return to
Naval History Homepage

ROYAL NAVY and WORLD WAR 2

Axis Navy Losses
AXIS LOSSES IN TOTAL and DUE TO ROYAL NAVIES

German Navy - All major warships - German Navy - U-boat summaries - Italian Navy - Japanese Navy

back to
Royal Navy in World War 2

GERMAN NAVY - ALL MAJOR WARSHIPS

Warship types

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

Total

Capital ships

1
(RN)

-

1
(RN)

-

1
(RN)

1

3 (a)

7
(3 RN)
Cruisers

-

3
(2 RN)

-

-

-

-

3 (a)

6
(2 RN)
Raiders

-

-

3
(RN)

3
(1 RN)

1

-

-

7
(4 RN)
Destroyers (b)

-

12
(RN)

-

4
(3 RN)

2
(1 RN)

7
(2 RN)

2

27
(18 RN)
Submarines

9
(RN)

22
(17 RN)

35
(28 RN)

86
(34 RN)

237
(61 RN)

242
(85 RN)

149
(41 RN)

780
(275 RN)
TOTALS

10
(RN)

37
(31 RN)

39
(32 RN)

93
(38 RN)

241
(63 RN)

250
(87 RN)

157
(41 RN)

827
(302 RN)

NOTES:

(a) All lost in port in bombing raids or scuttled

(b) Excludes large torpedo boats and ex-enemy destroyers

to Contents List

GERMAN NAVY - U-BOAT SUMMARIES (a)

Totals, Theatres, Allied forces

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

Total

TOTAL LOSSES

9

22

35

86

237

242

149

780

THEATRES

Atlantic

5

12

27

69

202

111

16

441

Europe

4

10

3

3

10

98

132

261

Mediterranean

-

-

5

14

23

26

-

68

Indian Ocean

-

-

-

-

2

7

1

10

MAIN FORCES RESPONSIBLE

Royal & Allied Navies

9

17

28

34

61

85

41

275

Royal & Allied Air Forces

-

1

3

27

91

72

50

244

US & Allied Forces

N/A

N/A

-

18

72

44

41

175

Russian Forces

N/A

N/A

1

-

1

4

6

12

Other including scuttling (b)

-

4

3

6

12

37

11

73

of Royal & Allied Navies operating under British command:

Royal Navy

9

17

24.5

28

53

70.5

37

239

Australian

-

-

1

-

0.5

-

-

1.5

Canadian

-

-

1

4.5

4

11

3

23.5

Indian

-

-

-

-

-

0.5

-

0.5

South African

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

Dutch

N/A

-

1

-

-

1

-

2

French

-

-

-

0.5

2.5

0.5

-

3.5

Greek

N/A

N/A

-

-

0.5

-

-

0.5

Norwegian

N/A

-

0.5

1

-

1

-

2.5

Polish

-

-

-

-

0.5

0.5

-

1

TOTAL LOSSES

9

22

35

86

237

242

149

780

NOTES:

N/A Not applicable as country then not at war with the Axis powers

(a) Sources vary on the cause of loss of some U-boats. This together with the difficulty of sharing responsibility when two or more forces or nations were involved means some of the "scores" are somewhat arbitrary. However, the main trends are clear

(b) U-boats scuttled in the closing days of the war are not included

to Contents List

ITALIAN NAVY
up to 8th September 1943

Warship types

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

Total

Battleships

N/A  

1
(RN)

-

-

-

1
(RN)
Cruisers

N/A  

1
(RN)

6
(RN)

3
(2 RN)

2

12
(9 RN)
Destroyers(a)

N/A

8
(RN)

14
(10 RN)

8
(4 RN)

13
(6 RN)

43
(28 RN)
Submarines

N/A  

20
(12 RN)

18
(14 RN)

22
(17 RN)

25
(13 RN)

85
(56 RN)
TOTALS

N/A

30
(22 RN)

38
(30 RN)

33
(23 RN)

40
(19 RN)

141
(94 RN)

NOTES:

(a) Excludes large torpedo boats and destroyer escorts

to Contents List

JAPANESE NAVY

Warship types

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

Total

Battleships

N/A

N/A

-

2

1

4

4

11

Carriers

N/A

N/A

-

6

1

12

2

21

Cruisers

N/A

N/A

-

6

2

24
(1 RN)

9
(3 RN)

41
(4 RN)
Destroyers

N/A

N/A

4

18

34

61

18

135

Submarines

N/A

N/A

3

16
(2.5 RN)

28
(2.5 RN)

53
(3 RN)

27

127
(8 RN)
TOTALS

N/A  

N/A  

7

48
(2.5 RN)

66
(2.5 RN)

154
(4 RN)

60
(3 RN)

335
(12 RN)

NOTES: Of 12 Submarines sunk RN: Royal Navy - 4, Australian - 2, Indian - 0.5, New Zealand - 1.5  

to top of page

back to Royal Navy in World War 2 or return to Naval History Homepage

URL: http://www.naval-history.net
Updated December 2000
copyright 2000