Source:
Grove, Eric J. The Defeat of the Enemy Attack on Shipping
1939-1945, Table 1.
Navy Records Society, volume 137 (Ashgate Publications), 1997.
Despite the title, this book contains some valuable information
on the WW1 submarine campaign, and is well worth consulting.
| - | Feb-Apr '17 | - | - | May-Jul '17 | - | - | Aug-Oct '17 | - | - | Nov '17-Jan '18 | - | - | Feb-Apr '18 | - | - | May-Jul '18 | - | - | Aug-Oct '18 | - | - | TOTAL: Feb 1917-Oct 1918 | - | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | convoyed | sunk | loss rate | ||
| Dutch and Scandinavian Convoys, & UK Coastal Convoys | 3,233 | 18 | 0.55% | 8,540 | 25 | 0.29% | 9,317 | 33 | 0.35% | 8,596 | 24 | 0.28% | 9,384 | 19 | 0.20% | 13,516 | 35 | 0.28% | 15,312 | 7 | 0.5% | 67,888 | 161 | 0.24% | |
| Ocean Convoys | 0 | - | - | 167 | 2 | 0.84% | 2,495 | 16 | 0.64% | 2,663 | 19 | 0.71% | 3,036 | 18 | 0.59% | 3,647 | 22 | 0.60% | 4,062 | 19 | 0.47% | 16,070 | 96 | 0.60% | |
| Total Convoys | 3,233 | 18 | 0.55% | 8,707 | 27 | 0.31% | 11,812 | 49 | 0.41% | 11,259 | 43 | 0.38% | 12,420 | 37 | 0.30% | 17,163 | 57 | 0.33% | 19,374/td> | 26 | 0.13% | 83,958 | 257 | 0.30% | Only 2 ships were sunk which had AIR as well as SURFACE escort | Independent Losses | - | 410 | - | - | 356 | - | - | 221 | - | - | 156 | - | - | 169 | - | - | 85 | - | - | 103 | - | - | 1,500 | - | Loss Rate in UK Overseas trade sailed independently | - | - | Not less than 10% (Apr 20%) | - | - | 10% | - | - | 8.58% | - | - | 4.44% | - | - | 5.41% | - | - | 5.61% | - | - | 3.14% | - | - | 5.93% | Total of Independent and Convoy Losses | - | 428 | - | - | 383 | - | - | 270 | - | - | 199 | - | - | 206 | - | - | 142 | - | - | 129 | - | - | 1,757 | - | Percentage of Total Losses that were Independent | - | - | 95.5% | - | - | 93% | - | - | 83% | - | - | 78.4% | - | - | 82% | - | - | 60% | - | - | 80% | - | - | 85.5% |
| Remarks | - | Dutch and French coal trade (cross-Channel) and Scottish NE Coast Convoyes started Feb. Scandinavian and East Coast Convoys started end of April | - | - | Homeward Ocean Convoys started July | - | - | Outward Ocean Convoys started mid Aug through Gibraltar and Med. Convoys started Oct. | - | - | Ocean Convoy system fully developed by November | - | - | Irish Sea offensive by u-boats, Ocean Convoys extended to terminal ports in England, East Coast Convoy system reorganised Feb. | - | Irish Sea Convoy developed in June | - | - | East Coast Convoy reorganised and extended Aug. North Cornish Coast Convoy started Oct. | - | - | - | - | - | Exact statistics of the loss rate of independent Coast Shipping are not available. It was however considerably greater than that of Coastal Shipping in Convoy |
Return to WWI The Maritime War
Return to WWI Archive main page.