Warships hit in the Mediterranean

The German U-boats sank 3 major Allied warships in the Mediterranean, 2 aircraft carriers and the only battleship sunk on the high seas by U-boats.

U-81 (Kptlt. Guggenberger) sank the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal on November 13, 1941. All but one on the Ark Royal survived.

U-73 (Kptlt. Rosenbaum) also sank an aircraft carrier when he hit the HMS Eagle with 4 torpedoes on August 11, 1942. 230 men went down with their ship on that day.

Oblt. Freiherr von Tiesenhausen on board the U-331 torpedoed on 25 November, 1941 the British battleship HMS Barham which exploded and sank taking 862 of her crew with her. See our gallery showing her loss.

Summary of U-boat successes in the Mediterranean

Includes warships declared a total loss (t.)

Type of warshipShips
Aircraft carrier2
Battleship1
Corvette1
Cruiser-minelayer1
Destroyer16
Destroyer escort1
Fleet minesweeper3
Frigate1
Gunboat1
Landing craft7
Landing ship4
Light cruiser4
Patrol craft1
Sloop1
44

Warships ships hit in the Mediterranean


Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
10 Oct 1941U-331Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen HMS TLC-18 (A 18) (d.)372br
12 Oct 1941U-75Helmuth Ringelmann HMS TLC-7 (A 7)372br
12 Oct 1941U-75Helmuth Ringelmann HMS TLC-2 (A 2)372br
21 Oct 1941U-79Wolfgang Kaufmann HMS Gnat (T 60) (t.)625br
13 Nov 1941U-81Friedrich Guggenberger HMS Ark Royal (91)22,600br
25 Nov 1941U-331Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen HMS Barham (04)31,100br
27 Nov 1941U-559Hans Heidtmann HMAS Parramatta (L 44)1,060au
15 Dec 1941U-557Ottokar Arnold Paulssen HMS Galatea (71)5,220br
24 Dec 1941U-568Joachim Preuss HMS Salvia (K 97)925brTA-5
 
12 Jan 1942U-77Heinrich Schonder HMS Kimberley (F 50) (d.)1,690br
17 Jan 1942U-133Hermann Hesse HMS Gurkha (G 63)1,920brMW-8B
11 Mar 1942U-565Johann Jebsen HMS Naiad (93)5,450br
20 Mar 1942U-652Georg-Werner Fraatz HMS Heythrop (L 85)1,050br
26 Mar 1942U-652Georg-Werner Fraatz HMS Jaguar (F 34)1,690br
12 Jun 1942U-77Heinrich Schonder HMS Grove (L 77)1,050brMW-11
15 Jun 1942U-431Wilhelm Dommes HMS LCT-119 (d.)450br
16 Jun 1942U-205Franz-Georg Reschke HMS Hermione (74)5,450brMW-11
11 Aug 1942U-73Helmut Rosenbaum HMS Eagle (94)22,600brWS-21S
10 Nov 1942U-431Wilhelm Dommes HMS Martin (G 44)1,920brTorch
12 Nov 1942U-77Otto Hartmann HMS Stork (U 81) (d.)1,190br
13 Nov 1942U-431Wilhelm Dommes HNMS Isaac Sweers (G 83)1,628nl
1 Dec 1942U-375Jürgen Koenenkamp HMS Manxman (M 70) (d.)2,650br
9 Dec 1942U-602Philipp Schüler HMS Porcupine (G 93) (t.)1,540br
11 Dec 1942U-443Konstantin von Puttkamer HMS Blean (L 47)1,087brKMF-4
18 Dec 1942U-565Wilhelm Franken HMS Partridge (G 30)1,540br
 
1 Jan 1943U-73Horst Deckert USS LCT-21 [Trans.]255amUGS-3
1 Feb 1943U-617Albrecht Brandi HMS Welshman (M 84)2,650br
7 Feb 1943U-596Gunter Jahn HMS LCI(L)-162246br
22 Jun 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling USS LST-387 (d.)1,625amElastic
22 Jun 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling USS LST-333 (t.)1,625amElastic
4 Jul 1943U-409Hanns-Ferdinand Massmann HMS LCE-14 [Trans.]10brKMS-18B
5 Jul 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling HMS LCM-1129 (d.) [Trans.]52brKMS-18B
5 Jul 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling HMS LCM-1123 [Trans.]52brKMS-18B
23 Jul 1943U-407Ernst-Ulrich Brüller HMS Newfoundland (59) (d.)8,800br
6 Sep 1943U-617Albrecht Brandi HMS Puckeridge (L 108)1,050br
25 Sep 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling USS Skill (AM 115)815am
9 Oct 1943U-616Siegfried Koitschka USS Buck (DD 420)1,570am
11 Oct 1943U-371Waldemar Mehl HMS Hythe (J 194)656brMKS-27
11 Oct 1943U-616Siegfried Koitschka HMS LCT-553611br
13 Oct 1943U-371Waldemar Mehl USS Bristol (DD 453)1,630am
15 Nov 1943U-453Egon Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach HMS Quail (G 45) (t.) [Mine]1,705br
22 Nov 1943U-453Egon Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach HMS Hebe (J 24) [Mine]835br
28 Nov 1943U-407Ernst-Ulrich Brüller HMS Birmingham (19) (d.)9,100br
11 Dec 1943U-223Karl-Jürg Wächter HMS Cuckmere (K 299) (t.)1,300brKMS-34
12 Dec 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling HMS Holcombe (L 56)1,087brKMS-34
12 Dec 1943U-593Gerd Kelbling HMS Tynedale (L 96)1,000brKMS-34
 
16 Feb 1944U-230Paul Siegmann HMS LST-4181,625brShingle
18 Feb 1944U-410Horst-Arno Fenski HMS Penelope (97)5,270brShingle
20 Feb 1944U-410Horst-Arno Fenski USS LST-3481,625amShingle
20 Feb 1944U-230Paul Siegmann HMS LST-3051,625brShingle
30 Mar 1944U-223Peter Gerlach HMS Laforey (G 99)1,935br
3 May 1944U-371Horst-Arno Fenski USS Menges (DE 320) (d.)1,200amGUS-38
4 May 1944U-371Horst-Arno Fenski FFL Sénégalais (T 22) (d.)1,300frGUS-38
5 May 1944U-967Albrecht Brandi USS Fechteler (DE 157)1,300amGUS-38
9 May 1944U-230Paul Siegmann USS PC-558335am
 168,440

44 ships sunk (140,011 tons) and 11 ships damaged (28,429 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(d.) means the ship was damaged.
(t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).
[Trans.] indicates the vessel was lost while being transported on another vessel.
[Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine laid by said U-boat.


U-boats in the Mediterranean