including
Heavy, Light, AA & Minelayer Cruisers
LOSSES
BY YEAR and AREA
(in date
order within each year, ctl - constructive total
loss)
|
Year
|
Atlantic
|
Europe
|
Mediterranean
|
Far
East
|
|
1939
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1940
|
-
|
Effingham
Curlew
|
Calypso
|
-
|
|
1941
|
Dunedin
|
-
|
Southampton
York
Bonaventure
Gloucester
Fiji
Calcutta
Galatea
Neptune
Latona
|
Sydney (RAN)
|
|
1942
|
Edinburgh
Trinidad
Curacoa
|
-
|
Naiad
Hermione
Cairo
Manchester
Coventry
|
Perth (RAN)
Exeter
Cornwall
Dorsetshire
Canberra (RAN)
|
|
1943
|
-
|
Charybdis
|
Welshman
Abdiel
Carlisle (ctl)
|
-
|
|
1944
|
-
|
Durban
Dragon (ctl)
|
Spartan
Penelope
|
-
|
HEAVY
CRUISERS
Four
of the five heavy cruisers lost were sunk by Japanese
naval forces
28. County classes,
13 ships - 9,800 tons, 32 knots, 8-8in, 680 crew,
1928-30, 3 lost:
CANBERRA
(RAN, Capt F E Getting+), 9th August 1942, South West
Pacific, SE of Savo Island off northern Guadalcanal,
Solomon Islands (09.15S, 159.40E) - by torpedoes and
8in gunfire of Japanese cruiser force. With US cruiser
force covering US Marine landings on Guadalcanal; 84
crew lost (Casualty
List) (Battle
of Savo Island - Japanese Invasion of Solomon
Islands)
CORNWALL
(Capt
P C W Manwaring) and
DORSETSHIRE
(Capt A W Agar VC), 5th April 1942, Indian Ocean south
west of Ceylon (01.54N, 77.45E) - by Japanese carrier
divebombers. Sailing from Colombo to rejoin the
British Eastern Fleet out of Addu Atoll; 'Cornwall'
lost 191 men, ‘Dorsetshire’ lost 234, total of 1,122
saved from both ships (Casualty
Lists - Cornwall,
Dorsetshire)
(Japanese
Conquests - Carrier Attacks on Ceylon).
Surviving
ships - AUSTRALIA
(RAN), BERWICK,
CUMBERLAND,
DEVONSHIRE,
KENT,
LONDON,
NORFOLK,
SHROPSHIRE
(RAN from 1943), SUFFOLK,
SUSSEX
HMAS Canberra
(NavyPhotos/Bruce Constable)
29. York class,
2 ships - 8,300 tons, 32 knots, 6-8in, 600 crew,
1930-31, both lost:
EXETER
(Capt O L Gordon), 1st March 1942, East Indies, north
west of Surabaya in Java Sea (05.00S, 111.00E) - by
torpedoes and 8in gunfire of Japanese cruiser force.
Damaged in the main Java Sea battle, and sailing with
two destroyers from Surabaya to escape through the
Sunda Strait. All three ships were lost. ‘Exeter’ lost
52 men in action with 653 taken prisoner. Of these 153
died in captivity. (Casualty
List)
(Japanese
Conquests - Battles of the Java Sea)
YORK,
26th March 1941, Eastern Mediterranean, in Suda Bay,
north Crete - badly damaged by Italian explosive motor
boats, beached and later wrecked by bombing. With
Mediterranean Fleet covering British troop convoys to
Greece, most recently MW.6. Anchored at the time of
the motor boat attack; two ratings killed (Mediterranean
- Battle for Greece)
HMS Exeter (NavyPhotos)
LIGHT and
ANTI-AIRCRAFT (AA) CRUISERS
30. 'C' classes,
13 ships - 4,200 tons, 29 knots, 5-6in or 8-4in AA, 400
crew, 1917-22, 6 lost, 1 not repaired:
CAIRO
(AA) (Capt C C Hardy), 12th August 1942, Central
Mediterranean, north of Bizerta, Tunisia (37.40N,
10.06E) - torpedoed by Italian submarine 'Axum'
(Perrini). Close escort, Gibraltar/Malta convoy
'Pedestal'; 23 crew lost, 376 saved (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Malta Convoys)
CALCUTTA
(AA) (Capt D M Lees), 1st June 1941, Eastern
Mediterranean, north west of Alexandria, Egypt
(31.55N, 28.15E) – by German Ju.88 bombers. Sailing
with cruiser
Coventry
from Alexandria to rejoin the Mediterranean Fleet at
end of British evacuation of Crete; 118 crew lost, HMS
Coventry picked up 255 survivors (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Battle
for Crete)
CALYPSO
(Capt H A Rowley) 12th June 1940, Eastern
Mediterranean, south of Crete (33.45N, 24.32E) –
torpedoed by Italian submarine 'Bagnolini'
(Tosoni-Pittoni). Sortied from Alexandria with
Mediterranean fleet against Italian shipping to Libya.
Hit around 0200 hours; 39 crew lost, 414 survivors
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign)
CARLISLE
(AA) (Capt F J Nalder), damaged 9th October 1943,
Eastern Mediterranean, south west of Rhodes in
Scarpanto Strait (35.48N, 27.38E) - by German Ju.87
divebombers. Taking part in sweep against German
supply ships west of Kos in the Aegean Sea; 24 crew
lost. Destroyer
Panther
also sunk. 'Carlisle' converted to base-ship (Casualty
List) (Balkans
- British Aegean Campaign)
COVENTRY
(AA) (Capt R J R Dendy), 14th September 1942, Eastern
Mediterranean, northwest of Alexandria, Egypt (32.48N,
28.17E) - by German Ju.87 divebombers. Cover force for
an unsuccessful combined operations raid withdrawing
from the port of Tobruk; 64 crew lost. Destroyers
Sikh
and
Zulu
also sunk (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign)
CURACOA
(AA)
(Capt J W Boutwood), 2nd October 1942, North Atlantic
off north west Ireland (55.50N, 08.38W) - sunk in
collision with liner 'Queen Mary'. Western Approaches
escort to the 'Queen Mary' sailing as a
fast-unescorted troopship; 339 crew lost, 26 saved (Casualty
List)
(Battle
of the Atlantic).
CURLEW
(AA)
(Capt B C Brooke), 26th May 1940, Western Europe in
Lavangs Fiord, near Narvik, northern Norway (c68.30N,
16.30E) - by German Ju.88 bombers. Providing AA
support for land attack on Narvik at close of
unsuccessful Battle for Norway, run aground, total
loss; 9 crew killed (Casualty
List)
(Norwegian
Campaign)
Surviving
ships - CALEDON
(AA), CAPETOWN,
CARADOC,
CARDIFF,
CERES,
COLOMBO
(AA)
HMS Cairo (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
31. 'D' classes,
8 ships - 4,800 tons, 29 knots, 6-6in, 450 crew,
1918-22, 1 lost, 2 expended:
DUNEDIN
(Capt
R S Lovatt+), 24th November 1941, Central Atlantic off
St Paul's Rocks, north east of Recife, Brazil (c03N,
26W) - torpedoed by German ‘U.124’ (Mohr). On South
Atlantic patrol at time of sinking of German Raider
'Atlantis'; 418 crew lost, 72 saved but five later
died (Casualty
List)
(Battle
of the Atlantic)
DURBAN,
9th June 1944, Western Europe off Ouistreham, Normandy
beaches, France – not in commission and expended. Part
of Gooseberry 5 breakwater of Mulberry harbour during
Allied Invasion (Normandy
Invasion).
DRAGON
(manned by Polish Navy from 1943), damaged 8th July
1944 off Normandy beaches and expended as breakwater
(Normandy
Invasion).
Surviving
ships - DANAE
(Polish 'Conrad' from 1944), DAUNTLESS,
DELHI,
DESPATCH,
DIOMEDE
HMS Dauntless (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
32. Hawkins class,
4 ships - 9,800 tons, 30 knots, 7-7.5in or 9-6in*, 710
crew, 1918-25. 'Vindictive' as lightly armed repair
ship, 1 lost:
EFFINGHAM*
(Capt J M Howson), 17th May 1940, Western Europe near
Bodo, northern Norway between Briksvaer and Terra
islands (67.17N, 13.58E) - ran aground and wrecked,
later torpedoed and abandoned. Carrying troops from
Harstad to Bodo during unsuccessful Norwegian campaign
(Norwegian
Campaign)
Surviving
ships - FROBISHER,
HAWKINS,
VINDICTIVE
HMS Frobisher (NavyPhotos/Paul
Simpson)
33. ADELAIDE
(RAN), survived, 5,100 tons, 25 knots, 8-6in, 470 crew,
1922
HMAS Adelaide (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
34. 'E' class,
EMERALD,
ENTERPRISE,
2 ships - 7,600 tons, 33 knots, 7-6in, 570 crew, 1926
HMS Emerald (NavyPhotos)
35. Leander class,
5 ships- 7,200 tons, 32 knots, 8-6in, 550 crew, 1933-35,
1 lost:
NEPTUNE
(Capt R C O'Connor+), 19th December 1941, Central
Mediterranean off Tripoli, western Libya (33.15N,
13.15E) - 3 or 4 mines laid by Italian cruiser force
in June 1941. With Malta cruiser Force 'K' searching
for Italian convoy to Tripoli; 766 crew died and one
able seaman survived. Cruisers
Aurora
and Penelope
damaged, destroyer
Kandahar
sunk (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign)
Surviving
ships - ACHILLES
(RNZN), AJAX,
LEANDER
(RNZN), ORION
HMNZS Achilles
(NavyPhotos)
36. Perth class
(all RAN), 3 ships- 6,900 tons, 32 knots, 8-6in, 550
crew, 1935-36, 2 lost:
PERTH
(RAN) (Capt H M L Waller+), night of 28th February/1st
March 1942, East Indies in Sunda Strait, western Java
(c05.45S, 106.15E) - by torpedoes and 8in gunfire of
Japanese heavy cruisers ‘Mogami’ and ‘Mikuma’. Sailing
with US heavy cruiser 'Houston' from Batavia for the
Sunda Strait after the main Battle of the Java Sea.
Both sunk in attack on Japanese invasion transports.
‘Perth’ lost 353 men with 326 taken prisoner, 106 of
whom died in captivity (Casualty
List) (Japanese
Conquests - Battle of the Sunda Strait)
SYDNEY
(RAN) (Capt J Burnett+) 19th November 1941, Indian
Ocean west of Shark Bay, Western Australia (c28.00S,
111.00E) - by torpedoes and 5.9in gunfire of German
raider 'Kormoran'. On passage down north west coast of
Australia after convoy duties to Java. 'Kormoran' was
also sunk. The entire crew of ‘Sydney’ was lost – 647
men (Casualty
List) (Indian
Ocean - Defence of Trade)
Surviving
ship - HOBART
HMAS Hobart (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
37. Arethusa class,
4 ships - 5,200 tons, 32 knots, 6-6in, 450 crew,
1935-37; 2 lost:
GALATEA
(Capt
E W B Sim+), 14th December 1941, Eastern Mediterranean
off Alexandria, Egypt (31.17N, 29.13E) - torpedoed by
German ‘U.557’ (Paulshen). Returning to Alexandria
with Mediterranean Fleet cruiser force after hunt for
Italian convoy to Libya; 472 men lost (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign)
PENELOPE
(Capt
G D Belben+), 18th February 1944, Central
Mediterranean, north west of Naples, western Italy
(40.55N, 13.25E) – torpedoed by German ‘U.410’
(Fenski). Supporting Allied land forces in Battle for
Anzio. Sailing unescorted from Naples to Anzio; 430
men lost, 206 survivors. Nicknamed HMS 'Pepperpot'
because of the amount of splinter damage to her hull
and upper works during her time in the Mediterranean (Casualty
List)
(Italian
Campaign - Battle for Anzio)
Surviving
ships - ARETHUSA,
AURORA
.
HMS Arethusa (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
38. Southampton classes,
8 ships - 9,100 tons, 32 knots, 12-6in, 700 crew,
1937-39, 3 lost:
GLOUCESTER
(Capt H A Rowley+), 22nd May 1941, Eastern
Mediterranean in Antikythera Channel, north west of
Crete (c36.00N, 23.00E) - by German Ju.87 and Ju.88
bombers. With Mediterranean Fleet in action against
German sea-borne invasion of Crete. Attacked after
supporting rescue of survivors from destroyer
Greyhound;
725 crew lost, 82 taken prisoner of whom one died in
captivity (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Battle for Crete)
MANCHESTER
(Capt
H Drew), 13th August 1942, Central Mediterranean near
Cape Bon, Tunisia, 4 miles off Kelibia (36.50N,
11.10E) – torpedoed by Italian MTBs ‘MAS.16’ or
‘MAS.22’. Close support Gibraltar/Malta convoy
'Pedestal'; 13 crew lost, 321 saved, around 400
including CO interned by Vichy French
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Malta Convoys)
SOUTHAMPTON
(Capt
B C Brooke), 11th January 1941, Central Mediterranean
east of Malta (c35.00N, 18.15E) - by German Ju.87
divebombers. Sailing from Malta to join
Malta/Alexandria convoy after carrying troops to Malta
and supporting Gibraltar/Malta convoy 'Excess'; 96 on
board lost, 727 saved but two died of wounds
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Malta
Convoys).
Surviving
ships - BIRMINGHAM,
GLASGOW,
LIVERPOOL,
NEWCASTLE,
SHEFFIELD
HMS Birmingham
(NavyPhotos)
39. Belfast class,
2 ships - 10,000 tons, 32 knots, 12-6in, 850 crew, 1939,
1 lost:
EDINBURGH
(Capt
W Faulkner), 2nd May 1942, Arctic Ocean north of
Murmansk, Russia in Barents Sea (71.51N, 35.10E) – hit
by a third torpedo from German destroyers 'Z.24' or
'Z.25' (now listed as ‘Z.24’), finally scuttled with a
torpedo from destroyer
Foresight.
Previously escorting Russia/Iceland convoy QP.11 and
torpedoed by German ‘U.456’ (Teichart) in 73.09N,
32.45E on 30th April. Returning to Murmansk under tow
when attacked again; 57 crew lost
(Casualty
List)
(Russian
Convoys)
Surviving
ship - BELFAST,
preserved as museum ship, River Thames, London
HMS Belfast
(NavyPhotos)
40. Dido class,
11 ships - 5,500 tons, 33 knots, 10-5.25in AA or 8-4.5in
AA *, 530 crew, 1940-42, 4 lost:
BONAVENTURE
(Capt
H J Egerton), 31st March 1941, Eastern Mediterranean,
90 miles S of Crete (33.20N, 26.35E) - torpedoed by
Italian submarine 'Ambra' (Arillo). With Mediterranean
Fleet cruiser force covering convoy GA.8 from Greece
to Alexandria; 138 crew lost, 310 saved (Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Battle of Greece).
CHARYBDIS
(Capt G A W Voelcker), 23rd October 1943, Western
Europe off north coast of Brittany, France, 337N of
Triagoz Light, 10 miles (48.59N, 03.39W) - torpedoed
by German torpedo boats ‘T.23' and ‘T.27'. Night
sortie from Plymouth with destroyer force (Limbourne
also lost) to intercept German blockade runner
'Munsterland' in Operation ‘Tunnel’; 462 crew lost,
107 saved (Casualty
List)
(Battles
of Britain - English Channel Operations)
HERMIONE
(Capt
G N Oliver), 16th June 1942, Eastern Mediterranean,
south of Crete (33.30N, 26.10E) – torpedoed by German
‘U.205’ (Reschke). With Mediterranean Fleet covering
Alexandria/Malta convoy 'Vigorous'. Convoy returning
to Alexandria after failing to make Malta; 88 crew
lost, 440 survivors
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Malta Convoys).
NAIAD
(Capt G Grantham), 11th March 1942, Eastern
Mediterranean, north of Sidi Barrrani, Egypt (32.01N,
26.20E) – torpedoed by German ‘U.565’ (Jebsen).
Returning with Mediterranean Fleet cruiser force to
Alexandria after searching for and Axis convoy bound
for Libya; 82 men lost, 582 survivors
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign).
Surviving
Ships: ARGONAUT,
CLEOPATRA,
DIDO,
EURYALUS,
PHOEBE,
SCYLLA*,
SIRIUS
HMS Dido (NavyPhotos)
41. Fiji class,
11 ships - 8,000 tons, 33 knots, 12-6in, 730 crew,
1940-43, 2 lost:
FIJI
(Capt
P B R William-Powlett), 22nd May 1941, Eastern
Mediterranean, south west of Crete (c34.45N, 23.15E) -
by German Me.109 fighter-bomber. Operating with
Mediterranean Fleet against sea-borne invasion of
Crete. Attacked after supporting rescue of survivors
from destroyer
Greyhound.
The Me.109 attacked out of the sun with a single 500
pounder while ‘Fiji’ was out of AA ammo; 242 crew
lost, 523 saved but one died of wounds
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- Battle for Crete)
TRINIDAD
(Capt L S Saunders), scuttled 15th May 1942, Arctic
Ocean north of North Cape in Barents Sea (73.37N,
23.53E) - hit by German Ju.88 bombers on the 14th. In
March 1942, covered UK/Russia convoy PQ13 and damaged
by own torpedo in action with German destroyers on
29th March. Reached Murmansk, temporarily repaired and
now sailing home to UK; 63 crew and seven merchant
seamen lost
(Casualty
List)
(Russian
Convoys).
Surviving
ships: BERMUDA,
CEYLON,
GAMBIA
(RNZN from 1944),
JAMAICA,
KENYA,
MAURITIUS,
NEWFOUNDLAND,
NIGERIA,
UGANDA
(RCN QUEBEC from 1944)
HMS Trinidad (NavyPhotos)
42. Bellona class,
5 ships- 5,800 tons, 33 knots, 8-5.25in, 530 crew,
1943-44, 1 lost:
SPARTAN
(Capt
P V McLaughlin), 29th January 1944, Central
Mediterranean off Anzio, western Italy (41.26N,
12.41E) - by German aircraft-launched Hs.293 glider
bomb. Anchored in Anzio Bay in support of Allied
landings; 60 crew lost, 523 saved
(Casualty
List)
(Italian
Campaign -
Battle
for
Anzio).
Surviving
ships - BELLONA,
BLACK
PRINCE, DIADEM,
ROYALIST
HMS Bellona (NavyPhotos)
43. Swiftsure class,
ONTARIO
(RCN), SWIFTSURE,
2 ships completed by war's end - 8,800 tons, 32 knots,
9-6in, 730 crew, 1944-45
HMCS Ontario
(NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham)
CRUISER
MINELAYERS
44. ADVENTURE,
survived, 6,700 tons, 28 knots, 4-4.7in/280 mines, 400
crew, 1927
HMS Adventure
(NavyPhotos)
45. Abdiel class,
6 ships - 2,600 tons, 40 knots, 6-4in/150 mines, 240
crew, 1941-44, 3 lost:
ABDIEL,
9th September 1943, Central Mediterranean, Taranto
harbour, southern Italy - by mines laid by German
E-boats. Sailed from Malta with British troops for
occupation of Taranto as part of Allied landings in
southern Italy; 48 crew lost plus 120 troops of 6th
Para Btn (Casualty
List)
(Italian
Campaign).
LATONA
(Capt
S L Bateson), 25th October 1941, Eastern Mediterranean
north of Bardia, eastern Libya (c32.15N, 25.15E) - by
German Ju.87 divebombers. Transporting men and
supplies to besieged Tobruk and lifting off Australian
troops; 20 crew and seven soldiers lost
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign).
WELSHMAN
(Capt
D Friedburger), 1st February 1943, Eastern
Mediterranean, north of Bardia (32.12N, 24.52E) –
torpedoed by German ‘U.617’ (Brandi). On passage from
Malta to Alexandria after minelaying operation in
Strait of Sicily; 142 crew lost
(Casualty
List)
(Mediterranean
- North African Campaign).
Surviving
ships - APOLLO,
ARIADNE,
MANXMAN
.
HMS Manxman post-war
(NavyPhotos)
