| Date | Ship | Country | Service | Builder | Location | Class | Notes | | 8 January | {{USCGC|Spencer|WPG-36|2}} | {{flag|United States|1912}} | United States Coast Guard | Brooklyn Navy Yard | Brooklyn, New York | {{sclass2-|Treasury|cutter|2}} | |
| 12 January | {{USS|Henley|DD-391|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | Mare Island Navy Yard | Vallejo, California | {{sclass-|Bagley|destroyer|2}} | |
| 14 January | {{USCGC|Bibb|WPG-31|2}} | {{flag|United States|1912}} | United States Coast Guard | Charleston Navy Yard | Charleston, South Carolina | {{sclass2-|Treasury|cutter|2}} | |
| 7 February | {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Kriegsmarine | Norderwerft Koser und Meyer | Hamburg | {{sclass-|Admiral Hipper|cruiser|2}} | |
| 13 March | {{USS|Somers|DD-381|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company | Kearny, New Jersey | {{sclass-|Somers|destroyer|2}} | |
| 20 February | {{ship|German ship|Hans Rolshoven | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | | | | {{sclass-|Krischan|seaplane tender|2}} | For the Luftwaffe |
| 1 March[1] | {{HMS|Impulsive|D11|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | J. Samuel White[1] | Cowes, Isle of Wight | {{sclass2-|I|destroyer|2}} | |
| 23 March | {{ship|German ship|Friesenland | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | | Howaldtswerke | Kiel | {{sclass-|Friesenland|seaplane carrier|2}} | For civilian service |
| 24 March | {{HMS|Liverpool|C11|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan, Scotland | {{sclass2-|Town|cruiser (1936)|0}} cruiser | |
| 12 April[2] | {{HMS|Manchester|15|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Hawthorn Leslie[2] | Hebburn, England | {{sclass2-|Town|cruiser (1936)|0}} cruiser | |
| 5 May | {{MV>Wilhelm Gustloff}} | Nazi Germany}} | Hamburg Süd | Blohm + Voss | Hamburg | For Kraft durch Freude |
| 6 May | {{USS>Patterson|DD-392|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | Puget Sound Navy Yard | Bremerton, Washington | {{sclass-|Bagley|destroyer|2}} | |
| 8 May | {{USS|Savannah|CL-42|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | New York Shipbuilding Corporation | Camden, New Jersey | {{sclass-|Brooklyn|cruiser|2}} | |
| 8 June | {{ship|German cruiser|Blücher | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Kriegsmarine | | | {{sclass-|Admiral Hipper|cruiser|2}} | |
| 8 June[3] | {{HMS>Cossack|F03|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Vickers Armstrong[3] | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England | Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyer | |
| 22 June | {{MV>British Integrity | 2} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | British Tanker Company | Vickers Armstrong | Govan, Scotland | Tanker | [4] |
| 14 July[5] | {{HMS|Bittern|L07|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | J. Samuel White[5] | Cowes, Isle of Wight | {{sclass-|Bittern|sloop|2}} | |
| 14 August | {{USS|Blue|DD-387|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | Norfolk Naval Shipyard | Portsmouth, Virginia | Bagley|destroyer|2}} | |
| 18 August | {{ship|HNoMS|Nordkapp | 2} | {{Flag|Norway}} | Royal Norwegian Navy | Royal Norwegian Navy Shipyard | Horten | {{sclass-|Nordkapp|fishery protection vessel|2}} | |
| 26 August | {{USS|Honolulu|CL-48|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | | | {{sclass-|Brooklyn|cruiser|2}} | |
| 1 September[6] | {{HMS>Ivanhoe|D16|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Yarrow Shipbuilders[6] | Scotstoun, Scotland | I|destroyer|2}} | |
| 23 September[7] | {{HMS|Zulu|F18|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Alexander Stephen and Sons[7] | Govan, Scotland | {{sclass2-|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyer | |
| 2 October | {{USS|Nashville|CL-43|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | New York Shipbuilding Corporation | Camden, New Jersey | {{sclass-|Brooklyn|cruiser|2}} | |
| 5 October | {{HMS>Mohawk|F31|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | John I. Thornycroft and Company | Hampshire, England | {{sclass2-|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyer | |
| 5 October[8] | {{HMS|Undine|N48|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Vickers Armstrong[8] | Barrow-in-Furness, England | U-class submarine | |
| 19 October[9] | {{HMS|Gloucester|62|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Devonport Dockyard[9] | Devonport, England | {{sclass2-|Town|cruiser (1936)|0}} cruiser |
| 30 October | Albert Leo Schlageter | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Kriegsmarine | Blohm + Voss | Hamburg | Gorch Fock-class Sail training ship | |
| 16 November | {{USS|Wichita|CA-45|2}} | {{Flag|United States|1912}} | United States Navy | Philadelphia Navy Yard | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Unique cruiser | |
| 2 December[10] | {{HMS|Cachalot|N83|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company[10] | Greenock, Scotland | {{sclass-|Grampus|submarine|2}} | |
| 21 December[11] | {{HMS>Bedouin|F67|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Royal Navy | William Denny and Brothers[11] | Dunbarton, Scotland | {{sclass2-|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyer | |
| Unknown date | Algol | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Merchant | Deutsche Werft AG | Hamburg | Coastal tanker | For Trelleborgs Angfabrik Nya A/B |
| Unknown date | Gabelsflach | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Kriegsmarine | F Schichau GmbH | Elbing | Coastal tanker | |
| Unknown date | {{SS|Inkosi|1937|2}} | {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | Merchant | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson | Newcastle upon Tyne | Refrigerated cargo liner | For Charente Steamship Co Ltd |
| Unknown date | {{SS>Marie Fisser | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Merchant | Lübecker Flender-Werke AG | Lübeck | Cargo ship | For Fisser & van Doornum |
| Unknown date | {{SS>Messina | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Merchant | Neptun AG | Rostock | Cargo ship | For Robert Miles Sloman Jr |
| Unknown date | {{SS>Saar | 2} | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Merchant | Stettiner Oderwerke AG | Stettin | Cargo ship | For R C Gribel |
| Unknown date | Unitas 4 | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Jurgens Van Den Brugh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg | Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau | Bremen | Whaler | |
| Unknown date | Unitas 5 | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Jurgens Van Den Brugh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg | Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau | Bremen | Whaler | |
| Unknown date | Unitas 8 | {{Flag|Germany|Nazi}} | Jurgens Van Den Brugh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg | Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau | Bremen | Whaler | |
1. ^1 Colledge (2003), p166
2. ^1 Colledge (2003), p205
3. ^1 Colledge (2003), p85
4. ^{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Mails and Shipping |day_of_week=Saturday |date=26 June 1937 |page_number=26 |issue=47726 |column=G }}
5. ^1 Colledge (2003), p51
6. ^1 Colledge (2003), p170
7. ^1 Colledge (2003), p367
8. ^1 Colledge (2003), P338
9. ^1 Colledge (2003), p140
10. ^1 Colledge (2003), p64
11. ^1 Colledge (2003), p47