Is there a list of ships sunk by the Luftwaffe?

[Paul Thompson]

I'm well aware that there is no single source that considers all Luftwaffe anti-shipping operations, but I wonder whether someone has tried to compile a list of the various ships sunk. I am especially interested in warships, partly because there were fewer of them! I've asked a similar question about RAF operations, just in case ther is any cross-over, see http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=185195

I know of Georg Thiele's list at the end of his book, as well as Andrew Arthy's list covering mid-1943 in the Mediterranean. A lot of information is spread throughout other titles, including de Zeng and Stankey's excellent Units volumes. However, noone seems to have made any attempt to bring all the data together. Is there a good modern source out there?

Regards,

Paul

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have you looked at
http://www.uboat.net/
Alex

[Paul Thompson]

Hello Alex,

I have looked at quite a few Web sources, their problem is that they are incomplete and contradictory. Furthermore, nothing on the Web addresses the subject of Luftwaffe ship sinkings directly. For example, the page on uboat.net - http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/war_losses.html - simply lists all losses known to the authors and makes an attempt to note the cause of each loss in the broadest outline. Therefore, it's not very good for the specific subject in question. Having said that, I concede that it has some good material on Allied submarines, as reflected in the list of updates - http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships...t_updates.html

I understand that my query is broad and therefore finding the relevant infromation is difficult. Do you know of a source or sources for specific campaigns, for example the Mediterranean in 1941?

Regards,

Paul

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Paul Thompson

I understand that my query is broad and therefore finding the relevant infromation is difficult. Do you know of a source or sources for specific campaigns, for example the Mediterranean in 1941?

Regards,

Paul

You could try the collection of Admiralty War Diaries on Fold3.com.

[RT]

You could also try to collect all the german claims !

Nd divide by 3

Rémi

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

You could try the collection of Admiralty War Diaries on Fold3.com.

Hello Nick,

Thank you for the idea, I will certainly look at some of those files when I can set aside some time. Sorting through the diaries is a research task in itself! I don't wish to appear difficult, but I'm quite surprised that there seems to be no publication on the topic, even though it is of interest to many. My idea was to supplement my research on Luftwaffe strength and losses with some comments about its operations against naval targets, but it seems that will be more difficult than I thought.

Originally Posted by RT

Nd divide by 3

Rémi

Hello Rémi,

I think that German over-claims are an interesting subject, the issue is that there is no claims list to look at, since Jim Perry hasn't extended his lists to include ships

Regards,

Paul

[Brian Bines]

A list could be made up from searching under " British Naval Vessels Lost at Sea 1939-45-Naval-History.Net" it can be searched on class of vessel or theatre ( this is based on the original Admiralty HMSO publication dated 1947). Having listed the ships shown under lost to aircraft a web search under HMS ------- for each ship would give up to date details on each loss.

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by Brian Bines

A list could be made up from searching under " British Naval Vessels Lost at Sea 1939-45-Naval-History.Net" it can be searched on class of vessel or theatre ( this is based on the original Admiralty HMSO publication dated 1947). Having listed the ships shown under lost to aircraft a web search under HMS ------- for each ship would give up to date details on each loss.

Hello Brian,

I am aware of that website, it is a good source, but it covers only the Royal Navy and does not always make distinctions between German and Italian attacks. Out of all the Web sources, Chronik des Seekrieges is the best, but even that often resorts to best guesses in its coverage of air attacks.

Would it be reasonable to say that you haven't encountered any research dealing specifically with the matter of air attacks? I know of a couple of recent pieces written from the Soviet perspective, but I haven't found any German or Allied ones.

Regards,

Paul

[Brian Bines]

Paul, I have only used the site I mentioned in respect of some research I done for one of my neighbours a RN vet. I thought it might have been of some use to you. The Book "Kampfgeschwader 100 Wiking" by Ulf Balke includes chapters on shipping attacks by that unit including the sinking of the Roma and attack on the Warspite etc.,

Regards
Brian Bines

[Nokose]

Paul, You might try the book "Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two" by Juergen Rohwer (+532 pages). It's a day by day of the war at sea. It has vessels that were sunk by the Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine and German mines.