29. British
& Commonwealth Navy Losses
Total
Strengths and Losses - Losses by Year -
by Theatre - by Enemy - Cause of Loss
|
Naval-History.Net,
".... excellent source for naval
history .....
Second World War campaign summaries
and more", Imperial War Museum
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on to Axis
Navy Losses |
|
|
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TOTAL
STRENGTH AND LOSSES
|
| |
| ROYAL
NAVIES |
Strength
as of Sept 1939
|
Commissioned
to Aug 1945
|
Total in service (a)
|
Losses
in pre-war ships(b)
|
Total Losses (b)
|
Total
% Losses
|
| Capital
ships |
15
|
5
|
20
|
4 (27%)
|
5
|
25%
|
| Carriers |
7
|
58(c)
|
65
|
5 (70%)
|
10
|
15%
|
| Cruisers |
66
|
35
|
101
|
24 (36%)
|
34
|
34%
|
| Destroyers |
184
|
277
|
461
|
94 (51%)
|
153
|
33%
|
| Submarines |
60
|
178
|
238
|
34 (57%)
|
76
|
32%
|
| TOTALS |
332
|
553
|
885
|
161 (48%)
|
278
|
31%
|
|
| |
NOTES:
(a)
Includes ships lost, transferred from US Navy and
later returned, transferred from Royal Navies to
Allies, captured from the Axis powers, and old
vessels scrapped before end of war
(b)
Royal Navies only; excludes Royal Navy warships
manned by or transferred to Allies. Also includes
ships badly damaged and not repaired or fully
re-commissioned.
The
percentage (in brackets) of pre-war ships lost
gives an indication of just how heavy casualties
were in the early years of World War 2
(c)
Includes 2 escort carriers manned by Royal Canadian
Navy
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OF THE ABOVE TOTALS:
|
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| AUSTRALIAN |
Strength
as of Sept 1939
|
Commissioned
to Aug 1945
|
Total in service (a)
|
Losses
in pre-war ships (b)
|
Losses in total (b)
|
| Cruisers |
6
|
1
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
| Destroyers |
5
|
13
|
18
|
3
|
4
|
| TOTALS |
11
|
14
|
25
|
6
|
7
|
| CANADIAN |
| Carriers |
- |
2(c) |
2 |
- |
1 |
| Cruisers |
- |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
| Destroyers |
6 |
29 |
35 |
4 |
7 |
| TOTALS
|
6 |
33 |
39 |
4 |
8 |
| NEW ZEALAND |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cruisers |
2 |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
|
| |
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LOSSES
BY YEAR INCLUDING NOT REPAIRED
|
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| Warship types |
1939
|
1940
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
1944
|
1945
|
Totals
|
| Capital
ships |
1
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
- |
5
|
| Carriers |
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
10
|
| Cruisers |
-
|
3
-
|
11
(1 RAN)
|
13
(2 RAN)
|
4
-
|
3
-
|
-
|
34
(3 RAN)
|
| Destroyers |
3
-
-
|
37
-
(2 RCN)
|
22
(1 RAN)
-
|
51
(3 RAN)
(2 RCN)
|
18
-
(1 RCN)
|
20
-
(2 RCN)
|
2
-
-
|
153
(4 RAN)
(7 RCN)
|
| Submarines |
1
|
24
|
11
|
19
|
13
|
5
|
3
|
76
|
| TOTALS |
6
|
65
|
50
|
86
|
36
|
29
|
6
|
278
|
| Ocean
Escorts (a) |
-
|
6
-
-
(1 RIN)
|
11
(1 RAN)
(2 RCN)
-
|
14
(1 RAN)
(2 RCN)
(1 RIN)
|
9
-
(2 RCN)
-
|
27
-
(6 RCN)
-
|
12
-
(2 RCN)
-
|
79
(2 RAN)
(14 RCN)
(2 RIN)
|
|
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NOTES:
(a)
Includes sloops, corvettes, frigates and cutters, but
NOT fleet and sloop minesweepers and armed merchant
cruisers
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LOSSES
BY THEATRE
|
| |
| Warship types |
Atlantic
|
Europe
|
Mediterranean
|
Indian & Pacific
|
| Capital
ships |
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
| Carriers |
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
| Cruisers |
4
|
4
|
20
|
6
(3 RAN)
|
| Destroyers |
23
-
(5 RCN)
|
53
-
(2 RCN)
|
67
(2 RAN)
-
|
10
(2 RAN)
-
|
| Submarines |
3
|
23
|
45
|
5
|
| TOTALS |
35
|
84
|
135
|
24
|
| Ocean
Escorts (a) |
38
-
(9 RCN)
-
|
23
-
(4 RCN)
-
|
13
(1 RAN)
(1 RCN)
-
|
5
(1 RAN)
-
(2 RIN)
|
|
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LOSS
BY ENEMY
|
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| Warship types |
German
|
Italian
|
Japanese
|
French
|
Other (a)
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
| Capital
ships |
3
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
| Carriers |
8
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
10
|
| Cruisers |
20
|
6
|
5
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
34
|
| Destroyers |
114
|
15
|
8
|
1 (b)
|
15
|
-
|
153
|
| Submarines
(c) |
24
|
37
|
4
|
-
|
6
|
5
|
76
|
| TOTALS |
169
|
58
|
20
|
1
|
25
|
5
|
278
|
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NOTES:
(a)
Includes accidental explosion and fire, collision
with Royal Navy or Allied ships, deliberately
expended, and marine loss from grounding or weather
(b)
French shore batteries
(c)
Submarines "presumed" or
"possibly" lost due to various causes have
been allocated to the Axis power most likely to have
been responsible
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CAUSE
OF LOSS
|
| |
| Warship types |
Surface forces
|
Submarine
|
Mines
|
Aircraft
|
Shore defences
|
Marine accident (& unknown)
|
Total
|
| Capital
ships |
1
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
| Carriers |
1
|
7
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
10
|
| Cruisers |
8
|
9
|
2
|
12
|
-
|
3
|
34
|
| Destroyers |
22
|
33
|
26
|
55
|
2
|
15
|
153
|
| Submarines |
29
|
5
|
26
|
7
|
-
|
4 (+ 5)
|
76
|
| TOTALS |
61
|
56
|
54
|
77
|
2
|
23 (+5)
|
278
|
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