List of submarines of World War II

Ships of the Second World War
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This is a list of 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. 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 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.

The List of ships of World War II contains major military vessels of the war, arranged alphabetically and by type. The list includes armed vessels that served during the war and in the immediate aftermath, inclusive of localized ongoing combat operations, garrison surrenders, post-surrender occupation, colony re-occupation, troop and prisoner repatriation, to the end of 1945. For smaller vessels, see also List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons. Some uncompleted Axis ships are included, out of historic interest. Ships are designated to the country under which they operated for the longest period of the World War II, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.

Submarines show submerged displacement. Click on headers to sort column alphabetically.

Ship	Country	Class	Type	Displacement (tons)	First commissioned	Fate
Barb	United States	Gato	submarine	2,460	2 April 1942	sold to Italy as Enrico Tazzoli 1954, scrapped 1973
Cachalot	Royal Navy	Grampus	submarine	1,810	15 August 1938	sunk 30 July 1941
Clyde	Royal Navy	River	submarine	2,206	1935	paid off 30 July 1946
Curie	Royal Navy Free French Naval Forces	U	submarine	540	2 May 1943	returned to Royal Navy July 1946, paid off May 1949
Fresia	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1945
Gato	United States	Gato	submarine	2,424	31 December 1941	Scrapped 25 July 1960
Graph	Kriegsmarine Royal Navy	Type VIIC	submarine	769	launched 15 April 1941	German U-boat, captured by the British, 27 August 1941. Ran aground September 1944
Guacolda	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1949
Guale	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1945
H28	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	29 June 1918	scrapped 18 August 1944
H31	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	21 February 1919	sunk 24 December 1941
H32	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	14 May 1919	scrapped 18 October 1944
H33	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	17 May 1919	scrapped 19 May 1944
H34	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	10 September 1919	scrapped July 1945
H43	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	25 November 1919	scrapped November 1944
H44	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	15 April 1920	scrapped February 1945
H49	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	25 October 1919	sunk 18 October 1940
H50	Royal Navy	H	submarine	518	3 February 1920	scrapped July 1945
Humaita	Brazilian navy	Humaita	submarine	1,440	20 July 1929	Decommissioned 25 November 1950
L23	Royal Navy	L	submarine	1,106	31 October 1924	paid off May 1946
L26	Royal Navy	L	submarine	1,106	11 October 1926	sunk as target 1 November 1946
L27	Royal Navy	L	training submarine	1,106		scrapped 1944
Marsuinul	Romania	Marsuinul	submarine	630	July 1943	captured by the Soviets in August 1944, scrapped after the war
Oberon	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	1,922	24 August 1927	paid off 5 July 1944
Odin	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	21 December 1929	Sunk 14 June 1940
Olympus	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	14 June 1930	sunk 8 May 1942
Orpheus	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	23 September 1930	Sunk 19 June 1940
Orzeł	Poland	Orzeł	submarine	1,100	2 February 1939	sunk 11 June 1940
Osiris	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	25 January 1929	paid off 7 March 1945
Oswald	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	1 May 1929	Sunk 1 August 1940
Otus	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	2,038	5 July 1929	paid off March 1946
Otway	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	1,922	15 June 1927	paid off 1945
Oxley	Royal Navy	Odin	submarine	1,922	1 April 1927	sunk by friendly fire 10 September 1939
P222	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	4 March 1942	sunk 12 December 1942
Pandora	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	30 June 1930	sunk 1 April 1942, scrapped 1955
Parthian	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	30 June 1930	sunk August 1943
Perseus	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	15 April 1930	sunk 6 December 1941.
Phoenix	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	3 February 1931	sunk 16 July 1940
Poseidon	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	5 May 1930	sunk in accidental collision with a merchant 9 June 1931
Proteus	Royal Navy	Parthian	submarine	2,070	5 May 1930	Scrapped in March 1946 at Troon.
Quidora	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1945
Rainbow	Royal Navy	Rainbow	submarine	2,060	18 January 1932	Sunk 4 October 1940 in collision
Regent	Royal Navy	Rainbow	submarine	2,060	11 November 1930	Sunk 18 April 1943
Regulus	Royal Navy	Rainbow	submarine	2,060	7 December 1930	Sunk 6 December 1940
Rover	Royal Navy	Rainbow	submarine	2,060	29 January 1931	Scrapped 1946
Rechinul	Romania	Rechinul	submarine	680	9 May 1943	captured by the Soviets in August 1944, scrapped after the war
Rucumilla	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1945
Safari	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	14 March 1942	sank under tow 8 January 1946
Sahib	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	13 May 1942	sunk 24 April 1943
Saracen	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	27 June 1942	sunk 14 August 1943
Satyr	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	8 February 1943	to French navy February 1952
Sceptre	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	April 1943	paid off February 1947
Salmon	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	8 March 1935	sunk 9 July 1940
Seadog	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	24 September 1942	paid off 24 December 1947
Seahorse	Royal Navy	S	submarine	935		Sunk 7 January 1940
Sealion	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	16 March 1934	scuttled 13 March 1945
Sea Nymph	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	3 November 1942
Sea Rover	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	7 July 1943	paid off October 1949
Seawolf	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	12 March 1936
Seraph	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	27 June 1942	paid off 25 October 1962
Shakespeare	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	10 July 1942	paid off 14 July 1946
Shark	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	31 December 1934	sunk 6 July 1940
Sibyl	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	16 August 1942
Sickle	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	1 December 1942	likely sunk June 1944
Simoom	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	30 December 1942	sunk November 1943
Sirdar	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	20 September 1943
Snapper	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	25 October 1934	sunk February 1941
Spearfish	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	11 December 1936	sunk 1 August 1940
Spiteful	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	15 July 1963
Splendid	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	8 August 1942	scuttled 21 April 1943
Sportsman	Royal Navy	S	submarine	814	21 December 1942	to the French navy on 8 July 1952
Starfish	Royal Navy	S	submarine	935	3 July 1933	Sunk 9 January 1940
Sterlet	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	6 April 1938	sunk 18 April 1940
Sturgeon	Royal Navy	S	submarine	935	15 December 1932	paid off 17 November 1945
Sunfish	Royal Navy	S	submarine	670	2 July 1937	sunk 27 July 1944
Swordfish	Royal Navy	S	submarine	935	28 November 1932	sunk 7 November 1940
Tegualda	Chilean Navy	H	submarine	441	1917	scrapped 1945
U-25	Kriegsmarine	Type IA	submarine	982	6 April 1936	sunk 1 August 1940
U-37 - U-44	Kriegsmarine	Type IX	u-boat
U-65, U-66, U-103 - U-111, U-122 - U-124	Kriegsmarine	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	Kriegsmarine	Type IXC	u-boat	1,051
U-190	Kriegsmarine Royal Canadian Navy	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	Kriegsmarine	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.
U-889	Kriegsmarine Royal Canadian Navy	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	Kriegsmarine	Type IXD	u-boat	1,616
U-459 - U-464, U-487 - U-490	Kriegsmarine	Type XIV	u-boat	1,668
U-459 - U-464, U-487 - U-490	Kriegsmarine	Type XXI	u-boat	1,668
U-D1	Kriegsmarine	H	training submarine	441	1915	scuttled by Netherlands, captured by Germany 1939, paid off 23 November 1943
Wahoo	United States	Gato	submarine	1,525 surfaced	15 May 1942	Sunk 11 October 1943
X2	Royal Navy	Archimede	submarine	1,230	19 March 1934	captured by Royal Navy, as Galileo Galilei from the Italian Navy on 18 June 1940, paid off January 1946
X3	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
X4	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
X5	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	sunk 22 September 1943
X6	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	scuttled 22 September 1943
X7	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	scuttled 22 September 1943
X8	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	scuttled 17 September 1943
X9	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	foundered under tow 16 September 1943
X10	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	scuttled 3 October 1943
X20	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off
X21	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944
X22	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	sank in training February 7, 1944
X23	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
X24	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
X25	Royal Navy	X	midget submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XE1	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE2	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE3	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE4	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE5	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE6	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE7	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1952
XE8	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1952
XE9	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1952
XE10	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1945
XE11	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	6 March 1945
XE12	Royal Navy	XE	midget submarine	33	1944	paid off 1952
XT1	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XT2	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XT3	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XT4	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XT5	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945
XT6	Royal Navy	X	training submarine	30	1944	paid off 1945

See also

• Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Bibliography

• 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. OCLC 67375475. 
• navy.mil: List of homeports and their ships
• NavSource Naval History