U-boat fates

U-boat losses 1939-1945

U-boat losses by cause

In the following table I attempt to list all U-boat losses by type of loss. There are some duplications in the listing (i.e. boats being paid off and then either scuttled or surrendered) but this as accurate as I can make it right now. This is based on the very latest research and will probably not match older sources.

Ships 264 Includes a few losses to merchant ships
Aircraft250Includes all ship-based aircraft
Aircraft & ships *37
Missing46See U-boats missing in Action
Air raids on ports43Check out this page.
Mines35
Captured3U-110, U-505 and U-570
   
Scuttled238 Read about Operation Regenbogen
Surrendered155 Most scuttled in Operation Deadlight
Paid Off37Usually battered or "tired" boats
Accidents25Losses to accidents or "friendly fire"
Other (+)7
 
Total 1,154 (1,149 individual boats)

* This does not indicate aircraft carriers, all those victories are in the "Aircraft" category. This means co-operation between aircraft (most often land-based) and escort vessels.

+ These include the 4 boats taken over by Japan in the Far East at the time of the German surrender (U-181, U-195, U-219 and U-862). This figure also includes the 2 boats U-573 and U-760 interned during the war in Spain. Finally it includes the only boat that was lost to land-based artillery, U-78 sunk by Soviet guns.

What about the missing boats?
The boats listed as missing were lost to aircraft, ships, mines and accidents. Hopefully further research will lessen this number (it has actually increased in the last years as many former claims were judged to be against something else than U-boats).


U-boat Losses 1939-1945