List of Royal Navy losses in World War II

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. The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded.

Cruisers
The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Stephen Roskill, and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.

Destroyers
The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Stephen Roskill and 153, including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project.

Damage Caused
Surface ships caused the loss of 63 warships, comprising: Enemy submarines sank 54 warships, including: Enemy aircraft sank 77 warships, including: Mines caused the loss of 54 warships, including: Shore defenses sank two destroyers, while one carrier, three cruisers, 15 destroyers and nine submarines were lost to accidents or unknown causes.
 * 1 capital ship
 * 1 aircraft carrier
 * 8 cruisers
 * 24 destroyers
 * 29 submarines
 * 2 capital ships
 * 5 carriers
 * 9 cruisers
 * 33 destroyers
 * 5 submarines
 * 2 capital ships
 * 1 carrier
 * 12 cruisers
 * 55 destroyers
 * 7 submarines
 * 2 cruisers
 * 26 destroyers
 * 26 submarines

Damage inflicted by enemy
German forces sank 162 warships, including: Italian forces sank 58 warships, including: Japanese forces sank 19 warships, including:
 * 2 battleships
 * 1 battlecruiser
 * 6 carriers
 * 15 cruisers
 * 114 destroyers
 * 24 submarines
 * 6 cruisers
 * 15 destroyers
 * 37 submarines
 * 1 battleship
 * 1 battlecruiser
 * 1 carrier
 * 3 cruisers
 * 10 destroyers
 * 4 submarines

A further destroyer and two sloops were lost to Vichy French shore batteries and warships.

Literature

 * Stephen Roskill: "Royal Navy - Britische Seekriegsgeschichte 1939-1945", Gerhard Stalling Verlag, 1961