List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy

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This is a list of Sixth-rate, corvette, and sloop classes of the Royal Navy.

During the Age of Sail, warships were divided into ranks or classes. The English Royal Navy adopted a scheme of six classes or "rates" in 1626. This system was in place until the 1840s, when steam power was introduced. The vessels classed as "Sixth-rates" were used in trade protection and at times could be used as scouts for the fleet (a task normally associated with "Fifth-rates"). In 1626, a "Sixth-rate" was defined as a ship having a crew of 40 to 50 men. In 1653, this was changed, to from 40 up to 79 men. After the Restoration in 1660, a "Sixth-rate" carried up to 24 guns, though 18 to 20 was more common. By the end of the 1600s, the crew size had grown to over 100 men, with a flush deck battery of six pound guns. By the 1750s, a "Sixth-rate" would carry up to 28 guns. In the mid 18th-century, the definition was formally established based on ship size, armament, and crew size.^[1]

With the advent of steam assisted and steam powered vessels, the term "Sixth-rate" was replaced by "Sloop" as an official type of ship in the Royal Navy. The term "Corvette", adopted from the French, was not adopted as an official ship type until 1862. This only lasted until 1888 when it was replaced by the term "Third Class Cruiser". The term sloop returned during World War I for vessels dedicated to convoy escort. It remained in use until the 1960s. The term corvette did not reappear as an official ship type until just before the start of World War II, as a convoy escort vessel, and is still used in some navies today.

Note that vessels captured from other countries and incorporated into the Royal Navy were rated in accordance with the ship rating classification.