Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 29:57-30:46

The exchange rate of the Battle of the Atlantic

The scale of U-boat losses has to be read beside the thousands of merchant ships and scores of warships sunk during the Atlantic campaign.

Anti-Submarine WarfareBattle of the AtlanticMerchant ShippingU-Boats
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Question

How many ships did the U-boats sink, and how many submarines were lost?

Short answer

The corrected figures given are about 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships, with 783 German submarines and 17 Italian submarines lost in the Atlantic campaign.

Notes

Approximate losses in the Battle of the Atlantic reached about 3,500 merchant ships, 175 warships, and 783 German submarines and 17 Italian submarines. Submarine fighting also occurred beyond the boundaries of that named campaign. These totals place U-boat losses inside the much larger material and human cost of convoy warfare. They should be read as broad comparative figures rather than a complete accounting of every submarine operation.