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.
The Royal Navy lost 50,758 men killed in action, 820 missing in action and 14,663 wounded in action. [1] The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded. [1]
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Royal Oak (08) | Scapa Flow | 14 October 1939 | Sunk by U-47 |
| HMS Barham (04) | off the coast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt | 25 November 1941 | Sunk by U-331 |
| HMS Prince of Wales (53) | South China Sea | 10 December 1941 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Hood (51) | Denmark Strait | 24 May 1941 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Bismarck |
| HMS Repulse (26) | South China Sea | 10 December 1941 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Courageous (50) | off the coast of Ireland | 17 September 1939 | Sunk by U-29 |
| HMS Glorious (77) | Norwegian Sea | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
| HMS Ark Royal (91) | south east of Gibraltar | 13 November 1941 | Sunk by U-81 |
| HMS Hermes (95) | Sri Lanka | 9 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Eagle (94) | south of Cape Salinas | 11 August 1942 | Sunk by U-73 |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Audacity (D10) | Atlantic Ocean | 21 December 1941 | Sunk by U-751 |
| HMS Avenger (D14) | off Gibraltar | 15 November 1942 | Sunk by U-155 |
| HMS Dasher (D37) | Firth of Clyde | 27 March 1943 | Sunk by internal explosion |
The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Stephen Roskill, [2] and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project. [3]
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Dunedin (96) | Atlantic Ocean | 24 November 1941 | Sunk by U-124 |
| HMS Durban (D99) | off Normandy | 9 June 1944 | Deliberately scuttled as breakwater |
| HMS Neptune (20) | off Tripoli | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine |
| HMS Calypso (D61) | off Crete | 12 June 1940 | Sunk by Italian submarine Alpino Bagnolini |
| HMS Coventry (D43) | off Crete | 14 September 1942 | Scuttled following German air attack |
| HMS Curacoa (D41) | off Ireland | 2 October 1942 | Rammed in poor weather by RMS Queen Mary |
| HMS Curlew (D42) | off Narvik | 26 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Cairo (D87) | off Bizerte | 12 August 1942 | Sunk by Italian submarine Axum |
| HMS Calcutta (D82) | off Alexandria | 1 June 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Galatea (71) | off Alexandria | 15 December 1941 | Sunk by U-557 |
| HMS Penelope (97) | off Naples | 18 February 1944 | Sunk by U-410 |
| HMS Edinburgh (16) | Arctic Ocean | 2 May 1942 | Scuttled after torpedo damage by U-456 and then by German destroyers |
| HMS Southampton (83) | off Malta | 11 January 1941 | Scuttled following German air attack |
| HMS Manchester (15) | Cap Bon | 13 August 1942 | Scuttled following Italian motor torpedo boat attack |
| HMS Gloucester (62) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Charybdis (88) | Battle of Sept-Îles | 23 October 1943 | Sunk by German torpedo boat destroyers |
| HMS Hermione (74) | off Crete | 16 June 1942 | Sunk by U-205 |
| HMS Bonaventure (31) | off Crete | 31 March 1941 | Sunk by Italian submarine Ambra |
| HMS Naiad (93) | off Crete | 11 March 1942 | Sunk by U-565 |
| HMS Spartan (95) | off Anzio | 29 January 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft (glide bomb) |
| HMS Fiji (58) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Trinidad (46) | off North Cape | 15 May 1942 | Scuttled following German air attack |
| HMS Effingham (D98) | off Bodø | 18 May 1940 | Ran aground |
| HMS Cornwall (56) | off Ceylon | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Dorsetshire (40) | off Ceylon | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS York (90) | Crete | 26 March 1941 | Scuttled following Italian explosive boat raid |
| HMS Exeter (68) | Battle of the Java Sea | 1 March 1942 | Sunk by Japanese naval gunfire and torpedoes |
The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Stephen Roskill [2] and 153, including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project. [3]
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Tenedos (H04) | Colombo Harbour | 5 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Porcupine (G93) | off Oran | 9 December 1942 | Torpedoed by U-602 (constructive total loss) |
| HMS Wensleydale (L86) | English Channel | 21 November 1944 | Damaged beyond repair after collision with a landing ship |
| HMS Blean (L47) | off Oran | 11 December 1942 | Torpedoed by U-443 |
| HMS Ithuriel (H05) | off Bône | 8 November 1942 | Bombed by German aircraft (constructive total loss) |
| HMS Fury (H76) | off Normandy | 21 June 1944 | Beached after hitting a mine (constructive total loss) |
| HMS Foresight (H68) | off Bône | 13 August 1942 | Scuttled after being hit by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Firedrake (H79) | Atlantic Ocean | 16 December 1942 | Sunk by U-211 |
| HMS Fearless (H67) | off Bône | 23 July 1941 | Scuttled after being hit by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Esk (H15) | off Texel | 1 September 1940 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Escort (H66) | off Sardinia | 11 July 1940 | Sunk by Italian submarine Guglielmo Marconi |
| HMS Eclipse (H08) | Aegean Sea | 24 October 1943 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Exmouth (H02) | Moray Firth | 21 January 1940 | Sunk by U-22 |
| HMS Daring (H16) | off Norway | 18 February 1940 | Sunk by U-23 |
| HMS Delight (H38) | English Channel | 29 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Diamond (H22) | off Crete | 27 April 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Duchess (H64) | off Mull of Kintyre | 12 December 1939 | Sunk in a collision with HMS Barham |
| HMS Defender (H07) | off Sidi Barrani | 11 July 1941 | Scuttled after being hit by German aircraft |
| HMS Dainty (H53) | off Tobruk | 24 February 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Imogen (D44) | Pentland Firth | 16 July 1940 | Sunk in collision with HMS Glasgow (C21) |
| HMS Imperial (D09) | off Crete | 29 May 1941 | Scuttled after being hit by Italian bombers |
| HMS Inglefield (D02) | off Anzio | 25 February 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Ivanhoe (D16) | off Texel | 1 September 1940 | Scuttled after hitting a mine |
| HMS Isis (D87) | off Normandy | 20 July 1944 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Thanet (H29) | off Singapore | 27 January 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Japanese cruiser Sendai |
| HMS Thracian (D86) | Hong Kong | 25 December 1941 | Scuttled to avoid capture by Japanese forces |
| HMS Stronghold (H50) | off Sunda Strait | 2 March 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Japanese ships Maya , Nowaki and Arashi |
| HMS Sturdy (H28) | off Tiree | 30 October 1940 | Ran aground |
| HMS Keith (D06) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Basilisk (H11) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Blanche (H47) | Thames Estuary | 13 November 1939 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Boadicea (H65) | Lyme Bay | 13 June 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Brazen (H80) | English Channel | 20 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Beverley (H64) | Atlantic Ocean | 11 April 1943 | Sunk by U-188 |
| HMS Broadwater (H81) | Atlantic Ocean | 18 October 1941 | Sunk by U-101 |
| HMS Belmont (H46) | Atlantic Ocean | 31 January 1942 | Sunk by U-82 |
| HMS Broke (D83) | off Algiers | 8 November 1942 | Sunk by French shore batteries |
| HMS Cameron (I05) | Portsmouth | 5 December 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Campbeltown (I42) | St Nazaire Raid | 28 March 1942 | Intentional explosion after ramming St Nazaire dry dock |
| HMS Gallant (H59) | Malta harbour | 5 April 1942 | Hit an Italian mine off Panteleria/bombed by German aircraft (constructive total loss) |
| HMS Rockingham (G58) | Atlantic Ocean | 27 September 1944 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Stanley (I73) | Atlantic Ocean | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by U-574 |
| HMS Valentine (L69) | off Terneuzen | 15 May 1940 | Beached after being damaged by German aircraft |
| HMS Venetia (D53) | Thames Estuary | 19 October 1940 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Vimiera (L29) | Thames Estuary | 9 January 1942 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Wakeful (H88) | Dunkirk evacuation | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat |
| HMS Warwick (D25) | Atlantic Ocean | 20 February 1944 | Sunk by U-413 |
| HMS Wessex (D43) | off Calais | 24 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Whirlwind (D30) | Atlantic Ocean | 5 July 1940 | Sunk by U-34 |
| HMS Whitley (L23) | off Ostend | 19 May 1940 | Beached after being damaged by German aircraft |
| HMS Wryneck (D21) | off Crete | 27 April 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Wren (D88) | off Aldeburgh | 27 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Veteran (D72) | Atlantic Ocean | 26 September 1942 | Sunk by U-404 |
| HMS Wild Swan (D62) | Atlantic Ocean | 17 June 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Codrington (D65) | off Dover | 27 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Acasta (H09) | off Narvik | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
| HMS Achates (H12) | Barents Sea | 31 December 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from German cruiser Admiral Hipper |
| HMS Ardent (H41) | off Narvik | 8 June 1940 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau |
| HMS Acheron (H45) | off Isle of Wight | 17 December 1940 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Jackal (F22) | off Crete | 12 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Jaguar (F34) | off Sollum | 26 March 1942 | Sunk by U-652 |
| HMS Juno (F46) | off Crete | 21 May 1941 | Sunk by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Janus (F53) | off Anzio | 23 January 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Jersey (F72) | off Malta | 2 May 1941 | Sunk by mine (Italian) |
| HMS Jupiter (F85) | off Java | 27 February 1942 | Sunk by mine (Dutch) |
| HMS Kelly (F01) | off Crete | 23 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Kandahar (F28) | Mediterranean Sea | 19 December 1941 | Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine |
| HMS Kashmir (F12) | off Crete | 23 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Khartoum (F45) | Perim | 23 June 1940 | Sunk by internal explosion after surface engagement with Italian submarine Torricelli |
| HMS Kingston (F64) | Malta | 11 April 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft at dry dock after being damaged by Italian battleship Littorio |
| HMS Kipling (F91) | off Mersa Matruh | 11 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Berkeley (L17) | off Dieppe | 19 August 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Exmoor (L61) | off Lowestoft | 25 February 1942 | Sunk by mine or torpedo |
| HMS Quorn (L66) | off Normandy | 3 August 1944 | Sunk by "Linse" explosive-motorboat |
| HMS Tynedale (L96) | off Jijel | 12 December 1943 | Sunk by U-593 |
| HMS Dulverton (L63) | off Kos | 13 November 1943 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Heythrop (L85) | off Bardia | 20 March 1942 | Sunk by U-652 |
| HMS Eridge (L68) | off El Daba | 29 August 1942 | Torpedoed by Italian motor torpedo boat (constructive total loss) |
| HMS Puckeridge (L108) | off Gibraltar | 6 September 1943 | Sunk by U-617 |
| HMS Grove (L77) | off Egypt | 12 June 1942 | Sunk by U-587 |
| HMS Hurworth (L28) | off Turkey | 22 October 1943 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Southwold (L10) | off Malta | 24 March 1942 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Airedale (L07) | off Malta | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Aldenham (L22) | off Škrda | 14 December 1944 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Holcombe (L56) | Mediterranean Sea | 12 December 1943 | Sunk by U-593 |
| HMS Limbourne (L57) | off Guernsey | 23 October 1943 | Sunk by torpedo from T22 |
| HMS Penylan (L89) | off English Channel | 3 December 1942 | Sunk by torpedo from an E-boat |
| HMS Laforey (G99) | off Palermo | 30 March 1944 | Sunk by U-223 |
| HMS Lance (G87) | Malta | 9 April 1942 | Sunk by aircraft |
| HMS Gurkha (G63) | off Sidi Barrani | 17 January 1942 | Sunk by U-133 |
| HMS Legion (G74) | Malta | 26 March 1942 | Sunk by aircraft |
| HMS Lightning (G55) | Bône | 12 March 1943 | Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat |
| HMS Lively (G40) | Mediterranean Sea | 11 May 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Mahratta (G23) | Atlantic Ocean | 25 February 1944 | Sunk by U-990 |
| HMS Martin (G44) | off Algiers | 10 November 1942 | Sunk by U-431 |
| HMS Pakenham (G06) | off Sicily | 16 April 1943 | Scuttled after being disabled by naval gunfire from Italian torpedo boat Cassiopea |
| HMS Panther (G41) | Aegean Sea | 9 October 1943 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Partridge (G30) | off Oran | 18 December 1942 | Sunk by U-565 |
| HMS Quail (G45) | Gulf of Taranto | 18 May 1944 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Quentin (G78) | off North Africa | 2 December 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Swift (G46) | off Normandy | 24 June 1944 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Glowworm (H92) | off Norway | 8 April 1940 | Sunk from damage taken after ramming by German cruiser Admiral Hipper |
| HMS Gipsy (H63) | off Harwich | 21 November 1939 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Grafton (H89) | off Nieuwpoort | 29 May 1940 | Scuttled after being torpedoed by U-62 |
| HMS Grenade (H86) | off Dunkirk | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Grenville (H03) | off Kentish Knock | 19 January 1940 | Sunk by mine |
| HMS Greyhound (H05) | off Crete | 22 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Hardy (R08) | North Atlantic Ocean | 30 January 1944 | Sunk by U-278 |
| HMS Hardy (H87) | Narvik | 10 April 1940 | Beached after being disabled by naval gunfire from five German destroyers |
| HMS Hasty (H24) | Mediterranean Sea | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by torpedo from German E-boat |
| HMS Havock (H43) | Cap Bon | 6 April 1942 | Ran aground |
| HMS Hereward (H93) | off Crete | 29 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Hostile (H55) | off Cap Bon | 23 August 1940 | Scuttled after hitting a mine (Italian) |
| HMS Hunter (H35) | Narvik | 10 April 1940 | Sunk by German destroyers |
| HMS Hyperion (H97) | off Pantelleria | 22 December 1940 | Sunk by mine (Italian) |
| HMS Harvester (H19) | Atlantic Ocean | 11 March 1943 | Sunk by U-432 |
| HMS Havant (H32) | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Scuttled after being bombed by German aircraft |
| HMS Hurricane (H06) | Atlantic Ocean | 25 December 1943 | Scuttled after torpedoed by U-415 |
| HMS Afridi (F07) | off Norway | 3 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Bedouin (F67) | off Pantelleria | 15 June 1942 | Sunk by naval gunfire from Italian cruisers Montecuccoli , di Savoia and aerial torpedo |
| HMS Cossack (F03) | Atlantic Ocean | 27 October 1941 | Sunk by U-563 |
| HMS Gurkha (F20) | off Norway | 9 April 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Maori (F24) | Malta | 12 February 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Mashona (F59) | Atlantic Ocean | 28 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Matabele (F26) | North Atlantic Ocean | 17 January 1942 | Sunk by U-454 |
| HMS Mohawk (F31) | off Kerkennah Islands | 16 April 1941 | Sunk by torpedo from Italian destroyer Luca Tarigo |
| HMS Punjabi (F21) | Atlantic Ocean | 1 May 1942 | Rammed by HMS King George V |
| HMS Sikh (F82) | off Tobruk | 14 September 1942 | Sunk by German and Italian shore batteries |
| HMS Somali (F33) | North Atlantic Ocean | 25 September 1942 | Sunk by U-703 |
| HMS Zulu (F18) | off Tobruk | 14 September 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Electra (H27) | First Battle of the Java Sea | 27 February 1942 | Sunk by Japanese naval gunfire |
| HMS Encounter (H10) | Second Battle of the Java Sea | 1 March 1942 | Scuttled following Japanese naval gunfire |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Oxley | 58° 30'N, 5° 30'E, off Stavanger, Norway | 10 September 1939 | Sunk by friendly fire from British submarine HMS Triton |
| HMS Seahorse (98S) | 54° 19'N, 7° 30'E, Heligoland Bight | 7 January 1940 | Most likely mined or sunk by German minesweeper M-5 |
| HMS Undine (N48) | 54° 08'N, 7° 33'E, Heligoland Bight | 7 January 1940 | Scuttled after being severely damaged by German minesweepers M-1201, M-1204 and M-1207 |
| HMS Starfish (19S) | 55° 00'N, 7° 10'E, Heligoland Bight | 9 January 1940 | Sunk by German minesweeper M-7 |
| HMS Thistle (N24) | 59° 03'N, 5° 11'E, off Skudenes | 10 April 1940 | Sunk by German U-boat U-4 |
| HMS Tarpon (N17) | 56° 43'N, 6° 33'E, North Sea | 10 April 1940 | Sunk by German Q-Ship Schiff 40/Schürbek |
| HMS Sterlet (2S) | 58° 55'N, 10° 10'E, Skagrerrak | 18 April 1940 | Sunk by German anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126 and UJ-128 |
| HMS Unity (N66) | 55° 13'N, 1° 19'W, off Blyth, Northumberland | 29 April 1940 | Sunk by accidental ramming from Norwegian ship Atle Jarl |
| HMS Odin (N84) | 39º 30'N, 17º 30'E, Gulf of Taranto | 14 June 1940 | Sunk by Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno |
| HMS Grampus (N56) | off Augusta, Sicily | 16 June 1940 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boats Circe, Clio, Calliope and Polluce |
| HMS Orpheus (N46) | off Benghazi, Libya | June 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Shark (54S) | 58° 18'N, 5° 13'E, off Egersund, Norway | 6 July 1940 | Scuttled to prevent capture after being damaged by German aircraft |
| HMS Phoenix (N96) | 37º 15'N, 15º 15'E, off Augusta, Sicily | 16 July 1940 | Sunk by Italian submarine chaser Albatros |
| HMS Salmon (N65) | off Skudesnes | 16 July 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Narwhal (N45) | 56º50'N, 01º40'E, off Aberdeen, Scotland | 23 July 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Spearfish | 58° 07'N, 1° 32'E, North Sea | 1 August 1940 | Sunk by German U-boat U-34 |
| HMS Oswald (N58) | 37° 46'N, 16° 16'E, off Cap Spartivento | 1 August 1940 | Sunk by Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi |
| HMS Thames (N71) | North Sea | 3 August 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Rainbow (N16) | 41° 28'N, 18° 05'E, Adriatic Sea | 4 October 1940 | Sunk by collision with Italian merchantman Antonietta Costa |
| HMS Triad (N53) | 38° 16'N, 17° 37'E, Ionian Sea | 15 October 1940 | Sunk by Italian submarine Enrico Toti |
| HMS H49 | off Texel, Netherlands | 18 October 1940 | Sunk by German auxiliary submarine chasers UJ-111, UJ-116 and UJ-118 |
| HMS Swordfish (61S) | 50° 24'N, 1° 21'W, off Isle of Wight | 7 November 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Regulus (N88) | between lower Adriatic Sea and Strait of Otranto | 6 December 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Triton (N15) | between lower Adriatic Sea and Strait of Otranto | 18 December 1940 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Snapper (39S) | Bay of Biscay | February 1941 | Sunk by naval mine or by the German minesweepers M-2 , M-13 and M-25 |
| HMS Usk (N65) | Cape Bon | 3 May 1941 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Undaunted (N55) | off Tripoli, Libya | 11 May 1941 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Umpire (N82) | 53° 09'N, 1° 08'E, off Cromer, Norfolk | 19 July 1941 | Sunk in accidental collision with British armed trawler HMS Peter Hendriks |
| HMS Union (N56) | off Pantelleria | 20 July 1941 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Circe |
| HMS Cachalot (N83) | 32° 49'N, 20° 11'E, off Benghazi, Libya | 30 July 1941 | Sunk by ramming from Italian destroyer Generale Achille Papa |
| HMS P33 | off Tripoli, Libya | August 1941 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS P32 | 33° 02'N, 13° 10'E, off Tripoli, Libya | 18 August 1941 | Sunk by either a naval mine or internal explosion |
| HMS Tetrarch (N77) | off Cape Granditola, Sicily, Italy | 2 November 1941 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Perseus (N36) | 37° 54'N, 20° 54'E, off Zakynthos | 6 December 1941 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS H31 | Bay of Biscay | 26 December 1941 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Triumph (N18) | Aegean Sea | 14 January 1942 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Tempest (N86) | 39° 15'N, 17° 45'E, Gulf of Taranto | 13 February 1942 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Circe |
| HMS P38 | 32° 48'N, 14° 58'E, off Cape Misurata | 23 February 1942 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Circe and destroyers Emanuele Pessagno and Antoniotto Usodimare |
| HMS P39 | Kalkara, Malta | 26 March 1942 | Destroyed in an air raid |
| HMS P36 | Sliema, Malta | 1 April 1942 | Sunk in an air raid |
| HMS Pandora (N42) | Valletta, Malta | 1 April 1942 | Sunk in an air raid |
| HMS Upholder (P37) | 34°47′N 15°55′E, off Tripoli, Libya | 14 April 1942 | Sunk by either a naval mine or by Italian torpedo boat Pegaso |
| HMS Urge | off Grand Harbour, Malta | 27 April 1942 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Olympus (N35) | 35° 55'N, 14° 35'E, off Malta | 8 May 1942 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS P.514 | 46° 33'N, 53° 39'W, off Newfoundland | 21 June 1942 | Sunk in friendly fire ramming by Canadian minesweeper HMCS Georgian |
| HMS Thorn (N11) | 34° 25'N, 22° 36'E, off Gavdos | 6 August 1942 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Pegaso |
| HMS Talisman (N78) | off Sicily, Italy | 17 September 1942 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Unique (N95) | Bay of Biscay | 24 October 1942 | Possibly sunk by a premature explosion of its own torpedo |
| HMS Unbeaten | 46° 50'N, 6° 51'W, Bay of Biscay | 11 November 1942 | Sunk in friendly fire air attack by Royal Air Force |
| HMS Utmost | Mediterranean Sea | 25 November 1942 | sunk south west off Sicily by depth charges from the Italian torpedo boat Groppo |
| HMS P222 | 40º29'N, 14º20'E, off Capri | 12 December 1942 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Fortunale |
| HMS Traveller (N48) | Gulf of Taranto | 12 December 1942 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS P48 | 37° 15'N, 10° 30'E, Gulf of Tunis | 25 December 1942 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Ardente |
| HMS P311 | off Tavolara, Sardinia | 8 January 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Vandal | Kilbrannan Sound, Firth of Clyde | 24 February 1943 | Foundered while preparing to dive |
| HMS Tigris (N63) | off Capri, Italy | 27 February 1943 | Most likely sunk by German submarine chaser UJ 2210 |
| HMS Turbulent (N98) | off La Maddalena, Sardinia | 6 March 1943 | Most likely sunk by Italian torpedo boat Ardito |
| HMS Thunderbolt (N25) | off Cape San Vito, Sicily | 14 March 1943 | Most likely sunk by Italian corvette Cicogna |
| HMS P615 | 6° 49'N, 13° 09'W, off Freetown | 18 April 1943 | Sunk by German U-boat U-123 |
| HMS Regent (N41) | off Barletta, Italy | 18 April 1943 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Splendid (P228) | 40° 30'N, 14° 15'E, off Capri, Italy | 21 April 1943 | Sunk by German destroyer ZG 3Hermes |
| HMS Sahib | 38° 20.5'N, 15° 11.9'E, off Capo di Milazzo, Sicily | 24 April 1943 | Sunk by Italian torpedo boat Climene and Italian corvettes Gabbiano and Euterpe |
| HMS Parthian (N75) | Mediterranean Sea | July/August 1943 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Saracen (P247) | 42° 45'N, 9° 30'E, off Bastia, Corsica | 14 August 1943 | Sunk by Italian corvettes Minerva and Euterpe |
| HMS Usurper (P56) | Gulf of Genoa | October 1943 | Most likely sunk by either naval mine or by German auxiliary submarine chaser UJ-2208/Alfred |
| HMS Trooper (N91) | off Leros, Greece | 17 October 1943 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Simoom (P225) | off Tenedos, Turkey | November 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Syrtis | off Bodø | March 1944 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Stonehenge (P232) | between northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands | March 1944 | Unknown |
| HMS Sickle | Kythira Strait, Greece | June 1944 | Most likely sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Stratagem | Strait of Malacca | 22 November 1944 | Sunk by Japanese submarine chaser CH 35 |
| HMS Porpoise (N14) | off Perak Island | 11 January 1945 | Most likely sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Princess Victoria | Humber Estuary | 19 May 1940 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Port Napier (M32) | Loch Alsh, Scotland | 27 November 1940 | Destroyed by explosion/engine room fire |
| HMS Latona (M76) | 32° 15'N, 24° 14'E, off Bardia, Libya | 25 October 1941 | Scuttled after damaged by German aircraft |
| HMS Redstart (M62) | Hong Kong | 19 December 1941 | Scuttled to prevent capture by Japanese forces |
| HMS Kung Wo | off Pompong Island | 14 February 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Corncrake (M82) | North Atlantic | 25 January 1943 | Foundered in gale |
| HMS Welshman (M84) | 32° 12'N, 24° 52'E, off Tobruk, Libya | 1 February 1943 | Sunk by German U-boat U-617 |
| HMS Abdiel (M39) | Taranto, Italy | 10 September 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Sphinx (J69) | 57° 57′N 02° 00′W, north of Kinnaird Head | 3 February 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Dunoon (J52) | 52° 45'N, 2° 23'E, off Great Yarmouth | 30 April 1940 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Brighton Belle (NF-17) | off Gull Light Buoy (Near Goodwin Knoll) | 28 May 1940 | Sunk after striking a submerged wreck |
| HMS Gracie Fields | 51° 20'N, 02° 05'E, North Sea | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Waverley | off Dunkirk | 29 May 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Devonia | La Panne, Belgium | 31 May 1940 | Severely damaged by German aircraft and beached |
| HMS Brighton Queen | off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Skipjack (J38) | 51° 03'N, 2° 24'E, off Dunkirk | 1 June 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Dundalk (J60) | 52º 03'N, 01º 48'E, off Harwich | 17 October 1940 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Mercury | Irish Sea | 25 December 1940 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Huntley (J56) | 31° 25'N, 26° 48'E, off Mersa Matruh | 31 January 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Southsea | River Tyne | 16 February 1941 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Fermoy (J40) | Valletta, Malta | 4 May 1941 | Damaged beyond repair by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Stoke (J33) | off Tobruk, Libya | 7 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Widnes (J55) | Suda Bay | 20 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft. Raised, repaired and put in Kriegsmarine service as UJ-2109 |
| HMS Snaefell | off Sunderland | 5 July 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Banka | off Tioman Island | 7 December 1941 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Changteh | off Lingga Islands | 14 February 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Scott Harley | off Cilacap | 1 March 1942 | Most likely sunk by Japanese destroyers Arashi and Nowaki |
| HMS Sin Aik Lee | off Tunda Island, Sunda Strait | 1 March 1942 | Sunk by Japanese destroyers |
| HMS Abingdon (J23) | off Bighi, Malta | 5 April 1942 | Damaged beyond repair by Italian aircraft; beached and abandoned |
| HMS Fitzroy (J03) | 52° 39'N, 2° 46'E, off Great Yarmouth | 27 May 1942 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Gossamer (J63) | off Kola Inlet, Russia | 24 June 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Niger (J73) | 66° 35'N, 23° 14'W, off Iceland | 5 July 1942 | Sunk by naval mine (British Northern Barrage minefield SN72) |
| HMS Leda (J93) | 76º 31'N, 05º 32'E, off Spitzbergen | 20 September 1942 | Sunk by German U-boat U-435 |
| HMS Cromer (J128) | 31° 26′N 027° 16′E, off Mersa Matruh | 9 November 1942 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Algerine (J213) | 36º 45'N, 05º 11'E, off Bougie, Algeria | 15 November 1942 | Sunk by Italian submarine Ascianghi |
| HMS Bramble (J11) | 73° 18′N 30° 06′E, Barents Sea | 31 December 1942 | Sunk by German destroyer Friedrich Eckoldt |
| HMS Alarm (J140) | off Bone, Algeria | 2 January 1943 | Damaged beyond repair by German aircraft |
| HMS Hythe (J194) | 37° 04'N, 5° 00'E, off Bougie, Algeria | 11 October 1943 | Sunk by German submarine U-371 |
| HMS Cromarty (J09) | Strait of Bonifacio | 23 October 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Hebe (J24) | 41° 08'N, 16° 52'E, off Bari, Italy | 22 November 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Felixstowe (J126) | 41° 10'N, 9° 40'E, off Capo Ferro, Sardinia | 18 December 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Clacton (J151) | off Corsica, France | 31 December 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Cato (J16) | 49° 25'N, 0° 17'W, off Normandy, France | 6 July 1944 | Sunk by German Neger human torpedo |
| HMS Magic (J400) | 49° 25'N, 0° 15'W, off Normandy, France | 6 July 1944 | Sunk by German Neger human torpedo |
| HMS Pylades (J401) | 49° 26'N, 0° 15'W, off Normandy, France | 8 July 1944 | Sunk by German Biber midget submarine |
| HMS Loyalty (J217) | 50° 13'N, 0° 44'W, English Channel | 22 August 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-480 |
| HMS Britomart (J22) | 49° 41'N, 0° 05'E, off Le Havre, France | 27 August 1944 | Sunk by friendly fire air attack |
| HMS Hussar (J82) | 49° 41'N, 0° 06'W, off Le Havre, France | 27 August 1944 | Sunk by friendly fire air attack |
| HMS Regulus (J327) | off Corfu, Greece | 12 January 1945 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Squirrel (J301) | off Phuket, Thailand | 24 July 1945 | Damaged beyond repair by naval mine and scuttled |
| HMS Vestal (J215) | off Phuket, Thailand | 24 July 1945 | Damaged beyond repair by kamikaze attack and scuttled |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Itchen (K227) | 53° 25'N, 39° 42'W, North Atlantic | 23 September 1943 | Sunk by German U-boat U-666 |
| HMS Tweed (K250) | 48° 18'N, 21° 19'W, Atlantic Ocean | 7 January 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-305 |
| HMS Gould (K476) | 45° 46'N, 23° 16'W, Atlantic Ocean | 1 March 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-358 |
| HMS Lawford (K514) | 49° 26'N, 0° 24'W, off Normandy, France | 8 June 1944 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Mourne (K261) | 49° 35'N, 5° 30'W, English Channel | 15 June 1944 | sunk by German U-boat U-767 |
| HMS Blackwood (K313) | 50° 07'N, 2° 01'W, off Portland Bill | 16 June 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-764 |
| HMS Bickerton (K466) | 71° 42'N, 19° 11'E, North Cape | 22 August 1944 | Damaged by German U-boat U-354 and scuttled |
| HMS Bullen (K469) | 58º 30'N, 05º 03'W, off Strathy Point, Scotland | 6 December 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-775 |
| HMS Capel (K470) | 49° 50'N, 1° 41'W, off Cherbourg | 26 December 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-486 |
| HMS Goodall (K479) | 69° 25'N, 33° 38'E, Barents Sea | 29 April 1945 | Sunk by German U-boat U-286 |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Godetia (K72) | 55° 18'N, 5° 57'W, off Altacarry Head | 6 September 1940 | Sunk in accidental collision with the merchant ship Marsa |
| HMS Picotee (K63) | 62° 00'N, 16° 01'W, North Atlantic | 12 August 1941 | Sunk by German U-boat U-568 |
| HMS Zinnia (K98) | 40° 25'N, 10° 40'W, Atlantic Ocean | 23 August 1941 | Sunk by German U-boat U-564 |
| HMS Fleur de Lys (K122) | 36° 00'N, 6° 30'W, off Strait of Gibraltar | 14 October 1941 | Sunk by German U-boat U-206 |
| HMS Gladiolus (K34) | 57° 00'N, 25° 00'W, North Atlantic | 17 October 1941 | Most likely sunk by German U-boat U-553 |
| HMS Salvia (K97) | 31° 46'N, 28° 00'E, off Alexandria | 24 December 1941 | Sunk by German U-boat U-568 |
| HMS Arbutus (K86) | 55° 05'N, 19° 43'W, North Atlantic | 5 February 1942 | Sunk by German U-boat U-136 |
| HMS Hollyhock (K64) | 7° 21'N, 81° 57'E, off Ceylon (Sri Lanka) | 9 April 1942 | Sunk by Japanese aircraft |
| HMS Auricula (K12) | 12° 12'S, 49° 19'E, Courrier Bay, Madagascar | 6 May 1942 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Gardenia (K99) | 35° 49'N, 1° 05'W, off Oran, Algeria | 9 November 1942 | Sunk in accidental collision with HMS Fluellen |
| HMS Marigold (K87) | 36° 50'N, 3° 00'E, off Algiers, Algeria | 9 December 1942 | Sunk by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Snapdragon (K10) | 32° 18'N, 19° 54'E, off Benghazi, Libya | 19 December 1942 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Samphire (K128) | 36° 56'N, 5° 40'E, off Bougie, Algeria | 30 January 1943 | Sunk by Italian submarine Platino |
| HMS Erica (K50) | 32° 48'N, 21° 10'E, off Derna, Libya | 9 February 1943 | Sunk by naval mine |
| HMS Polyanthus (K47) | 57° 00'N, 31° 10'W, North Atlantic | 21 September 1943 | Sunk by German U-boat U-952 |
| HMS Asphodel (K56) | 45° 24'N, 18° 09'W, North Atlantic | 10 March 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-575 |
| HMS Orchis (K76) | off Courseulles-sur-Mer, France | 21 August 1944 | Damaged beyond repair by naval mine and beached |
| HMS Hurst Castle (K416) | 55° 27'N, 8° 12'W, North Atlantic | 1 September 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-482 |
| HMS Denbigh Castle (K696) | 12° 12'S, 49° 19'E, Courrier Bay, Madagascar | 13 February 1945 | Sunk by German U-boat U-992 |
| HMS Bluebell (K80) | 69° 36'N, 35° 29'E, off Kola Inlet | 17 February 1945 | Sunk by German U-boat U-711 |
| HMS Vervain (K190) | 51° 47'N, 7° 06'W, of Dungarvan, Ireland | 20 February 1945 | Sunk by German U-boat U-1276 |
| Name | Location | Date | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Bittern (L07) | 64° 28'N, 11° 30'E, off Namsos, Norway | 30 April 1940 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Penzance (L28) | 56° 16'N, 27° 19'W, North Atlantic | 24 August 1940 | Sunk by German U-boat U-37 |
| HMS Dundee (L84) | 56° 45'N, 14° 14'W, North Atlantic | 15 September 1940 | Sunk by German U-boat U-48 |
| HMS Grimsby (U16) | 32° 30'N, 24° 40'E, off Tobruk, Libya | 25 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Auckland (L61) | 32° 15'N, 24° 30'E, off Tobruk, Libya | 24 June 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Culver (Y87) | 31° 46'N, 28° 00'E, North Atlantic | 31 January 1942 | Sunk by German U-boat U-105 |
| HMS Hartland (Y00) | Oran Harbour, Algeria | 8 November 1942 | Sunk by French destroyer Typhon |
| HMS Walney (Y04) | Oran Harbour, Algeria | 8 November 1942 | Sunk by French shore batteries |
| HMS Ibis (U99) | 37° 00'N, 3° 00'E, off Algiers, Algeria | 10 November 1942 | Sunk by Italian aircraft |
| HMS Egret (L75) | 42° 10'N, 9° 22'W, off Vigo, Spain | 27 August 1943 | Sunk by German aircraft |
| HMS Woodpecker (U08) | 48° 49'N, 22° 11'W, North Atlantic | 27 February 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-256 |
| HMS Kite (U87) | 73° 01'N, 3° 57'E, North Atlantic | 21 August 1944 | Sunk by German U-boat U-344 |
| HMS Lark (U11) | 69º 30'N, 34º 33'E, Barents Sea | 17 February 1945 | Damaged beyond repair by German U-boat U-968 |
| HMS Lapwing (U62) | 69° 26'N, 33° 44'E, Barents Sea | 20 March 1945 | Sunk by German U-boat U-968 |
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.
German forces sank 162 warships, including:
Italian forces sank 58 warships, including:
Japanese forces sank 19 warships, including:
A further destroyer and two sloops were lost to Vichy French shore batteries and warships. [3]
A battleship is a large, heavily armored warship with a main battery consisting of large-caliber guns, designed to serve as capital ships with the most intense firepower. Before the rise of supercarriers, battleships were among the largest and most formidable weapon systems ever built.
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea denial.
The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches, along with the Heer and the Luftwaffe, of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945.
A warship or combatant ship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a nation. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are typically faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. Warships usually belong to a navy, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations.
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet.
HMS Achates was an A-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the late 1920s. Completed in 1930, she initially served with the Mediterranean Fleet. She was sunk on 31 December 1942 during the Battle of the Barents Sea.
The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Gulf of Sidra and south-east of Malta, during the Second World War. The escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta held off a much more powerful squadron of the Regia Marina. The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships, escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser and 17 destroyers. The Italian force comprised a battleship, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and ten destroyers. Despite the British success at warding off the Italian squadron, the Italian fleet attack delayed the convoy's planned arrival before dawn, which exposed it to intense air attacks that sank all four merchant ships and one of the escorting destroyers in the following days.
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940 to 2 May 1945.
Plan Z was the name given to the planned re-equipment and expansion of the Kriegsmarine ordered by Adolf Hitler in early 1939. The fleet was meant to challenge the naval power of the United Kingdom, and was to be completed by 1948. Development of the plan began in 1938, but it reflected the evolution of the strategic thinking of the Oberkommando der Marine over the two decades following World War I. The plan called for a fleet centered on ten battleships and four aircraft carriers which were intended to battle the Royal Navy. This force would be supplemented with numerous long-range cruisers that would attack British shipping. A relatively small force of U-boats was also stipulated.
Operation Berlin was a raid conducted by the two German Scharnhorst-class battleships against Allied shipping in the North Atlantic between 22 January and 22 March 1941. It formed part of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sailed from Germany, operated across the North Atlantic, sank or captured 22 Allied merchant vessels, and finished their mission by docking in occupied France. The British military sought to locate and attack the German battleships, but failed to damage them.
Force K was the name given to three British Royal Navy groups of ships during the Second World War. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939, to intercept commerce raiders. The second Force K was formed in October 1941 at Malta, to operate against convoys sailing from Italy to Libya. Axis air attacks on Malta led to Force K being reduced and on 8 April 1942, the last ship of the force was withdrawn. After a convoy was run to Malta in Operation Stoneage Force K was re-established against Axis convoys.
Operation Cockpit was an Allied attack against the Japanese-held island of Sabang on 19 April 1944. It was conducted by aircraft flying from British and American aircraft carriers and targeted Japanese shipping and airfields. A small number of Japanese ships and aircraft were destroyed, and one American aircraft was lost. While the attack was successful tactically, it failed to divert Japanese forces from other areas as had been hoped.
The Malta convoys were Allied supply convoys of the Second World War. The convoys took place during the Siege of Malta in the Mediterranean Theatre. Malta was a base from which British sea and air forces could attack ships carrying supplies from Europe to Italian Libya. Britain fought the Western Desert Campaign against Axis armies in North Africa to keep the Suez Canal and to control Middle Eastern oil. The strategic value of Malta was so great the British risked many merchant vessels and warships to supply the island and the Axis made determined efforts to neutralise the island as an offensive base.
Operation Transom was an attack by Allied forces against the Japanese-occupied city of Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java during World War II. Conducted by the British-led Eastern Fleet, the operation took place on 17 May 1944 and involved American and British carrier-based aircraft bombing the city's docks and an oil refinery. An American torpedo bomber was shot down, and two British torpedo bombers were lost in accidents.
The attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea by United States and British naval aircraft in late July 1945 sank most of the surviving large warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The United States Third Fleet's attacks on Kure Naval Arsenal and nearby ports on 24, 25, and 28 July sank an aircraft carrier, three battleships, five cruisers, and several smaller warships. During the same period the British Pacific Fleet attacked other targets in the Inland Sea region and sank two escort ships and several smaller vessels as well as damaging an escort carrier.
The Eastern Fleet, later called the East Indies Fleet, was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed between 1941 and 1952.
At the beginning of World War II, the Royal Navy was the strongest navy in the world, with the largest number of warships built and with naval bases across the globe. It had over 15 battleships and battlecruisers, 7 aircraft carriers, 66 cruisers, 164 destroyers and 66 submarines. With a massive merchant navy, about a third of the world total, it also dominated shipping. The Royal Navy fought in every theatre from the Atlantic, Mediterranean, freezing Northern routes to Russia and the Pacific ocean.
Force B was the name of several British Royal Navy task forces during the Second World War.
World War II was the first war where naval aviation took a major part in the hostilities. Aircraft carriers were used from the start of the war in Europe looking for German merchant raiders and escorting convoys. Offensive operations began with the Norwegian campaign where British carriers supported the fighting on land.