LOSSES BY YEAR & AREA - Submarines
(in date order within each year; ctl - constructive total loss)

WORLD WAR 1 CLASSES

68. 'H' class - 410/500 tons, 13/10 knots, 4tt, 22 crew, 1918-20, 9 boats, 2 lost

HMS/M H.34 (All photographs courtesy Cyberheritage)

H.31 (Lt Frank Gibbs+), December 1941, Western Europe in Bay of Biscay - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Falmouth and left escort around the 19th December for Biscay patrol, 250 miles north of Cape Finisterre. Overdue on the 26th December, cause of loss unknown. Possibly German minefield or drifting British mines; lost with all hands (Bay of Biscay patrol)

H.49 , 18th October 1940, Western Europe, off Texel island, Holland in North Sea - by depth charges from German anti-submarine trawlers UJ.116 and UJ.118. On patrol off Dutch coast at time of threatened German invasion of Britain (Battle of Britain patrol)

Surviving boats all scrapped before end of war - H.28, H.32, H.33, H.34, H.43, H.44, H.50.

69. 'L' class - 760/1,080 tons, 17/10 knots, 1-4in/4tt, 40 crew, 1919, 3 boats remained of class

HMS/M L.27

Surviving boats - L.23, L.26, L.27

INTERWAR & WAR PROGRAMMES

70. 'O' class - 1,400/1,900 tons, 16/9 knots, 1-4in/8tt, 55 crew, 1927-30, 9 boats, 5 lost

 HMS/M Oberon

ODIN, 13th June 1940, Central Mediterranean, off southern Italy in Gulf of Taranto (c 39-30'N, 17-30'E) - by torpedo and gunfire of Italian destroyer 'Strale'. Sailed from Alexandria, Egypt for patrol in Gulf of Taranto (Italian Gulf of Taranto patrol)

OLYMPUS, 8th May 1942, Central Mediterranean, off Malta Grand Harbour - German E-boat-laid mines. On passage with personnel from Malta to Gibraltar, including many of the crews of bombed submarines P.36 and P.39; few survivors (Battle for Malta)

ORPHEUS, 19th June 1940, Eastern Mediterranean, north of Tobruk, eastern Libya (c 32-30'N, 24-00'E) - by Italian destroyer 'Turbine'. From Alexandria on patrol off coast of Libya (North African patrol)

OSWALD, 1st August 1940, Central Mediterranean, 10 miles SE of Cape Spartivento, SW Italy in Ionian Sea - rammed by Italian destroyer 'Vivaldi'. Sent sighting reports on Italian naval units passing through the Strait of Messina. Located and sunk (Ionian Sea patrol)

OXLEY, 10th September 1939, Western Europe, off Norwegian coast, south of Stavanger in North Sea (c 58-30'N, 5-30'E) - torpedoed in error by RN submarine 'Triton'. On patrol off Obrestad Light, SW Norway (southern Norwegian patrol)

Surviving boats - OBERON, OSIRIS, OTUS, OTWAY

71. 'P' & 'R' classes - 1,480/2,050 tons, 17/9 knots, 1-4in or 4.7in/8tt, 55 crew, 1930-32, 9 boats, 7 lost

HMS/M Parthian

PANDORA, 1st April 1942, Central Mediterranean, at Malta - by German or Italian bombers. In harbour after supply trip from Gibraltar (Defence of Malta)

PARTHIAN, July/August 1943, Central or Eastern Mediterranean '- overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Malta on 22nd July for patrol west of Greece and southern Adriatic. Overdue at Beirut on 11th August. Possibly mined off Brindisi, SE tip of Italy or returning to Beirut; lost with all hands (southern Adriatic Sea patrol)

PERSEUS, 6th December 1941, Central Mediterranean, 7 miles north of Zante island, west coast of Greece in Ionian Sea - by Italian mines. On patrol west of Greece in Ionian Sea; 1 survivor (Ionian Sea patrol)

PHOENIX, 16th July 1940, Central Mediterranean, off Augusta, eastern Sicily in Ionian Sea - by depth charges from Italian torpedo boat 'Albatros'. Attacking escorted tanker during patrol south of Strait of Messina (Ionian Sea patrol)

RAINBOW (Lt Cdr L P Moore+), 15th October 1940, Central Mediterranean, 50 miles south of Cape Colonne, SW Italy in Ionian Sea - by gunfire of Italian submarine 'Enrico Toti'. " Rainbow" sailed from Alexandria on the 23rd September for patrol off the Gulf of Taranto. She sank with all hands after a 45 minute early morning surface action (Ionian Sea patrol). More recent research suggests the victim of "Enrico Toti's" gunnery was "Triad" which according to one source was on patrol in the Ionian Sea around this time having sailed from Malta on the 9th October. "RAINBOW" was probably rammed and sunk by Italian merchantman "Antonietta Costa". (Addition made August 1999 with thanks to Jan-Olof Hendig quoting "The Admiralty Regrets" by Paul Kemp, "Allied Submarine Attacks" by J Rohwer, and research by Rastelli and Bagnasco)

REGENT, April/May 1943, Central or Eastern Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Malta on 11th April for patrol in southern Adriatic. May have attacked small convoy near Bari, SE coast of Italy on the 18th, but not counter-attacked. Failed to return to Beirut on 1st May, and presumed lost on Italian mines between these two dates. Also claimed sunk by Italian corvette 'Gabbiano' on the 16th April; lost with all hands (southern Adriatic Sea patrol)

REGULUS, November/December 1940, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Alexandria, Egypt on 18th November for patrol in southern Adriatic. Failed to return on 6th December and presumed mined around Strait of Otranto area. Italian aircraft claim to have sunk a submarine in these waters on 26th November; lost with all hands (southern Adriatic Sea patrol)

Surviving boats - PROTEUS, ROVER 

72. Thames class - 1,850/2,700 tons, 22/10 knots, 1-4in/6tt, 60 crew, 1932-35, 3 boats, 1 lost

HMS/M Thames 1936

THAMES, July/August 1940, Western Europe in North Sea - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Left Dundee, Scotland on 22nd July for patrol off SW Norway. Failed to return on 3rd August. Probably went down on 23rd in newly-laid German minefield at approximately 57N, 3E; lost with all hands (southern Norwegian patrol)

Surviving boats - CLYDE, SEVERN 

73. Porpoise class minelayers - 1,500/2,100 tons, 15/9 knots, 1-4in/6tt & 50 mines, 60 crew, 1933-39, 6 boats, 5 lost

CACHALOT, 30th July 1941, Central Mediterranean, NW of Benghazi, eastern Libya - rammed by Italian torpedo boat 'Papa'. Believed attacking escorted tanker while on passage from Malta to Alexandria with personnel and stores (Defence of Malta)

GRAMPUS, 16th June 1940, Central Mediterranean, off Augusta, eastern Sicily in Ionian Sea (c 37-00'N, 15-30'N) - by Italian torpedo boats 'Circe' and 'Clio'. From Alexandria to lay mines off east coast of Sicily (Ionian Sea minelaying operation)

NARWHAL, July 1940, Western Europe in North Sea or off Norway. - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Humber, east coast of England on 22nd July to lay mines off Kristiansand N, Norway on 28th. Failed to return and paid off on 1st August. May have been sunk by German mines or aircraft; lost with all hands (Norwegian minelaying operation)

PORPOISE, January 1945, South East Asia, Malacca Strait area between Malaya and Sumatra 'overdue, presumed lost'. On patrol in the Malacca Strait, including minelaying off Penang, NW Malaya. Probably sunk by aircraft on 16th (or 19th?), but Japanese records are uncertain; lost with all hands (Malay minelaying operation)

SEAL (Lt Cdr Rupert Lonsdale), captured 5th May 1940, Western Europe off the Skaw, northern Denmark in the Kattegat - captured by German seaplane and anti-submarine trawler UJ.128. Minelaying in southern Kattegat and damaged by German mine on 4th. Making for neutral Sweden at time of capture. Re-commissioned as German UB; 60 crew taken prisoner (Kattegat minelaying operation)

Surviving boat - RORQUAL

74. 'S' classes, Pre-war Programme - 670/960 tons, 14/10 knots, 1-3in/6tt, 40 crew, 1932-38, 12 boats, 8 lost

HMS/M Sturgeon 1933

SALMON, July 1940, Western Europe in North Sea - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Left Rosyth, SE Scotland on 4th July for patrol off Skudesnes, SW Norway. Failed to return on 14th. Believed lost on 9th in German minefield SW of Norway at c 57-30'N, 5-00E; lost with all hands (southern Norwegian patrol)

SEAHORSE, 7th January 1940, Western Europe, 18 miles NW of Heligoland island off German North Sea coast - by German 1st Minesweeping Flotilla. On patrol in Heligoland Bight (German North Sea coast patrol)

SHARK, scuttled night of 5th/6th July 1940, Western Europe, off Skudesnes, Norway in North Sea - by German bombers. On patrol off south west Norway (southern Norwegian patrol)

SNAPPER, February 1941, Western Europe in Bay of Biscay, possibly off Brest- 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from the Clyde, SW Scotland on 29th January for Bay of Biscay patrol. Left her escort at Land's End, but not heard from again and failed to rendezvous on the 12th February. Possibly went down in German minefield; lost with all hands (Bay of Biscay patrol)

SPEARFISH, 1st August 1940, Western Europe, east of Scotland in North Sea (c 58-00'N, 1-00'E) - by 1 torpedo from German U.34. Believed on patrol between Scotland and Norway (North Sea patrol)

STARFISH, 9th January 1940, Western Europe, off German North Sea coast in Heligoland Bight - by depth charges from German minesweeper M.7. On patrol off Horn Reef and attacking minesweepers (German North Sea coast patrol)

STERLET, 18th April 1940, Western Europe, off southern Norway in Skagerrak (c 58-00'N, 11-00'E) - by depth charges from German anti-submarine trawlers UJ.125, 126 and 128. On patrol during German invasion of Norway, 4 days after sinking gunnery training ship 'Brummer' (Norwegian Campaign patrol)

SWORDFISH, 7th November 1940, Western Europe, English Channel off the Isle of Wight, southern England - probably German mines. Sailed from Portsmouth on 7th November for Brest patrol. Failed to signal back on 15th and 16th, and not heard from again. At the time she was declared 'overdue, presumed lost' and believed sunk in the Bay of Biscay either on mines or at the hands of German destroyers. Her wreck was discovered in 1983 a few miles south of St Catherine's Point off the Isle of Wight. She had been mined with the loss of all hands (Brest patrol) (Entry corrected, August 1999 with thanks to Jan-Olof Hendig)

Plus lost while manned by Allied Navy - 'V.1' (ex-SUNFISH), Russian Navy, 27th July 1944, on passage to Russian 

Surviving boats - SEALION (expended in 1945 as anti-submarine target), SEAWOLF, STURGEON (Dutch 'Zeehond' from 1943)

War Programme - 720/990 tons, 15/9 knots, 1-3in or 4in/6 or 7tt, 45 crew, 1942-45, 48 boats completed by war's end, 9 lost and 1 not repaired:

HMS/M Stoic

P.222, 12th December 1942, Central Mediterranean, SE of Capri island, western Italy in Gulf of Naples - by depth charges from Italian torpedo boat 'Fortunale'. Attacking Italian convoy off Naples (Gulf of Naples patrol)

SAHIB, 24th April 1943, Central Mediterranean, 10 miles north of Cape Milazzo, NE Sicily in Tyrrhenian Sea (c 38-30'N, 15-15'E) - by depth charges from Italian corvette 'Gabbiano' and other escorts including German Ju.88 aircraft. Counter-attacked after sinking escorted Italian transport (NE Sicily patrol)

SARACEN, 14th August 1943, Central Mediterranean, off Bastia, NE coast of Corsica in Tyrrhenian Sea - by depth charges from Italian corvettes 'Minerva' and 'Euterpe'. On patrol off approaches to Bastia (Corsica patrol)

SHAKESPEARE, damaged 3rd January 1945, South East Asia, off Port Blair area, Andaman Islands in the Andaman Sea - by gunfire of Japanese merchant ship, and later damaged in bombing attack. Surfaced to engage the merchantman and damaged by return fire. Later attacked from the air. Not repaired (Indian Ocean - Andaman Islands patrol)

SICKLE, June 1944, Central or Eastern Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Malta on 31st May for the Aegean Sea. Signalled convoy between Piraeus and Leros on 12th June, but did not attack. Failed to return when recalled on the 14th. Probably went down on German mines after the 12th in the southern Aegean; lost with all hands (Aegean Sea patrol)

SIMOOM, November 1943, Eastern Mediterranean. - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Port Said, Egypt on the 2nd November for the Aegean and arrived off the Dardanelles on 6th. Failed to answer signal on 19th, presumed mined and paid off on that date. Germans claimed sunk by U.565 off Kos island on 15th; lost with all hands (British Aegean Campaign patrol)

SPLENDID, 21st April 1943, Central Mediterranean, south of Capri, western Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea (c 40-30'N, 14-15'E) - by depth charges and gunfire of German destroyer 'Hermes'. Attacking the 'Hermes' off Capri (Italian west coast patrol)

STONEHENGE (Lt Cdr Verschoyle-Campbell+), February/March 1944, South East Asia, Nicobar Islands area - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Ceylon and arrived in patrol area between northern Sumatra and Nicobar Islands on 25th February. Overdue on 20th March, cause of loss unknown; lost with all hands (Indian Ocean - Nicobar Islands patrol)

STRATAGEM (Lt Cdr P Pelly), 22nd November 1944, South East Asia, off Malacca, SW Malaya in Malacca Straits - by depth charges of Japanese destroyer. Sank ship south of Malacca on 19th November. Later detected and sunk; some survivors taken prisoner (Indian Ocean - Straits of Malacca patrol)

SYRTIS, 28th March 1944, Western Europe, off Bodo, northern Norway in Norwegian Sea - by German mines. On patrol off Bodo. Sank small ship on 22nd March and later lost in flanking minefields (Norwegian coast patrol)

Boats completed by war's end and surviving - SAFARI, SAGA, SANGUINE, SATYR, SCEPTRE, SCORCHER, SCOTSMAN, SCYTHIAN, SEA DEVIL, SEADOG, SEA NYMPH, SEA ROVER, SEA SCOUT, SELENE, SERAPH, SHALIMAR, SIBYL, SIDON, SIRDAR, SLEUTH, SOLENT, SPARK, SPEARHEAD, SPIRIT, SPITEFUL, SPORTSMAN, SPRINGER, SPUR, STATESMAN, STOIC, STORM, STRONGBOW, STUBBORN, STURDY, STYGIAN, SUBTLE, SUPREME, SURF 

75. 'T' classes, Pre-war Programmes - 1,090/1,580 tons, 15/9 knots, 1-4in/10tt, 60 crew, 1938-41, 15 boats, 9 lost

HMS/M Tigris in 1943

TALISMAN, September 1942, Western or Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Left Gibraltar on 10th September with stores for Malta. Reported U-boat off Philippeville, Algeria on 15th, but not heard from again. Presumed lost on Italian mines in Strait of Sicily on 17th. Also claimed sunk by surface ships off Marittimo island, west of Sicily; lost with all hands (Defence of Malta)

TARPON, 14th April 1940, Western Europe off southern Norway in Skagerrak - by depth charges of German minesweeper M.6. On patrol in approaches to Skagerrak during German invasion of Norway (Norwegian Campaign patrol)

TETRARCH, October/November 1941, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Malta on 26th October for refit in Britain. Failed to arrive in Gibraltar on 2nd November. Presumed went down on Italian mines in Strait of Sicily; lost with all hands

THISTLE, 10th April 1940, Western Europe off Stavanger, SW Norway in North Sea (c 59-00'N, 5-00'E) - by torpedo from German U.4. On patrol in Utsira area during German invasion of Norway (Norwegian Campaign patrol)

THUNDERBOLT (ex-'Thetis'), 14th March 1943, Central Mediterranean, off Cape Milazzo, NE Sicily in Tyrrhenian Sea (c 38-15'N, 15-15'E) - by depth charges from Italian corvette 'Cicogna'. On patrol at northern entrance to Strait of Messina (NE Sicily patrol)

TIGRIS (Lt Cdr George Colvin+) February/March 1943, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. "Tigris" left Malta on 18th February to patrol SW of Naples. May have been sighted off Capri on 1st March. Failed to return to Algiers on the 10th . Italian aircraft reported probable mine explosion off the Gulf of Tunis on the 10th that could have been 'Tigris' returning from patrol. Germans claim she was sunk by submarine chaser UJ.2210 on the 27th February; lost with all hands (Gulf of Naples patrol)

TRIAD (Lt Cdr G S Salt+), October 1940, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. "Triad" sailed from Malta on the 9th October for Alexandria where she was due to arrive on the 20th to join the 1st Flotilla. En route she was to carry out a patrol off the Italian Calabrian coast in the Ionian Sea in one source; off the Libyan coast in another. She never reached Alexandria and was presumed lost on Italian mines with all hands. (either Ionian Sea or Libyan coast patrol). More recent research suggests "TRIAD" was sunk by the gunfire of Italian submarine "Enrico Toti" on the 15th October rather than "Rainbow" (see above) as was believed for many years. It also suggests her patrol area was off the coast of Calabria in the Ionian Sea and not Libya. (Addition made August 1999 with thanks to Jan-Olof Hendig - see "Rainbow" for sources quoted)

TRITON, November/December 1940, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. From Malta on the 28th November for southern Adriatic. Overdue on 18th December and probably mined in the Strait of Otranto. Italians claim she was sunk by torpedo boat 'Confienza' on the 18th; lost with all hands (southern Adriatic Sea patrol)

TRIUMPH, December 1941/January 1942, Eastern Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Alexandria on 26th December to land party near Athens before patrol in the Aegean Sea. Reported making the landing on 30th, but failed to rendezvous back on 9th January. Probably lost on Italian mines off Milo island, SE of Greece with all hands (Aegean Sea patrol)

Surviving boats - TAKU, TORBAY, TRIBUNE , TRIDENT, TRUANT, TUNA

War Programme - 1,090/1,580 tons, 15/9 knots, 1-4in/11tt, 60 crew, 1941-45, 34 boats completed by war's end, 6 lost and 1 not repaired

HMS/M Turpin post-war

When Prime Minister Winston Churchill discovered Royal Navy submarines were being allocated numbers like 'Narzi' U-boats, he insisted they be given names. Unfortuntely for some it was too late..

P.311 (Cdr Richard Cayley+), December 1942/January 1943, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Left Scotland in November 1942 with sister-boats "Thunderbolt" and "Trooper" after addition of human torpedo deck-mounted watertight containers, direct for Malta. From there, sailed with two Chariots for attack on Italian cruisers at Maddalena, NE Sardinia (Operation "Principal"). Last signal on 31st December from position 38-10'N, 11-30'E. Probably sunk by Italian mines in the approaches to Maddalena. Italians claim sunk by torpedo boat 'Partenope' on 29th - two days before her last signal; lost with all hands (Human torpedo attack)

TEMPEST, 13th February 1942, Central Mediterranean, off Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy in Ionian Sea (c 39-15'N, 17-45'E) - by depth charges of Italian torpedo boat 'Circe'. Located by anti-submarine patrol after torpedoing supply ship (Gulf of Taranto patrol)

TERRAPIN, damaged 19th May 1945, East Indies, west of Batavia, Java in Java Sea - by depth charges of Japanese escort vessels. Attacking escorted tanker. Not repaired (Java Sea patrol)

THORN, 6th August 1942, Eastern Mediterranean, 30 miles from Gavdos Island off SW Crete - by depth charges of Italian destroyer escort 'Pegaso'. Attacking tanker and believed sunk by escorts. Also possibility that lost on mines off Libya (SW Crete patrol)

TRAVELLER, November/December 1942, Central Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Left Malta on 28th November for Gulf of Taranto patrol, including reconnoitre of Taranto harbour for Chariot human torpedo attack. Overdue on 8th December and presumed lost on Italian mines possibly on the 4th December in her patrol area. Went down with all hands (Gulf of Taranto patrol)

TROOPER, September/October 1943, Eastern Mediterranean - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Beirut on 26th September for patrol in the Dodecanese islands of the Aegean Sea, including the Leros area. Failed to return on 17th October and presumed lost on German mines around Leros. German claim that 'Trooper' was sunk by Q-ship GA.45 off Kos island on 14th October; lost with all hands (British Aegean Campaign patrol)

TURBULENT (Cdr John Linton+, awarded VC), 12th March 1943, Central Mediterranean, off Maddalena, NE Sardinia in Tyrrhenian Sea - by depth charges of Italian MAS (MTB) escorts. Sailed from Algiers on 24th February. Attacked escorted ship on 11th March and believed sunk in counter-attack. Also possibly mined in the same area; lost with all hands (NE Sardinia patrol)

Boats completed by war's end and surviving - TACITURN, TACTICIAN, TALENT (1) (Dutch 'Zwaardvisch'), TALENT (2) (ex-TASMAN), TALLY HO, TANTALUS, TANTIVY, TAPIR, TARN (Dutch 'Tijgerhaai'), TAURUS, TELEMACHUS, TEMPLAR, THOROUGH, THRASHER, THULE, TIPTOE, TIRELESS, TOTEM, TRADEWIND, TRENCHANT, TRESPASSER, TRUCULENT, TRUMP, TRUNCHEON, TRUSTY, TUDOR, TURPIN