List of Royal Navy losses in World War II
This is a list of Royal Navy ships and personnel lost during World War II, from 3 September 1939 to 1 October 1945.
See also List of ships of the Royal Navy.
Personnel losses[]
The Royal Navy lost 50,758 men killed in action, 820 missing in action and 14,663 wounded in action.[1] The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded.[1]
Battleships[]
The Royal Navy lost 3 battleships:
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Royal Oak (08) | Scapa Flow | 14 October 1939 | Sunk by U-47 |
HMS Barham (04) | off the coast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt | 25 November 1941 | Sunk by U-331 |
HMS Prince of Wales (53) | South China Sea | 10 December 1941 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
Battlecruisers[]
The Royal Navy lost 2 battlecruisers:
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Hood (51) | Denmark Strait | 24 May 1941 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Bismarck |
HMS Repulse (26) | South China Sea | 10 December 1941 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
Aircraft carriers[]
The Royal Navy lost 5 fleet carriers:
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Courageous (50) | off the coast of Ireland | 17 September 1939 | Sunk by U-29 |
HMS Glorious (77) | Norwegian Sea | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
HMS Ark Royal (91) | south east of Gibraltar | 13 November 1941 | Sunk by U-81 |
HMS Hermes (95) | Sri Lanka | 9 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
HMS Eagle (94) | south of Cape Salinas | 11 August 1942 | Sunk by U-73 |
Escort aircraft carriers[]
The Royal Navy lost 3 escort carriers:
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Audacity (D10) | Atlantic Ocean | 21 December 1941 | Sunk by U-751 |
HMS Avenger (D14) | off Gibraltar | 15 November 1942 | Sunk by U-155 |
HMS Dasher (D37) | Firth of Clyde | 27 March 1943 | Sunk by internal explosion |
Cruisers[]
The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Roskill,[2] and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.[3] 27 are listed; in addition HMS Carlisle (D67) was severely damaged by German air attack on 9 October 1943, not fully repaired, and became a base ship at Alexandria, Egypt.
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Dunedin (96) | Atlantic Ocean | 24 November 1941 | Sunk by U-124 |
HMS Durban (D99) | off Normandy | 9 June 1944 | Deliberately scuttled as breakwater |
HMS Neptune (20) | off Tripoli | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine |
HMS Calypso (D61) | off Crete | 12 June 1940 | Sunk by Italian submarine Alpino Bagnolini |
HMS Coventry (D43) | off Crete | 14 September 1942 | Scuttled following German air attack |
HMS Curacoa (D41) | off Ireland | 2 October 1942 | Rammed in poor weather by RMS Queen Mary |
HMS Curlew (D42) | off Narvik | 26 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Cairo (D87) | off Bizerte | 12 August 1942 | Sunk by Italian submarine Axum |
HMS Calcutta (D82) | off Alexandria | 1 June 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Galatea (71) | off Alexandria | 15 December 1941 | Sunk by U-557 |
HMS Penelope (97) | off Naples | 18 February 1944 | Sunk by U-410 |
HMS Edinburgh (16) | Arctic Ocean | 2 May 1942 | Scuttled after torpedo damage by U-456 and then by German destroyers |
HMS Southampton (83) | off Malta | 11 January 1941 | Scuttled following German air attack |
HMS Manchester (15) | Cap Bon | 13 August 1942 | Scuttled following Italian motor torpedo boat attack |
HMS Gloucester (62) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Charybdis (88) | Battle of Sept-Îles | 23 October 1943 | Sunk by German torpedo boat destroyers |
HMS Hermione (74) | off Crete | 16 June 1942 | Sunk by U-205 |
HMS Bonaventure (31) | off Crete | 31 March 1941 | Sunk by Italian submarine Ambra |
HMS Naiad (93) | off Crete | 11 March 1942 | Sunk by U-565 |
HMS Spartan (95) | off Anzio | 29 January 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft (glide bomb) |
HMS Fiji (58) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Trinidad (46) | off North Cape | 15 May 1942 | Scuttled following German air attack |
HMS Effingham (D98) | off Bodø | 18 May 1940 | Ran aground |
HMS Cornwall (56) | off Ceylon | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
HMS Dorsetshire (40) | off Ceylon | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
HMS York (90) | Crete | 26 March 1941 | Scuttled following Italian explosive boat raid |
HMS Exeter (68) | Battle of the Java Sea | 1 March 1942 | Sunk by Japanese naval gunfire and torpedoes |
Destroyers[]
The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Roskill[2] and 153 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.[3]
Name | Location | Date | Cause |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Tenedos (H04) | Colombo Harbour | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
HMS Thanet (H29) | off Singapore | 27 January 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Japanese cruiser Sendai |
HMS Thracian (D86) | Hong Kong | 25 December 1941 | Scuttled to avoid capture by Japanese forces |
HMS Stronghold (H50) | off Sunda Strait | 2 March 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Japanese ships Maya, Nowaki and Arashi |
HMS Sturdy (H28) | off Tiree | 30 October 1940 | Ran aground |
HMS Keith (D06) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Basilisk (H11) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Blanche (H47) | Thames Estuary | 13 November 1939 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Boadicea (H65) | Lyme Bay | 13 June 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Brazen (H80) | English Channel | 20 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Beverley (H64) | Atlantic Ocean | 11 April 1943 | Sunk by U-188 |
HMS Broadwater (H81) | Atlantic Ocean | 18 October 1941 | Sunk by U-101 |
HMS Belmont (H46) | Atlantic Ocean | 31 January 1942 | Sunk by U-82 |
HMS Broke (D83) | off Algiers | 8 November 1942 | Sunk by French shore batteries |
HMS Cameron (I05) | Portsmouth | 5 December 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Campbeltown (I42) | St Nazaire Raid | 28 March 1942 | Intentional explosion after ramming St Nazaire dry dock |
HMS Gallant (H59) | Malta harbour | 5 April 1942 | Hit an Italian mine off Panteleria/bombed by German aircraft (constructive total loss) |
HMS Rockingham (G58) | Atlantic Ocean | 27 September 1944 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Stanley (I73) | Atlantic Ocean | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by U-574 |
HMS Valentine (L69) | off Terneuzen | 15 May 1940 | Beached after being damaged by German aircraft |
HMS Venetia (D53) | Thames Estuary | 19 October 1940 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Vimiera (L29) | Thames Estuary | 9 January 1942 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Wakeful (H88) | Dunkirk evacuation | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat |
HMS Warwick (D25) | Atlantic Ocean | 20 February 1944 | Sunk by U-413 |
HMS Wessex (D43) | off Calais | 24 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Whirlwind (D30) | Atlantic Ocean | 5 July 1940 | Sunk by U-34 |
HMS Whitley (L23) | off Ostend | 19 May 1940 | Beached after being damaged by German aircraft |
HMS Wryneck (D21) | off Crete | 27 April 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Wren (D88) | off Aldeburgh | 27 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Veteran (D72) | Atlantic Ocean | 26 September 1942 | Sunk by U-404 |
HMS Wild Swan (D62) | Atlantic Ocean | 17 June 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Codrington (D65) | off Dover | 27 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Acasta (H09) | off Narvik | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
HMS Achates (H12) | Barents Sea | 31 December 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from German cruiser Admiral Hipper |
HMS Ardent (H41) | off Narvik | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
HMS Acheron (H45) | off Isle of Wight | 17 December 1940 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Jackal (F22) | off Crete | 12 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Jaguar (F34) | off Sollum | 26 March 1942 | Sunk by U-652 |
HMS Juno (F46) | off Crete | 21 May 1941 | Sunk by Italian aircraft |
HMS Janus (F53) | off Anzio | 23 January 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Jersey (F72) | off Malta | 2 May 1941 | Sunk by mine (Italian) |
HMS Jupiter (F85) | off Java | 27 February 1942 | Sunk by mine (Dutch) |
HMS Kelly (F01) | off Crete | 23 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Kandahar (F28) | Mediterranean Sea | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine |
HMS Kashmir (F12) | off Crete | 23 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Khartoum (F45) | Perim | 23 June 1940 | Sunk by internal explosion after surface engagement with Italian submarine Torricelli |
HMS Kingston (F64) | Malta | 11 April 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft at dry dock after being damaged by Italian battleship Littorio |
HMS Kipling (F91) | off Mersa Matruh | 11 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Berkeley (L17) | off Dieppe | 19 August 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Exmoor (L61) | off Lowestoft | 25 February 1942 | Sunk by mine or torpedo |
HMS Quorn (L66) | off Normandy | 3 August 1944 | Sunk by |
HMS Tynedale (L96) | off Jijel | 12 December 1943 | Sunk by U-593 |
HMS Dulverton (L63) | off Kos | 13 November 1943 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Heythrop (L85) | off Bardia | 20 March 1942 | Sunk by U-652 |
HMS Eridge (L68) | off El Daba | 29 August 1942 | Torpedoed by Italian motor torpedo boat (constructive total loss) |
HMS Puckeridge (L108) | off Gibraltar | 6 September 1943 | Sunk by U-617 |
HMS Grove (L77) | off Egypt | 12 June 1942 | Sunk by U-587 |
HMS Hurworth (L28) | off Turkey | 22 October 1943 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Southwold (L10) | off Malta | 24 March 1942 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Airedale (L07) | off Malta | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Aldenham (L22) | off Škrda | 14 December 1944 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Holcombe (L56) | Mediterranean Sea | 12 December 1943 | Sunk by U-593 |
HMS Limbourne (L57) | off Guernsey | 23 October 1943 | Sunk by torpedo from T22 |
HMS Penylan (L89) | off English Channel | 3 December 1942 | Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat |
HMS Laforey (G99) | off Palermo | 30 March 1944 | Sunk by U-223 |
HMS Lance (G87) | Malta | 9 April 1942 | Sunk by aircraft |
HMS Gurkha (G63) | off Sidi Barrani | 17 January 1942 | Sunk by U-133 |
HMS Legion (G74) | Malta | 26 March 1942 | Sunk by aircraft |
HMS Lightning (G55) | Bône | 12 March 1943 | Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat |
HMS Lively (G40) | Mediterranean Sea | 11 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Mahratta (G23) | Atlantic Ocean | 25 February 1944 | Sunk by U-990 |
HMS Martin (G44) | off Algiers | 10 November 1942 | Sunk by U-431 |
HMS Pakenham (G06) | off Sicily | 16 April 1943 | Scuttled after being disabled by naval gunfire from Italian torpedo boat Cassiopea |
HMS Panther (G41) | Aegean Sea | 9 October 1943 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Partridge (G30) | off Oran | 18 December 1942 | Sunk by U-565 |
HMS Quail (G45) | Gulf of Taranto | 18 May 1944 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Quentin (G78) | off North Africa | 2 December 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Swift (G46) | off Normandy | 24 June 1944 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Glowworm (H92) | off Norway | 8 April 1940 | Sunk from damage taken after ramming by German cruiser Admiral Hipper |
HMS Gipsy (H63) | off Harwich | 21 November 1939 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Grafton (H89) | off Nieuwpoort | 29 May 1940 | Scuttled after being torpedoed by U-62 |
HMS Grenade (H86) | off Dunkirk | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Grenville (H03) | off Kentish Knock | 19 January 1940 | Sunk by mine |
HMS Greyhound (H05) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Hardy (R08) | North Atlantic Ocean | 30 January 1944 | Sunk by U-278 |
HMS Hardy (H87) | Narvik | 10 April 1940 | Beached after being disabled by naval gunfire from five German destroyers |
HMS Hasty (H24) | Mediterranean Sea | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat |
HMS Havock (H43) | Cap Bon | 6 April 1942 | Ran aground |
HMS Hereward (H93) | off Crete | 29 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Hostile (H55) | off Cap Bon | 23 August 1940 | Scuttled after hitting a mine (Italian) |
HMS Hunter (H35) | Narvik | 10 April 1940 | Sunk by German destroyers |
HMS Hyperion (H97) | off Pantelleria | 22 December 1940 | Sunk by mine (Italian) |
HMS Harvester (H19) | Atlantic Ocean | 11 March 1943 | Sunk by U-432 |
HMS Havant (H32) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Scuttled after being bombed by German aircraft |
HMS Hurricane (H06) | Atlantic Ocean | 25 December 1943 | Scuttled after torpedoed by U-415 |
HMS Afridi (F07) | off Norway | 3 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Bedouin (F67) | off Pantelleria | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Italian cruisers Montecuccoli, di Savoia and aerial torpedo |
HMS Cossack (F03) | Atlantic Ocean | 27 October 1941 | Sunk by U-563 |
HMS Gurkha (F20) | off Norway | 9 April 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Maori (F24) | Malta | 12 February 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Mashona (F59) | Atlantic Ocean | 28 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Matabele (F26) | North Atlantic Ocean | 17 January 1942 | Sunk by U-454 |
HMS Mohawk (F31) | off Kerkennah Islands | 16 April 1941 | Sunk by torpedo from Italian destroyer Luca Tarigo |
HMS Punjabi (F21) | Atlantic Ocean | 1 May 1942 | Rammed by HMS King George V |
HMS Sikh (F82) | off Tobruk | 14 September 1942 | Sunk by German and Italian shore batteries |
HMS Somali (F33) | North Atlantic Ocean | 25 September 1942 | Sunk by U-703 |
HMS Zulu (F18) | off Tobruk | 14 September 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
HMS Electra (H27) | First Battle of the Java Sea | 27 February 1942 | Sunk by Japanese naval gunfire |
HMS Encounter (H10) | Second Battle of the Java Sea | 1 March 1942 | Scuttled following Japanese naval gunfire |
Submarines[]
The Royal Navy lost 74 submarines.[2]
Minelayers[]
The Royal Navy lost 8 minelayers.[2]
Minesweepers[]
The Royal Navy lost 32 minesweepers.[2]
Others[]
The Royal Navy lost 10 frigates, 22 corvettes, 10 sloops, 15 auxiliary cruisers and 1,035 smaller units, including those lent to Commonwealth and other allied naval forces.[2]
Damage Caused[]
Surface ships caused the loss of 63 warships, comprising:
- 1 capital ship
- 1 aircraft carrier
- 8 cruisers
- 24 destroyers
- 29 submarines
Enemy submarines sank 54 warships, including:
- 2 capital ships
- 5 carriers
- 9 cruisers
- 33 destroyers
- 5 submarines
Enemy aircraft sank 77 warships, including:
- 2 capital ships
- 1 carrier
- 12 cruisers
- 55 destroyers
- 7 submarines
Mines caused the loss of 54 warships, including:
- 2 cruisers
- 26 destroyers
- 26 submarines
Shore defenses sank two destroyers, while one carrier, three cruisers, 15 destroyers and nine submarines were lost to accidents or unknown causes.
Damage inflicted by enemy[]
German forces sank 162 warships, including:
- 2 battleships
- 1 battlecruiser
- 6 carriers
- 15 cruisers
- 114 destroyers
- 24 submarines
Italian forces sank 58 warships, including:
- 6 cruisers
- 15 destroyers
- 37 submarines
Japanese forces sank 19 warships, including:
- 1 battleship
- 1 battlecruiser
- 1 carrier
- 3 cruisers
- 10 destroyers
- 4 submarines
A further destroyer and two sloops were lost to Vichy French shore batteries and warships.[3]
See also[]
References[]
Literature[]
- Stephen Roskill: "Royal Navy - Britische Seekriegsgeschichte 1939-1945", Gerhard Stalling Verlag, 1961
- Royal Navy lists
- Lists of World War II ships
- World War II naval ships of the United Kingdom
- Lists of Royal Navy ships
- United Kingdom in World War II-related lists