The Portuguese class vessels of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 were naval trawler

Naval trawler

A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...

s, built in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

.

The vessels were built in several Portuguese yards and offered, by Portugal, to the Royal Navy. This aid to the British war effort gave origin to a protest by Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

, since, officially, Portugal was a neutral country.

After the war the ships were sold, most of them becoming mercantile vessels, some under Portuguese flag

Flag of Portugal

The flag of Portugal is the national flag of the Portuguese Republic. It is a rectangular bicolour with a field unevenly divided into green on the hoist, and red on the fly. The lesser version of the national coat of arms is centered over the colour boundary at equal distance from the upper and...

. The former HMS Product went to the Royal Hellenic Navy.

Ships in class

• HMS Prong - Launched 1942, mercantile vessel Sjostkerk 1964
• HMS Proof - Launched 1942, sold 1946
• HMS Property - Launched 1942, mercantile vessel Portrush 1946, Property 1947 and Vaagness 1955
• HMS Prophet - Launched 1942, sold 1946
• HMS Protest - Launched 1941, sold 1946
• HMS Prowess - Launched 1943, sold 1946
• HMS Probe - Launched 1942, mercantile vessel Pólo Norte 1946
• HMS Proctor - Launched 1942, mercantile vessel Arrábida 1946
• HMS Prodigal - Launched 1941, sold 1946
• HMS Product - Launched 1941, minesweeper repair ship 1943, Greek Navy Hermes 1946
• HMS Professor - Launched 1942, mercantile vessel Algenib 1946
• HMS Promise - Launched 1941, mercantile vessel Aldebaran 1946

See also

• Isles class trawler
  Isles class trawler
  The Isles class trawlers were a class of naval trawler used by the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II....
  
  
• Tree class trawler
  Tree class trawler
  The Tree class trawlers were a type of anti-submarine vessel which served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. They were nearly identical to the Isles class trawlers, of which they are usually considered a subclass....
  
  
• Shakespearian class trawlers
  Shakespearian class trawlers
  The Shakespearian class were anti-submarine naval trawlers which served in Royal Navy. Ships in this class had a displacement of 545 tons, a top speed of 12 knots, a crew of 40 men, and armament of one 12-pounder AA gun, three 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns and 30 depth charges...
  
  
• Trawlers of the Royal Navy
  Trawlers of the Royal Navy
  This is an accounting of the naval trawlers, purpose built or requisitioned, operated by the Royal Navy mainly during World War I and World War II. They were typically given the prefix HMT which stood for "His Majesty's Trawler".-Summary:...