 January 1941 9 May 1941 Renamed Two Step 1943
To Italy 1946 as RD.3081
Valse T151 Smith's Dock Company 12 March 1941 23 May 1941 To War Department 1946, scrapped Port Glasgow September 19511
Veleta T130 Smith's Dock Company 28 March 1941 6 June 1941 Sold March 19461
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Lenton & Colledge 1973, p. 449.
  2. Elliott 1977, p. 292.
  3. Hepper 2022, p. 198.
  • Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Limited. ISBN 0356-08401-9.
  • Robert Gardiner (ed. dir.), Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946, p. 66. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1980.
  • Hepper, David (2022). British Warship Losses in the Modern Era 1920–1982. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-3990-9766-6.
  • Lenton, H. T.; Colledge, J. J. (1973). Warships of World War II (Second ed.). London: Ian Allen. ISBN 0-7110-0403-X.
  • Francis E. McMurtrie and Raymond V.B. Blackman (eds.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1949–50, pp. 217, 258. New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1949