|
ROYAL NAVY
TOTAL STRENGTH AND LOSSES
|
ROYAL NAVIES
|
Strength as of Sept 1939
|
Commissioned to Aug 1945
|
Total in service (a)
|
Losses of pre-war ships
(as % of 1939 strength) (b)
|
Total losses
(as % of total in service) (b)
|
|
Capital ships
|
15
|
5
|
20
|
4 (27%)
|
5 (25%)
|
|
Carriers
|
7
|
58(c)
|
65 (c)
|
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%)
|
(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)
British & Dominion Navies only; excludes British 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
(-)
Many
Dominion officers and men served in and sometimes commanded Royal Navy ships
OF THE ABOVE TOTALS:
|
|
Strength, Sept 1939
|
Commissioned to Aug 1945
|
Total in service
|
Losses, pre-war ships
|
Losses in total
|
|
Australian
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cruisers
|
6
|
1
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
|
Destroyers
|
5
|
13
|
18
|
3
|
4
|
|
Canadian
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carriers
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
1
|
|
Cruisers
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
|
Destroyers
|
6
|
29
|
35
|
4
|
7
|
|
New Zealand
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cruisers
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
LOSSES BY YEAR, including Not Repaired
|
Warship types
|
1939
|
1940
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
1944
|
1945
|
Totals
|
|
Capital ships
|
1
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
|
Carriers
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
(RCN)
|
1
|
10
(1 RCN)
|
|
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
(2 RCN)
|
50
(2 RAN)
|
86
(5 RAN,
2 RCN)
|
36
(1 RCN)
|
29
(3 RCN)
|
6
|
278
(7 RAN,
8 RCN)
|
|
Ocean Escorts
(a)
|
-
|
6
(1 RIN)
|
11
(1 RAN,
2 RCN)
|
14
(1 RAN,
2 RCN,
1 RIN)
|
9
(2 RCN)
|
29
(6 RCN)
|
12
(2 RCN)
|
72
(2 RAN,
14 RCN,
2 RIN)
|
(a)
Includes sloops, corvettes, frigates and cutters, but NOT fleet and sloop
minesweepers and armed merchant cruisers. A number of casualties towards the
end of the war were not considered worth repairing.
LOSSES BY THEATRE
LOSS BY ENEMY
(a)
Includes accidental explosion and fire, collision with British 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
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
|
TOTAL AXIS NAVY LOSSES and THOSE INFLICTED BY THE ROYAL NAVY
GERMAN NAVY
ALL MAJOR WARSHIPS
|
Warship types
|
1939
|
1940
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
1944
|
1945
|
Totals
|
|
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)
|
(a)
All lost in port in bombing raids or scuttled
(b)
Excludes large torpedo boats and ex-enemy destroyers
GERMAN NAVY - U-BOAT SUMMARIES (a)
|
|
1939
|
1940
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
1944
|
1945
|
Totals
|
|
German U-boat losses in total
|
9
|
22
|
35
|
86
|
237
|
242
|
149
|
780
|
|
By Theatre
|
|
Atlantic
|
5
|
11
|
27
|
69
|
202
|
111
|
16
|
442
|
|
Europe
|
4
|
11
|
3
|
3
|
10
|
98
|
132
|
260
|
|
Mediterranean
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
14
|
23
|
26
|
-
|
68
|
|
Indian Ocean
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
7
|
1
|
10
|
|
By Main Forces Responsible
|
|
British & Allied
Navies*
|
9
|
17
|
28
|
34
|
61
|
85
|
41
|
275
|
|
British & 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
|
|
Others including
scuttling (b)
|
-
|
4
|
3
|
6
|
12
|
37
|
11
|
73
|
|
*Of British and Allied Navies operating under British Command
|
|
British
|
9
|
17
|
24½
|
28
|
53
|
70½
|
37
|
239
|
|
Australian
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
½
|
-
|
-
|
1½
|
|
Canadian
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
4 ½
|
4
|
11
|
3
|
23½
|
|
Indian
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
½
|
-
|
½
|
|
South African
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Dutch
|
n/a
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
|
French
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
½
|
2 ½
|
½
|
-
|
3 ½
|
|
Greek
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
½
|
-
|
-
|
½
|
|
Norwegian
|
n/a
|
-
|
½
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2 ½
|
|
Polish
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
½
|
½
|
-
|
1
|
|
German U-boat losses in total
|
9
|
22
|
35
|
86
|
237
|
242
|
149
|
780
|
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
ITALIAN NAVY
1940 to 8th September 1943
|
Warship types
|
1940
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
Totals
|
|
Capital ships
|
1
(RN)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
(RN)
|
|
Cruisers
|
1
(RN)
|
6
(RN)
|
3
(2 RN)
|
2
|
12
(9 RN)
|
|
Destroyers
(a)
|
8
(RN)
|
14
(10 RN)
|
8
(4 RN)
|
13
(6 RN)
|
43
(28 RN)
|
|
Submarines
|
20
(12 RN)
|
18
(14 RN)
|
22
(17 RN)
|
25
(13 RN)
|
85
(56 RN)
|
|
Totals
|
30
(22 RN)
|
38
(30 RN)
|
33
(23 RN)
|
40
(19 RN)
|
141
(94 RN)
|
(a)
Excludes large torpedo boats and destroyer escorts
JAPANESE NAVY
|
Warship types
|
1941
|
1942
|
1943
|
1944
|
1945
|
Totals
|
|
Capital ships
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
11
|
|
Carriers
|
-
|
6
|
1
|
12
|
2
|
21
|
|
Cruisers
|
-
|
6
|
2
|
24
(1 RN)
|
9
(3 RN)
|
41
(4 RN)
|
|
Destroyers
|
4
|
18
|
34
|
61
|
18
|
135
|
|
Submarines
|
3
|
16
(2½
RN)
|
28
(2½
RN)
|
53
(3 RN)
|
27
|
127
(8 RN)
|
|
Totals
|
7
|
48
(2½
RN)
|
66
(2½ RN)
|
154
(4 RN)
|
60
(3 RN)
|
335
(12 RN)
|
Of
12 Submarines sunk by Royal Navies: RN - 4, RAN - 2, RIN – ½, RNZN – 1½
|
