Auxiliary Ships

Auxiliary ships are the backbone of any navy. They are designed to support any warship and other maritime operations far afield or close to home. They are not combat vessels, although they usually possess limited self-defence capability. They are critical for the running and continuous operation of any navy, regardless of size, due to the importance of their role. They provide at-sea replenishment of supplies and fuel, transport of essentials, military supplies and equipment and troops, the repair of ships at sea, radar and research work, and even mobile hospitals. Smaller navies focus on more coastal applications for these types of ships, but larger navies have an extensive fleet of very capable, large support vessels for every need of the navy.

The era of auxiliary ships began in the early 20^th century, with the development of coalers and later oilers to replenish faraway ships at sea whilst on deployment. This was necessitated by the development in the 1800s of steam and later coal and oil-driven warships. In the age of sail, no such vessels were necessary. This extended to hospital ships, repair ships, seaplane tenders and other vessels throughout the early years of the 20^th century, with development hastened by necessity because of the First World War. They became prevalent throughout the Second World War and have only grown in role and importance since that time. Auxiliary ships will always remain a critical element to any maritime power.