Talk:HMS Punjabi

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Pennant number[edit]

I'm confuser: the pennant nimber in the article's title is F21, however in the picture that illustrates it it can clearly be seen C21.
Which one is correct? Thanks & regards, DPdH (talk) 08:47, 11 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not that clearly apparently, it's G21 in the photograph :) She was commissioned with pennant number F21, but this was changed to G21 in May 1940 for visual signalling purposes, so both are correct. Benea (talk) 09:13, 11 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Gee, I'll have to use my glasses again! ;) Thanks for the clarification, I'm not sure what the letter indicates. Obviously it's not indicating "type", as happens in the US (and othe rmodern) Navy. Cheers, DPdH (talk) 08:28, 12 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Actually in a way it is ;) The wartime navy used the letters D and F until 1940 to identify destroyers. These were then reassigned to larger capital ships, which had previously not borne a pennant superior (i.e. the letter), just a number (or occasionally the letter I). G, H and I were then brought in for the fleet destroyers, and L for escort destroyers. The RN just did it sequentially as opposed to the US which took the initial letter of the ship type, allocating C for cruisers, BB for battleships, etc. Benea (talk) 08:55, 12 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]