List of submarines of World War II
This is a list of some of the submarines of the Second World War. Germany used submarines to devastating effect in the Battle of the Atlantic, where it attempted to cut Britain's supply routes by sinking more merchant ships than Britain could replace. While U-boats destroyed a significant number of ships, the strategy ultimately failed. Although U-boats had been updated in the interwar years, the major innovation was improved communications and encryption; allowing for mass-attack naval tactics. By the end of the war, almost 3,000 Allied ships (175 warships, 2,825 merchantmen) had been sunk by U-boats.[1]
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Ships of World War II |
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The Imperial Japanese Navy operated the most varied fleet of submarines of any navy, including Kaiten crewed torpedoes, midget submarines (Type A Ko-hyoteki and Kairyu classes), medium-range submarines, purpose-built supply submarines and long-range fleet submarines. They also had submarines with the highest submerged speeds (I-201-class submarines) and submarines that could carry multiple aircraft (I-400-class submarines). They were also equipped with one of the most advanced torpedoes of the conflict, the oxygen-propelled Type 95.
The submarine force was the most effective anti-ship weapon in the US Navy arsenal. While only about 2 percent of the U.S. naval force they destroyed over 30 percent of the Japanese Navy, and over 60 percent of the Japanese merchant fleet, The Royal Navy Submarine Service was used primarily to blockade trade and military supply routes to Africa and the Near and Far East, but also obtained the only mutually submerged submarine to submarine combat kill. This occurred when the crew of HMS Venturer engaged the U864 manually computed a successful firing solution against a three-dimensional moving target using techniques which became the basis of modern torpedo computer targeting systems.[2][3][4][5]
During World War II, 52 U.S. Navy submarines were sunk.[6][7][8][9]
Submarines show submerged displacement. Click on headers to sort column alphabetically.
Boat | Country | Class | Type | Displacement (tons) | First commissioned | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barb | ![]() |
Gato | submarine | 2,460 | 2 April 1942 | sold to Italy as Enrico Tazzoli 1954, scrapped 1973 |
Cachalot | ![]() |
Grampus | submarine | 1,810 | 15 August 1938 | sunk 30 July 1941 |
Clyde | ![]() |
River | submarine | 2,206 | 1935 | paid off 30 July 1946 |
Curie | ![]() |
U | submarine | 540 | 2 May 1943 | returned to Royal Navy July 1946, paid off May 1949 |
Delfinul | ![]() |
submarine | 900 | 1936 | captured by the Soviets in August 1944, returned 1951 and scrapped 1957 | |
Fresia | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1945 |
Gato | ![]() |
Gato | submarine | 2,424 | 31 December 1941 | Scrapped 25 July 1960 |
Graph | ![]() ![]() |
Type VIIC | submarine | 769 | launched 15 April 1941 | German U-boat, captured by the British, 27 August 1941. Ran aground September 1944 |
Guacolda | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1949 |
Guale | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1945 |
H28 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 29 June 1918 | scrapped 18 August 1944 |
H31 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 21 February 1919 | sunk 24 December 1941 |
H32 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 14 May 1919 | scrapped 18 October 1944 |
H33 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 17 May 1919 | scrapped 19 May 1944 |
H34 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 10 September 1919 | scrapped July 1945 |
H43 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 25 November 1919 | scrapped November 1944 |
H44 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 15 April 1920 | scrapped February 1945 |
H49 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 25 October 1919 | sunk 18 October 1940 |
H50 | ![]() |
H | submarine | 518 | 3 February 1920 | scrapped July 1945 |
Hrabri | ![]() ![]() |
Hrabri | submarine | 1,164 | 1927 | Captured and scrapped by the Italians in 1941 |
Humaytá | ![]() |
Humaytá | submarine | 1,440 | 20 July 1929 | Decommissioned 25 November 1950 |
K VII | ![]() |
K V | submarine | 649 | 5 September 1922 | Destroyed in a Japanese bombing on 18 February 1942 |
K VIII | ![]() |
K VIII | submarine | 810 | 15 September 1922 | Stripped and abandoned in 1943 due lack of crew and age |
K IX | ![]() ![]() |
K VIII | submarine | 810 | 21 June 1923 | Transferred to RAN as HMAS K9 on 22 June 1943 |
K X | ![]() |
K VIII | submarine | 810 | 24 September 1923 | Scuttled on 2 March 1942 at Surabaya to avoid being captured by the Japanese |
K XI | ![]() |
K XI | submarine | 828 | 24 March 1925 | Stripped and scuttled, 1945/46 |
K XII | ![]() |
K XI | submarine | 828 | 19 May 1925 | Sold in 1946 and scrapped in 1951 |
K XIII | ![]() |
K XI | submarine | 828 | 29 March 1926 | Scuttled on 2 March 1942 to prevent being captured by the Japanese |
K XIV | ![]() |
K XIV | submarine | 1045 | 6 July 1933 | Decommissioned on 23 April 1946 and stricken on 1 June 1946 |
K XV | ![]() |
K XIV | submarine | 1045 | 30 December 1933 | On 1 June 1946 she was stricken and sold for scrap in December 1950 |
K XVI | ![]() |
K XIV | submarine | 1045 | 31 January 1934 | Sunk on 25 December 1941 by a torpedo of the Japanese submarine I-166 |
K XVII | ![]() |
K XIV | submarine | 1045 | 19 December 1933 | Struck and sunk by a Japanese mine on 21 December 1941 |
K XVIII | ![]() |
K XIV | submarine | 1045 | 23 March 1934 | Scuttled on 2 March 1942 in order to prevent Japanese capture |
L23 | ![]() |
L | submarine | 1,106 | 31 October 1924 | paid off May 1946 |
L26 | ![]() |
L | submarine | 1,106 | 11 October 1926 | sunk as target 1 November 1946 |
L27 | ![]() |
L | training submarine | 1,106 | scrapped 1944 | |
Marsuinul | ![]() |
submarine | 620 | May 1943 | captured by the Soviets in August 1944, returned 1951 and scrapped 1967 | |
Matchanu | ![]() |
Matchanu | submarine | 375 | 19 July 1938 | Scrapped in 1952 |
Nebojša | ![]() |
Hrabri | submarine | 1,164 | 1927 | Scrapped in 1958 |
O 9 | ![]() |
O 9 | submarine | 656 | 18 January 1926 | Scrapped October 1946 |
O 10 | ![]() |
O 9 | submarine | 656 | 1 September 1926 | Scrapped October 1946 |
O 11 | ![]() |
O 9 | submarine | 656 | 18 January 1926 | Sunk in 1940 after taking damage from a collision |
O 12 | ![]() ![]() |
O 12 | submarine | 754 | 20 July 1931 | Scuttled in 1940, raised by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine and taken into service as U-D2 |
O 13 | ![]() |
O 12 | submarine | 754 | 1 October 1931 | Lost during patrol in the North Sea on 25 June 1940 |
O 14 | ![]() |
O 12 | submarine | 754 | 4 March 1932 | Decommissioned in 1943 due to a lack of replacement engines |
O 15 | ![]() |
O 12 | submarine | 754 | 28 July 1932 | Taken out of service on 2 October 1946 |
O 16 | ![]() |
O 16 | submarine | 1194 | 27 January 1936 | Sunk by mine on 15 December 1941 |
O 19 | ![]() |
O 19 | submarine | 1491 | 22 September 1938 | Scuttled on 10 July 1945 |
O 20 | ![]() |
O 19 | submarine | 1491 | 28 August 1939 | Sunk by Japanese destroyers Ayanami, Uranami and Yūgiri on 19 December 1941 |
O 21 | ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 10 May 1940 | Sold for scrapping, 24 January 1958 |
O 22 | ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 10 May 1940 | Lost during a patrol in the North Sea in 1940 |
O 23 | ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 13 May 1940 | Sold for scrapping, April 1949 |
O 24 | ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 13 May 1940 | Sold for scrapping, 1963 |
O 25 | ![]() ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 8 June 1941 | Captured during the invasion of the Netherlands and commissioned in the Kriegsmarine as U-D3 |
O 26 | ![]() ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 28 January 1941 | Captured during the invasion of the Netherlands and commissioned in the Kriegsmarine as U-D4 |
O 27 | ![]() ![]() |
O 21 | submarine | 1205 | 26 September 1941 | Captured during the invasion of the Netherlands and commissioned in the Kriegsmarine as U-D5 |
Oberon | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 1,922 | 24 August 1927 | paid off 5 July 1944 |
Odin | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 21 December 1929 | Sunk 14 June 1940 |
Olympus | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 14 June 1930 | sunk 8 May 1942 |
Orpheus | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 23 September 1930 | Sunk 19 June 1940 |
Orzeł | ![]() |
Orzeł | submarine | 1,100 | 2 February 1939 | sunk 11 June 1940 |
Osiris | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 25 January 1929 | paid off 7 March 1945 |
Osvetnik | ![]() ![]() |
Ostevnik | submarine | 809 | 14 January 1929 | Captured by the Italians in 1941, scuttled by the Germans in 1943 |
Oswald | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 1 May 1929 | Sunk 1 August 1940 |
Otus | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 2,038 | 5 July 1929 | paid off March 1946 |
Otway | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 1,922 | 15 June 1927 | paid off 1945 |
Oxley | ![]() |
Odin | submarine | 1,922 | 1 April 1927 | sunk by friendly fire 10 September 1939 |
P222 | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 4 March 1942 | sunk 12 December 1942 |
Pandora | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 30 June 1930 | sunk 1 April 1942, scrapped 1955 |
Parthian | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 30 June 1930 | sunk August 1943 |
Perseus | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 15 April 1930 | sunk 6 December 1941. |
Phoenix | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 3 February 1931 | sunk 16 July 1940 |
Phlai-chumphon | ![]() |
Matchanu | submarine | 375 | 19 July 1938 | Scrapped in 1952 |
Poseidon | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 5 May 1930 | sunk in accidental collision with a merchant ship 9 June 1931 |
Proteus | ![]() |
Parthian | submarine | 2,070 | 5 May 1930 | Scrapped in March 1946 at Troon. |
Quidora | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1945 |
Rainbow | ![]() |
Rainbow | submarine | 2,060 | 18 January 1932 | Sunk 4 October 1940 in collision |
Regent | ![]() |
Rainbow | submarine | 2,060 | 11 November 1930 | Sunk 18 April 1943 |
Regulus | ![]() |
Rainbow | submarine | 2,060 | 7 December 1930 | Sunk 6 December 1940 |
Rover | ![]() |
Rainbow | submarine | 2,060 | 29 January 1931 | Scrapped 1946 |
Rechinul | ![]() |
Rechinul | submarine | 585 | May 1943 | captured by the Soviets in August 1944, sunk by accident February 1945 |
Rucumilla | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1945 |
Safari | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 14 March 1942 | sank under tow 8 January 1946 |
Sahib | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 13 May 1942 | sunk 24 April 1943 |
Saracen | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 27 June 1942 | sunk 14 August 1943 |
Satyr | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 8 February 1943 | to French Navy February 1952 |
Sceptre | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | April 1943 | paid off February 1947 |
Salmon | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 8 March 1935 | sunk 9 July 1940 |
Seadog | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 24 September 1942 | paid off 24 December 1947 |
Seahorse | ![]() |
S | submarine | 935 | Sunk 7 January 1940 | |
Sealion | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 16 March 1934 | scuttled 13 March 1945 |
Sea Nymph | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 3 November 1942 | |
Sea Rover | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 7 July 1943 | paid off October 1949 |
Seawolf | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 12 March 1936 | |
Seraph | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 27 June 1942 | paid off 25 October 1962 |
Shakespeare | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 10 July 1942 | paid off 14 July 1946 |
Shark | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 31 December 1934 | sunk 6 July 1940 |
Sibyl | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 16 August 1942 | |
Sickle | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 1 December 1942 | likely sunk June 1944 |
Simoom | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 30 December 1942 | sunk November 1943 |
Sinsamut | ![]() |
Matchanu | submarine | 375 | 19 July 1938 | Scrapped in 1952 |
Sirdar | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 20 September 1943 | |
Smeli | ![]() ![]() |
Osvetnik | submarine | 1,164 | 1 December 1928 | Captured by the Italians in 1941, scuttled in 1943 |
Snapper | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 25 October 1934 | sunk February 1941 |
Spearfish | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 11 December 1936 | sunk 1 August 1940 |
Spiteful | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 6 October 1943 | |
Splendid | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 8 August 1942 | scuttled 21 April 1943 |
Sportsman | ![]() |
S | submarine | 814 | 21 December 1942 | to the French navy on 8 July 1952 |
Starfish | ![]() |
S | submarine | 935 | 3 July 1933 | Sunk 9 January 1940 |
Sterlet | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 6 April 1938 | sunk 18 April 1940 |
Sturgeon | ![]() |
S | submarine | 935 | 15 December 1932 | paid off 17 November 1945 |
Sunfish | ![]() |
S | submarine | 670 | 2 July 1937 | sunk 27 July 1944 |
Swordfish | ![]() |
S | submarine | 935 | 28 November 1932 | sunk 7 November 1940 |
Tegualda | ![]() |
H | submarine | 441 | 1917 | scrapped 1945 |
U-25 | ![]() |
Type IA | U-boat | 982 | 6 April 1936 | sunk 1 August 1940 |
U-37 – U-44 | ![]() |
Type IX | U-boat | 1,152 | ||
U-65, U-66 U-103 – U-111 U-122 – U-124 |
![]() |
Type IXB | U-boat | 1,051 | ||
U-66 – U-68, U-125 – U-131 U-153 – U-166 U-171 – U-176 U-501 – U-524 |
![]() |
Type IXC | U-boat | 1,051 | ||
U-190 | ![]() ![]() |
Type IXC | U-boat | 1,257 | 24 September 1942 | Surrendered to RCN 11 May 1945, commissioned 19 May, paid off 24 July 1947, scuttled October 21, 1947 |
U-167 – U-170 U-183 – U-194 U-525 – U-550 U-801 – U-806 U-841 – U-846 U-853 – U-858 U-865 – U-870 U-877 – U-881 U-889 U-1221 – U-1235 |
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Type IXC/40 | U-boat | 1,120 | U-877 sunk by HMCS St. Thomas on 27 December 1944. All 56 members saved by crew of the St. Thomas.[10] | |
U-889 | ![]() ![]() |
Type IXC/40 | U-boat | 1,257 | 4 August 1944 | Surrendered to RCN 10 May 1945, commissioned 14 May, paid off December 1945, scuttled 1947 |
U-177 – U-182 U-195 – U-200 U-847 – U-852 U-859 – U-864 U-871 – U-876 |
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Type IXD | U-boat | 1,616 | ||
U-459 – U-464 U-487 – U-490 |
![]() |
Type XIV | U-boat | 1,668 | ||
U-459 – U-464 U-487 – U-490 |
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Type XXI | U-boat | 1,668 | ||
U-D1 | ![]() |
H | training submarine | 441 | 1915 | scuttled by Netherlands, captured by Germany 1939, paid off 23 November 1943 |
Wahoo | ![]() |
Gato | submarine | 1,525 surfaced | 15 May 1942 | Sunk 11 October 1943 |
Wirun | ![]() |
Matchanu | submarine | 375 | 19 July 1938 | Scrapped in 1952 |
X2 | ![]() |
Archimede | submarine | 1,230 | 19 March 1934 | ex-Galileo Galilei captured from the Italian Navy on 18 June 1940, paid off January 1946 |
X3 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
X4 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
X5 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | sunk 22 September 1943 |
X6 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | scuttled 22 September 1943 |
X7 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | scuttled 22 September 1943 |
X8 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | scuttled 17 September 1943 |
X9 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | foundered under tow 16 September 1943 |
X10 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | scuttled 3 October 1943 |
X20 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off |
X21 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | |
X22 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | sank in training February 7, 1944 |
X23 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
X24 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
X25 | ![]() |
X | midget submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE1 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE2 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE3 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE4 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE5 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE6 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE7 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1952 |
XE8 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1952 |
XE9 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1952 |
XE10 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XE11 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | 6 March 1945 |
XE12 | ![]() |
XE | midget submarine | 33 | 1944 | paid off 1952 |
XT1 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XT2 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XT3 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XT4 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XT5 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
XT6 | ![]() |
X | training submarine | 30 | 1944 | paid off 1945 |
See also
References
- Crocker, H. W., III (2006). Don't Tread on Me. New York: Crown Forum. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-4000-5363-6.
- "Hulls Listed by Name". Naval Vessel Register. Archived from the original on 2007-06-30.
- "US Navy Inactive Classification Symbols". Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- "Index". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- "Royal Navy operations in the Second World War". The National Archives. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- "A WWII submarine went missing for 75 years. High-tech undersea drones solved the mystery.".
- "Navy Submarine, Missing for 75 Years, Is Found Off Okinawa".
- "The Legacy the Recently Discovered USS Grayback Left Behind".
- "3D Archaeological Models of Newly Discovered US WWII Sub".
- Rea, Kyle (5 May 2010). "HMCS St. Thomas anchors new exhibition". St. Thomas Times-Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-03-26.
Bibliography
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- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- "List of Homeports and the Ships Assigned as of August 9, 2004". United States Navy. Archived from the original on 2004-08-10.
- "NavSource Naval History".