This is a list of Royal Navy ships and personnel lost during World War II, from 3 September 1939 to 1 October 1945.
See also List of ships of the Royal Navy.
Personnel losses The Royal Navy lost 50,758 men killed in action, 820 missing in action and 14,663 wounded in action.Roskill: "Royal Navy - Britische Seekriegsgeschichte 1939-1945", page 403 The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded.
Combatants
Battleships Name Location Date Cause HMS Royal Oak (08) Scapa Flow Sunk by U-47 HMS Barham (04) off the coast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt Sunk by U-331 HMS Prince of Wales (53) South China Sea Sunk by Japanese aircraft
Battlecruisers Name Location Date Cause HMS Hood (51) Denmark Strait Sunk by gunfire from German battleship Bismarck HMS Repulse (26) South China Sea Sunk by Japanese aircraft
Aircraft carriers Name Location Date Cause HMS Courageous (50) off the coast of Ireland Sunk by U-29 HMS Glorious (77) Norwegian Sea Sunk by gunfire from German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau HMS Ark Royal (91) south east of Gibraltar Sunk by U-81 HMS Hermes (95) Sri Lanka Sunk by Japanese aircraft HMS Eagle (94) south of Cape Salinas Sunk by U-73
Escort aircraft carriers Name Location Date Cause HMS Audacity (D10) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-751 HMS Avenger (D14) off Gibraltar Sunk by U-155 HMS Dasher (D37) Firth of Clyde Sunk by internal explosion
Cruisers The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Stephen Roskill,Roskill: "Royal Navy - Britische Seekriegsgeschichte 1939-1945", page 404 and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.BRITISH LOSSES & LOSSES INFLICTED ON AXIS NAVIES
Name Location Date Cause HMS Dunedin (96) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-124 HMS Durban (D99) off Normandy Deliberately scuttled as breakwater HMS Neptune (20) off Tripoli Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine HMS Calypso (D61) off Crete Sunk by Italian submarine HMS Coventry (D43) off Crete Scuttled following German air attack HMS Curacoa (D41) off Ireland Rammed in poor weather by RMS Queen Mary HMS Curlew (D42) off Narvik Sunk by German aircraft HMS Cairo (D87) off Bizerte Sunk by Italian submarine Axum HMS Calcutta (D82) off Alexandria Sunk by German aircraft HMS Galatea (71) off Alexandria Sunk by U-557 HMS Penelope (97) off Naples Sunk by U-410 HMS Edinburgh (16) Arctic Ocean Scuttled after torpedo damage by and then by German destroyers HMS Southampton (83) off Malta Scuttled following German air attack HMS Manchester (15) Cap Bon Scuttled following Italian motor torpedo boat attack HMS Gloucester (62) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Charybdis (88) Battle of Sept-Îles Sunk by German torpedo boat destroyers HMS Hermione (74) off Crete Sunk by U-205 HMS Bonaventure (31) off Crete Sunk by Italian submarine HMS Naiad (93) off Crete Sunk by U-565 HMS Spartan (95) off Anzio Sunk by German aircraft (glide bomb) HMS Fiji (58) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Trinidad (46) off North Cape Scuttled following German air attack HMS Effingham (D98) off Bodø Ran aground HMS Cornwall (56) off Ceylon Sunk by Japanese aircraft HMS Dorsetshire (40) off Ceylon Sunk by Japanese aircraft HMS York (90) Crete Scuttled following Italian explosive boat raid HMS Exeter (68) Battle of the Java Sea Sunk by Japanese heavy cruisers Haguro and Nachi
Destroyers The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Stephen Roskill and 153, including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.
Name Location Date Cause HMS Tenedos (H04) Colombo Harbour Sunk by Japanese aircraft HMS Porcupine (G93) off Oran Torpedoed by U-602 (constructive total loss) HMS Wensleydale (L86) English Channel Damaged beyond repair after collision with a landing ship HMS Blean (L47) off Oran Torpedoed by U-443 HMS Ithuriel (H05) off Bône Bombed by German aircraft (constructive total loss) HMS Fury (H76) off Normandy Beached after hitting a mine (constructive total loss) HMS Foresight (H68) off Bône Scuttled after being hit by Italian aircraft HMS Firedrake (H79) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-211 HMS Fearless (H67) off Bône Scuttled after being hit by Italian aircraft HMS Esk (H15) off Texel Sunk by mine HMS Escort (H66) off Sardinia Sunk by Italian submarine Guglielmo Marconi HMS Eclipse (H08) Aegean Sea Sunk by mine HMS Exmouth (H02) Moray Firth Sunk by U-22 HMS Daring (H16) off Norway Sunk by U-23 HMS Delight (H38) English Channel Sunk by German aircraft HMS Diamond (H22) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Duchess (H64) off Mull of Kintyre Sunk in a collision with HMS Barham HMS Defender (H07) off Sidi Barrani Scuttled after being hit by German aircraft HMS Dainty (H53) off Tobruk Sunk by German aircraft HMS Imogen (D44) Pentland Firth Sunk in collision with HMS Glasgow (C21) HMS Imperial (D09) off Crete Scuttled after being hit by Italian bombers HMS Inglefield (D02) off Anzio Sunk by German aircraft HMS Ivanhoe (D16) off Texel Scuttled after hitting a mine HMS Isis (D87) off Normandy Sunk by mine HMS Thanet (H29) off Singapore Sunk by gunfire from Japanese light cruiser Sendai and destroyers Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, Amagiri, and Asagiri HMS Thracian (D86) Hong Kong Scuttled to avoid capture by Japanese forces HMS Stronghold (H50) off Sunda Strait Sunk by gunfire from Japanese heavy cruiser Maya and destroyers Nowaki and Arashi HMS Sturdy (H28) off Tiree Ran aground HMS Keith (D06) off Dunkirk Sunk by German aircraft HMS Basilisk (H11) off Dunkirk Sunk by German aircraft HMS Blanche (H47) Thames Estuary Sunk by mine HMS Boadicea (H65) Lyme Bay Sunk by German aircraft HMS Brazen (H80) English Channel Sunk by German aircraft HMS Beverley (H64) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-188 HMS Broadwater (H81) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-101 HMS Belmont (H46) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-82 HMS Broke (D83) off Algiers Sunk by French shore batteries HMS Cameron (I05) Portsmouth Sunk by German aircraft HMS Campbeltown (I42) St Nazaire Raid Intentional explosion after ramming St Nazaire dry dock HMS Gallant (H59) Malta harbour Hit an Italian mine off Panteleria/bombed by German aircraft (constructive total loss) HMS Rockingham (G58) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by mine HMS Stanley (I73) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-574 HMS Valentine (L69) off Terneuzen Beached after being damaged by German aircraft HMS Venetia (D53) Thames Estuary Sunk by mine HMS Vimiera (L29) Thames Estuary Sunk by mine HMS Wakeful (H88) Dunkirk evacuation Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat HMS Warwick (D25) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-413 HMS Wessex (D43) off Calais Sunk by German aircraft HMS Whirlwind (D30) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by HMS Whitley (L23) off Ostend Beached after being damaged by German aircraft HMS Wryneck (D21) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Wren (D88) off Aldeburgh Sunk by German aircraft HMS Veteran (D72) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-404 HMS Wild Swan (D62) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by German aircraft HMS Codrington (D65) off Dover Sunk by German aircraft HMS Acasta (H09) off Narvik Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau HMS Achates (H12) Barents Sea Sunk by naval gunfire from German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper HMS Ardent (H41) off Narvik Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau HMS Acheron (H45) off Isle of Wight Sunk by mine HMS Jackal (F22) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Jaguar (F34) off Sollum Sunk by U-652 HMS Juno (F46) off Crete Sunk by Italian aircraft HMS Janus (F53) off Anzio Sunk by German aircraft HMS Jersey (F72) off Malta Sunk by mine (Italian) HMS Jupiter (F85) off Java Sunk by mine (Dutch) HMS Kelly (F01) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Kandahar (F28) Mediterranean Sea Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine HMS Kashmir (F12) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Khartoum (F45) Perim Sunk by internal explosion after surface engagement with Italian submarine Torricelli HMS Kingston (F64) Malta Sunk by German aircraft at dry dock after being damaged by Italian battleship Littorio HMS Kipling (F91) off Mersa Matruh Sunk by German aircraft HMS Berkeley (L17) off Dieppe Sunk by German aircraft HMS Exmoor (L61) off Lowestoft Sunk by mine or torpedo HMS Quorn (L66) off Normandy Sunk by "Linse" explosive-motorboat HMS Tynedale (L96) off Jijel Sunk by U-593 HMS Dulverton (L63) off Kos Sunk by German aircraft HMS Heythrop (L85) off Bardia Sunk by U-652HMS Eridge (L68)off El DabaTorpedoed by Italian motor torpedo boat (constructive total loss) HMS Puckeridge (L108) off Gibraltar Sunk by U-617 HMS Grove (L77) off Egypt Sunk by U-587 HMS Hurworth (L28) off Turkey Sunk by mine HMS Southwold (L10) off Malta Sunk by mine HMS Airedale (L07) off Malta Sunk by German aircraft HMS Aldenham (L22) off Škrda Sunk by mine HMS Holcombe (L56) Mediterranean Sea Sunk by U-593 HMS Limbourne (L57) off Guernsey Sunk by torpedo from T22 HMS Penylan (L89) off English Channel Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat HMS Laforey (G99) off Palermo Sunk by U-223 HMS Lance (G87) Malta Sunk by aircraft HMS Gurkha (G63) off Sidi Barrani Sunk by U-133 HMS Legion (G74) Malta Sunk by aircraft HMS Lightning (G55) Bône Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat HMS Lively (G40) Mediterranean Sea Sunk by German aircraft HMS Mahratta (G23) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-990 HMS Martin (G44) off Algiers Sunk by U-431 HMS Pakenham (G06) off Sicily Scuttled after being disabled by naval gunfire from HMS Panther (G41) Aegean Sea Sunk by German aircraft HMS Partridge (G30) off Oran Sunk by U-565 HMS Quail (G45) Gulf of Taranto Sunk by mine HMS Quentin (G78) off North Africa Sunk by German aircraft HMS Swift (G46) off Normandy Sunk by mine HMS Glowworm (H92) off Norway Sunk from damage taken after ramming by German cruiser Admiral Hipper HMS Gipsy (H63) off Harwich Sunk by mine HMS Grafton (H89) off Nieuwpoort Scuttled after being torpedoed by U-62 HMS Grenade (H86) off Dunkirk Sunk by German aircraft HMS Grenville (H03) off Kentish Knock Sunk by mine HMS Greyhound (H05) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Hardy (R08) North Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-278 HMS Hardy (H87) Narvik Beached after being disabled by naval gunfire from five German destroyers HMS Hasty (H24) Mediterranean Sea Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat HMS Havock (H43) Cap Bon Ran aground HMS Hereward (H93) off Crete Sunk by German aircraft HMS Hostile (H55) off Cap Bon Scuttled after hitting a mine (Italian) HMS Hunter (H35) Narvik Sunk by German destroyers HMS Hyperion (H97) off Pantelleria Sunk by mine (Italian) HMS Harvester (H19) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-432 HMS Havant (H32) off Dunkirk Scuttled after being bombed by German aircraft HMS Hurricane (H06) Atlantic Ocean Scuttled after torpedoed by U-415 HMS Afridi (F07) off Norway Sunk by German aircraft HMS Bedouin (F67) off Pantelleria Sunk by naval gunfire from Italian cruisers Montecuccoli, di Savoia and aerial torpedo HMS Cossack (F03) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-563 HMS Gurkha (F20) off Norway Sunk by German aircraft HMS Maori (F24) Malta Sunk by German aircraft HMS Mashona (F59) Atlantic Ocean Sunk by German aircraft HMS Matabele (F26) North Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-454 HMS Mohawk (F31) off Kerkennah Islands Sunk by torpedo from HMS Punjabi (F21) Atlantic Ocean Rammed by HMS King George V HMS Sikh (F82) off Tobruk Sunk by German and Italian shore batteries HMS Somali (F33) North Atlantic Ocean Sunk by U-703 HMS Zulu (F18) off Tobruk Sunk by German aircraft HMS Electra (H27) First Battle of the Java Sea Sunk by gunfire from Japanese destroyers Asagumo and Minegumo HMS Encounter (H10) Second Battle of the Java Sea Sunk by gunfire from Japanese heavy cruisers Myōkō and Ashigara and destroyers Kawakaze and Yamakaze
Submarines