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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 warship	Ships
Aircraft carrier	2
Battleship	1
Corvette	1
Cruiser-minelayer	1
Destroyer	16
Destroyer escort	1
Fleet minesweeper	3
Frigate	1
Gunboat	1
Landing craft	7
Landing ship	4
Light cruiser	4
Patrol craft	1
Sloop	1
	44

Warships ships hit in the Mediterranean

Date	U-boat	Commander		Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy
10 Oct 1941	U-331	Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen		HMS TLC-18 (A 18) (d.)	372		br
12 Oct 1941	U-75	Helmuth Ringelmann		HMS TLC-2 (A 2)	372		br
12 Oct 1941	U-75	Helmuth Ringelmann		HMS TLC-7 (A 7)	372		br
21 Oct 1941	U-79	Wolfgang Kaufmann		HMS Gnat (T 60) (t.)	625		br
13 Nov 1941	U-81	Friedrich Guggenberger		HMS Ark Royal (91)	22,600		br
25 Nov 1941	U-331	Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen		HMS Barham (04)	31,100		br
27 Nov 1941	U-559	Hans Heidtmann		HMAS Parramatta (L 44)	1,060		au
15 Dec 1941	U-557	Ottokar Arnold Paulssen		HMS Galatea (71)	5,220		br
24 Dec 1941	U-568	Joachim Preuss		HMS Salvia (K 97)	925		br	TA-5
12 Jan 1942	U-77	Heinrich Schonder		HMS Kimberley (F 50) (d.)	1,690		br
17 Jan 1942	U-133	Hermann Hesse		HMS Gurkha (G 63)	1,920		br	MW-8B
11 Mar 1942	U-565	Johann Jebsen		HMS Naiad (93)	5,450		br
20 Mar 1942	U-652	Georg-Werner Fraatz		HMS Heythrop (L 85)	1,050		br
26 Mar 1942	U-652	Georg-Werner Fraatz		HMS Jaguar (F 34)	1,690		br
12 Jun 1942	U-77	Heinrich Schonder		HMS Grove (L 77)	1,050		br	MW-11
15 Jun 1942	U-431	Wilhelm Dommes		HMS LCT-119 (d.)	450		br
16 Jun 1942	U-205	Franz-Georg Reschke		HMS Hermione (74)	5,450		br	MW-11
11 Aug 1942	U-73	Helmut Rosenbaum		HMS Eagle (94)	22,600		br	WS-21S
10 Nov 1942	U-431	Wilhelm Dommes		HMS Martin (G 44)	1,920		br	Torch
12 Nov 1942	U-77	Otto Hartmann		HMS Stork (U 81) (d.)	1,190		br
13 Nov 1942	U-431	Wilhelm Dommes		HNMS Isaac Sweers (G 83)	1,628		nl
1 Dec 1942	U-375	Jürgen Koenenkamp		HMS Manxman (M 70) (d.)	2,650		br
9 Dec 1942	U-602	Philipp Schüler		HMS Porcupine (G 93) (t.)	1,540		br
11 Dec 1942	U-443	Konstantin von Puttkamer		HMS Blean (L 47)	1,087		br	KMF-4
18 Dec 1942	U-565	Wilhelm Franken		HMS Partridge (G 30)	1,540		br
1 Jan 1943	U-73	Horst Deckert		USS LCT-21 [Trans.]	255		am	UGS-3
1 Feb 1943	U-617	Albrecht Brandi		HMS Welshman (M 84)	2,650		br
7 Feb 1943	U-596	Gunter Jahn		HMS LCI(L)-162	246		br
22 Jun 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		USS LST-333 (t.)	1,625		am	Elastic
22 Jun 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		USS LST-387 (d.)	1,625		am	Elastic
4 Jul 1943	U-409	Hanns-Ferdinand Massmann		HMS LCE-14 [Trans.]	10		br	KMS-18B
5 Jul 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		HMS LCM-1129 (d.) [Trans.]	52		br	KMS-18B
5 Jul 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		HMS LCM-1123 [Trans.]	52		br	KMS-18B
23 Jul 1943	U-407	Ernst-Ulrich Brüller		HMS Newfoundland (59) (d.)	8,800		br
6 Sep 1943	U-617	Albrecht Brandi		HMS Puckeridge (L 108)	1,050		br
25 Sep 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		USS Skill (AM 115)	815		am
9 Oct 1943	U-616	Siegfried Koitschka		USS Buck (DD 420)	1,570		am
11 Oct 1943	U-371	Waldemar Mehl		HMS Hythe (J 194)	656		br	MKS-27
11 Oct 1943	U-616	Siegfried Koitschka		HMS LCT-553	611		br
13 Oct 1943	U-371	Waldemar Mehl		USS Bristol (DD 453)	1,630		am
15 Nov 1943	U-453	Egon Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach		HMS Quail (G 45) (t.) [Mine]	1,705		br
22 Nov 1943	U-453	Egon Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach		HMS Hebe (J 24) [Mine]	835		br
28 Nov 1943	U-407	Ernst-Ulrich Brüller		HMS Birmingham (19) (d.)	9,100		br
11 Dec 1943	U-223	Karl-Jürg Wächter		HMS Cuckmere (K 299) (t.)	1,300		br	KMS-34
12 Dec 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		HMS Holcombe (L 56)	1,087		br	KMS-34
12 Dec 1943	U-593	Gerd Kelbling		HMS Tynedale (L 96)	1,000		br	KMS-34
16 Feb 1944	U-230	Paul Siegmann		HMS LST-418	1,625		br	Shingle
18 Feb 1944	U-410	Horst-Arno Fenski		HMS Penelope (97)	5,270		br	Shingle
20 Feb 1944	U-410	Horst-Arno Fenski		USS LST-348	1,625		am	Shingle
20 Feb 1944	U-230	Paul Siegmann		HMS LST-305	1,625		br	Shingle
30 Mar 1944	U-223	Peter Gerlach		HMS Laforey (G 99)	1,935		br
3 May 1944	U-371	Horst-Arno Fenski		USS Menges (DE 320) (d.)	1,200		am	GUS-38
4 May 1944	U-371	Horst-Arno Fenski		FFL Sénégalais (T 22) (d.)	1,300		fr	GUS-38
5 May 1944	U-967	Albrecht Brandi		USS Fechteler (DE 157)	1,300		am	GUS-38
9 May 1944	U-230	Paul Siegmann		USS PC-558	335		am
					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.