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.
The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded.

Battleships

The Royal Navy lost 3 battleships:
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Royal Oak Scapa FlowSunk by U-47
HMS Barham off the coast of Sidi Barrani, EgyptSunk by U-331
HMS Prince of Wales South China SeaSunk by Japanese aircraft

Battlecruisers

The Royal Navy lost 2 battlecruisers:
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Hood Denmark StraitSunk by naval gunfire from Bismarck
HMS Repulse South China SeaSunk by Japanese aircraft

Aircraft carriers

The Royal Navy lost 5 fleet carriers:
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Courageous off the coast of IrelandSunk by U-29
HMS Glorious Norwegian SeaSunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
HMS Ark Royal south east of GibraltarSunk by U-81
HMS Hermes Sri LankaSunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS Eagle south of Cape SalinasSunk by U-73

Escort aircraft carriers

The Royal Navy lost 3 escort carriers:
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Audacity Atlantic OceanSunk by U-751
HMS Avenger off GibraltarSunk by U-155
HMS Dasher Firth of ClydeSunk by internal explosion

Cruisers

The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Roskill, and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project. 27 are listed; in addition was severely damaged by German air attack on 9 October 1943, not fully repaired, and became a base ship at Alexandria, Egypt.
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Dunedin Atlantic OceanSunk by U-124
HMS Durban off NormandyDeliberately scuttled as breakwater
HMS Neptune off TripoliSunk by mine
HMS Calypso off CreteSunk by Italian submarine Bagnolini
HMS Coventry off CreteScuttled following German air attack
HMS Curacoa off IrelandRammed by RMS Queen Mary
HMS Curlew off NarvikSunk by German aircraft
HMS Cairo off BizerteSunk by Italian submarine Axum
HMS Calcutta off AlexandriaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Galatea off AlexandriaSunk by U-557
HMS Penelope off NaplesSunk by U-410
HMS Edinburgh Arctic OceanSunk by German destroyers
HMS Southampton off MaltaScuttled following German air attack
HMS Manchester Cap BonScuttled following Italian motor torpedo boat attack
HMS Gloucester off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Charybdis Battle of Sept-ÎlesSunk by German torpedo boat destroyers
HMS Hermione off CreteSunk by U-205
HMS Bonaventure off CreteSunk by Italian submarine Ambra
HMS Naiad off CreteSunk by U-565
HMS Spartan off AnzioSunk by German aircraft
HMS Fiji off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Trinidad off North CapeScuttled following German air attack
HMS Effingham off BodøRan aground
HMS Cornwall off CeylonSunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS Dorsetshire off CeylonSunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS York CreteScuttled following Italian explosive boat attack
HMS Exeter Battle of the Java SeaSunk by Japanese naval gunfire and torpedoes

Destroyers

The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Roskill and 153 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.
NameLocationDateCause
HMS Tenedos Colombo HarbourSunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS Thanet off SingaporeSunk by naval gunfire from Sendai
HMS Thracian Hong KongScuttled to avoid capture by Japanese forces
HMS Stronghold off Sunda StraitSunk by naval gunfire from Maya, Nowaki and Arashi
HMS Sturdy off TireeRan aground
HMS Keith off DunkirkSunk by German aircraft
HMS Basilisk off DunkirkSunk by German aircraft
HMS Blanche Thames EstuarySunk by mine
HMS Boadicea Lyme BaySunk by German aircraft
HMS Brazen English ChannelSunk by German aircraft
HMS Beverley Atlantic OceanSunk by U-188
HMS Broadwater Atlantic OceanSunk by U-101
HMS Belmont Atlantic OceanSunk by U-82
HMS Broke off AlgiersSunk by French shore batteries
HMS Cameron PortsmouthSunk by German aircraft
HMS Campbeltown St Nazaire RaidIntentional explosion after ramming St Nazaire dry dock
HMS Gallant Malta harbourHit a mine off Panteleria/bombed by German aircraft
HMS Rockingham Atlantic OceanSunk by mine
HMS Stanley Atlantic OceanSunk by U-574
HMS Valentine off TerneuzenBeached after damaged by German aircraft
HMS Venetia Thames EstuarySunk by mine
HMS Vimiera Thames EstuarySunk by mine
HMS Wakeful Dunkirk evacuationSunk by torpedo from an E-boat
HMS Warwick Atlantic OceanSunk by U-413
HMS Wessex off CalaisSunk by German aircraft
HMS Whirlwind Atlantic OceanSunk by U-34
HMS Whitley off OstendBeached after being damaged by German aircraft
HMS Wryneck off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Wren off AldeburghSunk by German aircraft
HMS Veteran Atlantic OceanSunk by U-404
HMS Wild Swan Atlantic OceanSunk by German aircraft
HMS Codrington off DoverSunk by German aircraft
HMS Acasta off NarvikSunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
HMS Achates Barents SeaSunk by naval gunfire from Admiral Hipper
HMS Ardent off NarvikSunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
HMS Acheron off Isle of WightSunk by mine
HMS Jackal off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Jaguar off SollumSunk by U-652
HMS Juno off CreteSunk by Italian aircraft
HMS Janus off AnzioSunk by German aircraft
HMS Jersey off MaltaSunk by mine
HMS Jupiter off JavaSunk by a mine
HMS Kelly off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Kandahar Mediterranean SeaSunk by mine
HMS Kashmir off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Khartoum PerimSunk by internal explosion after surface engagement with submarine Torricelli
HMS Kingston MaltaSunk by German aircraft at dry dock after being damaged by Littorio
HMS Kipling off Mersa MatruhSunk by German aircraft
HMS Berkeley off DieppeSunk by German aircraft
HMS Exmoor off LowestoftSunk by mine or torpedo
HMS Quorn off NormandySunk by "Linse" explosive-motorboat
HMS Tynedale off JijelSunk by U-593
HMS Dulverton off KosSunk by German aircraft
HMS Heythrop off BardiaSunk by U-652
HMS Eridge off El DabaTorpedoed by Italian motor torpedo boat
HMS Puckeridge off GibraltarSunk by U-617
HMS Grove off EgyptSunk by U-587
HMS Hurworth off TurkeySunk by mine
HMS Southwold off MaltaSunk by mine
HMS Airedale off MaltaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Aldenham off ŠkrdaSunk by mine
HMS Holcombe Mediterranean SeaSunk by U-593
HMS Limbourne off GuernseySunk by torpedo from T22
HMS Penylan off English ChannelSunk by torpedo from an E-boat
HMS Laforey off PalermoSunk by U-223
HMS Lance MaltaSunk by aircraft
HMS Gurkha off Sidi BarraniSunk by U-133
HMS Legion MaltaSunk by aircraft
HMS Lightning BôneSunk by torpedo from an E-boat
HMS Lively Mediterranean SeaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Mahratta Atlantic OceanSunk by U-990
HMS Martin off AlgiersSunk by U-431
HMS Pakenham off SicilyScuttled after being disabled by naval gunfire from Cassiopea
HMS Panther Aegean SeaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Partridge off OranSunk by U-565
HMS Quail Gulf of TarantoSunk by mine
HMS Quentin off North AfricaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Swift off NormandySunk by mine
HMS Glowworm off NorwaySunk from damage taken after ramming Admiral Hipper
HMS Gipsy off HarwichSunk by mine
HMS Grafton off NieuwpoortScuttled after being torpedoed by U-62
HMS Grenade off DunkirkSunk by German aircraft
HMS Grenville off Kentish KnockSunk by mine
HMS Greyhound off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Hardy North Atlantic OceanSunk by U-278
HMS Hardy NarvikBeached after being disabled by naval gunfire from five German destroyers
HMS Hasty Mediterranean SeaSunk by torpedo from an E-boat
HMS Havock Cap BonRan aground
HMS Hereward off CreteSunk by German aircraft
HMS Hostile off Cap BonScuttled after hitting a mine
HMS Hunter NarvikSunk by German destroyers
HMS Hyperion off PantelleriaSunk by mine
HMS Harvester Atlantic OceanSunk by U-432
HMS Havant off DunkirkScuttled after being bombed by German aircraft
HMS Hurricane Atlantic OceanScuttled after torpedoed by U-415
HMS Afridi off NorwaySunk by German aircraft
HMS Bedouin off PantelleriaSunk by naval gunfire from Montecuccoli, di Savoia and aerial torpedo
HMS Cossack Atlantic OceanSunk by U-563
HMS Gurkha off NorwaySunk by German aircraft
HMS Maori MaltaSunk by German aircraft
HMS Mashona Atlantic OceanSunk by German aircraft
HMS Matabele North Atlantic OceanSunk by U-454
HMS Mohawk off Kerkennah IslandsSunk by torpedo from Tarigo
HMS Punjabi Atlantic OceanRammed by HMS King George V
HMS Sikh off TobrukSunk by German and Italian shore batteries
HMS Somali North Atlantic OceanSunk by U-703
HMS Zulu off TobrukSunk by German aircraft

Submarines

The Royal Navy lost 74 submarines.

Minelayers

The Royal Navy lost 8 minelayers.

Minesweepers

The Royal Navy lost 32 minesweepers.

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.

Damage Caused

Surface ships caused the loss of 63 warships, comprising:
Enemy submarines sank 54 warships, including:
Enemy aircraft sank 77 warships, including:
Mines caused the loss of 54 warships, including:
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:
Italian forces sank 58 warships, including:
Japanese forces sank 19 warships, including:
A further destroyer and two sloops were lost to Vichy French batteries and warships.

Literature