The list of shipwrecks in April 1941 includes all ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during April 1941.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine and was damaged in the Baltic Sea west of Falsterbo. She was beached, but was later refloated and towed to Malmö.[1]
World War II: Convoy HX 114: The tanker was bombed, machine gunned and damaged in the Irish Sea 13 nautical miles (24 km) north west of the Smalls Lighthouse by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 27, Luftwaffe. She was abandoned and later reboarded and taken in tow; but was bombed again and abandoned for a second time. San Conrado sank the next day 12 nautical miles (22 km) south of the Tuskar Rock.[1][3][8]
World War II: The naval trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea 5 miles (8.0 km) off St Abb's HeadNorthumberland by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of all fifteen crew.[1]
World War II: Convoy AS 23: The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in the Mediterranean Sea off Gavdos by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of II Staffeln, Lehrgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe. She was scuttled by HMS Nubian (Royal Navy). Survivors were rescued by HMS Voyager (Royal Navy).[1][3]
World War II: The coaster was bombed and sunk in the North Sea approximately 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) south by west of Tod Head, Aberdeenshire by Luftwaffe aircraft. Her crew were rescued.[1]
World War II: The Sauro-class destroyer suffered an engine breakdown in the Red Sea and was scuttled on the Arabian coast south of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the loss of one of her 182 crew.[1][20]
World War II: The Sauro-class destroyer was bombed and sunk in the Red Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Port Sudan, Egypt by Fleet Air Arm aircraft. There were around 35 dead and 145 survivors.[1][21]
World War II: Convoy SC 26: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (approximately 60°N20°W / 60°N 20°W / 60; -20) by U-76 (Kriegsmarine) with the loss of eighteen of her crew. There were a few survivors.[1][22]
World War II: The Sauro-class destroyer was bombed and sunk in the Red Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Port Sudan by Fleet Air Arm aircraft with the loss of 78 of her 173 crew.[1][27]
World War II: The Leone-class destroyer was bombed and damaged in the Red Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Port Sudan by Fleet Air Arm aircraft. She was shelled and sunk by HMS Kingston (Royal Navy) on the Arabian coast south of Jeddah after her crew had gone ashore. One crew member was lost.[1][29]
World War II: The Leone-class destroyer was bombed and damaged in the Red Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Port Sudan by Fleet Air Arm aircraft. She was shelled and sunk by HMS Kingston (Royal Navy). Two crew members were killed and one died of wounds months later.[1][32]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft 40 nautical miles (74 km) north of The Smalls. She was subsequently repaired and returned to service.[42]
World War II: The coaster was bombed and sunk in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) east north east of Aberdeen by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of three of her crew.[1]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The Cameron-classsteamship was bombed and set on fire at Piraeus by Heinkel He 111 aircraaft of II Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 4, Luftwaffe on 6 April. Her cargo of TNT exploded, sinking her with the loss of six of her crew and wrecking the harbour.[1][3]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Piraeus by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was refloated in 1942, repaired and entered German service as Lüneburg.[72]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The cargo ship was damaged at Piraeus by Luftwaffe bombing and was beached at Salamis Island with the loss of four of her crew.[1]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The cargo ship was sunk at Piraeus by Luftwaffe bombing or the explosion of Clan Fraser (United Kingdom).[1] She was later refloated, and was scrapped in 1948.[73]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The cargo ship was set on fire at Piraeus by Luftwaffe bombing, or by the explosion of Clan Fraser (United Kingdom). She was towed out of port and scuttled.[1]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Berry Head by a Heinkel He 111K aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Her sixteen crew were rescued.[1][89]
World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper was bombed and beached at Harwich by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was refloated on 10 May and eventually scrapped at Tilbury, Essex.[1]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and severely damaged at Volos, Greece by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of one of her 28 crew. She was bombed again on 17 April and sank.[1][109] She was salvaged in 1950–52. Subsequently repaired and sold.[87]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and damaged at Volos by Luftwaffe aircraft and was beached. She was bombed again two days later and declared a total loss.[1]
World War II: the cargo ship was bombed and damaged in Eleusis Bay by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of II Staffeln, Lehrgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe. She was beached. Her crew were rescued.[3][116]
World War II: the cargo ship was bombed and damaged in Eleusis Bay by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of II Staffeln, Lehrgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe. She was beached. Her 97 crew were rescued. She was abandoned as a total loss on 19 April. The wreck was taken into Skaramangas, Greece in November 1945.[3][116][120]
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The transport ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the Kerkennah Islands by HMS Jervis and other vessels from the 14th Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy).[Note 1][123][122]
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The cargo ship was shelled in the Mediterranean sea off the Kerkennah Islands by ships of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Royal Navy and was beached. She was destroyed with demolition charges on 26 April by HMS Upholder (Royal Navy).[116][124]
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The Folgore-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean sea by the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Royal Navy.[125]
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the Kerkennah Islands by HMS Jervis, HMS Mohawk and HMS Nubian (all Royal Navy).[127]
World War II: The fishing trawler was bombed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean off Ballinskelligs, County Kerry, Ireland and was beached. She was later repaired and returned to service.[116]
Lampo aground World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The Folgore-class destroyer was shelled and heavily damaged in the Mediterranean sea by the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Royal Navy. With 141 dead aboard, she ran aground in the action, but was subsequently repaired and returned to service.[128]
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The Navigatori-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean sea by the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Royal Navy.[129]
HMS Mohawk sunk on her port side World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The Tribal-class destroyer, part of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, was torpedoed and sunk off the Kerkennah Islands by Luca Tarigo (Regia Marina) with the loss of 43 of her 219 crew.
World War II: Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: The ammunition ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the Kerkennah Islands by HMS Jervis, HMS Mohawk and HMS Nubian (all Royal Navy).[132]
World War II: The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the North Sea by a Kriegsmarine schnellboot. She was beached at Gorleston, Suffolk with no loss of life amongst her 40 crew. The ship was bombed a number of times and was declared to be beyond salvage on 20 May.[134]
World War II: Convoy FS 464: The cargo ship (1,298 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk by a Kriegsmarine schnellboot.[116]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and damaged at Piraeus by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was beached, but was later salvaged, repaired and entered German service as Wilhelmsburg.[1][135]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and damaged off Chalkis by Luftwaffe aircraft and was beached. After further bombing on 20 and 23 April she was declared a total loss.[116]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Chalkis by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was beached, but was later salvaged, repaired and entered German service.[1]
World War II: The tanker was bombed and damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south east of Dartmouth, Devon. She was subsequently repaired and returned to service.[157]
World War II: The tanker was attacked in the Mediterranean Sea off Tripoli, Libya, by HMS Truant (Royal Navy) and ran aground whilst evading her torpedoes. She was later salvaged, repaired and returned to service.[116]
World War II: The tug struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary at Dagenham, Essex along with three or four barges. Two lives were lost. The tug and one of the barges were later raised, repaired and returned to service.[116]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Tobruk by Junkers Ju 87 aircraft of III Staffeln, Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 and II Staffeln, Sturzkampfgeschwader 2, Luftwaffe and 96 & 236 Squadriglia, Regia Aeronautica.[3][116] She was later refloated, and was in use as a temporary wharf in 1950.[135]
The troopship caught fire and sank in the Porsangerfjorden, Norway with the loss of 138 of the 286 people aboard. The wreck was salvaged in 1946 and scrapped in 1948.[160]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Antirion by Luftwaffe aircraft. There were no casualties. She was later refloated and taken to Italy.[116][164]
World War II: The salvage vessel was bombed and sunk at Plymouth, Devon by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was raised on 14 May, repaired and returned to service.[116]
World War II: The tanker caught fire, burned out and sank in the Gulf of Corinth at Antikyra as a result of Thedol 2 (Greece) being bombed by Luftwaffe aircraft and set on fire. Ten of her crew were killed.[116]
World War II: The hospital ship was bombed and sunk. She was later raised, then bombed and sunk by aircraft while under repairs at Naples, Italy in June 1943.[173][174]
World War II: The auxiliary minelayer was sunk off Corfu by Luftwaffe aircraft without casualty. She was later salvaged and put in German service as UJ-2110.[181][182]
World War II: The coaster was bombed near Patras by Luftwaffe aircraft and sank the next day in the port from damage suffered from near misses. There were no casualties. She was later raised by the Italians and put in service.[116][183]
World War II: The Aliakmon-class trawler/auxiliary minelayer was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft at Psathopyrgos. Her crew, that had suffered fifteen wounded in air attacks on the two previous days, had gone ashore and there were no casualties.[186][187]
World War II: The coaster was bombed and sunk at Trisonia-Spilia by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was later refloated by the Germans and towed to Piraeus, where she was scrapped.[116]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in Nauplia Bay by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of seven of the 97 people on board. She was refloated on 1 October 1952 and subsequently scrapped.[116][191]
World War II: The coaster was bombed and sunk at Porto Heli by Luftwaffe aircraft. There were no casualties. She was refloated by the Germans and scrapped at Piraeus.[116][196]
World War II: The Rainbow-class submarine was bombed and damaged at Suda Bay by Luftwaffe aircraft and was beached. Later repaired and returned to service.[116]
World War II: Operation Demon: The troopship ran aground at Nauplia, Greece. She was bombed the next day by Luftwaffe aircraft and gutted by fire.[116]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Karystos by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was later salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered German service.[116]
World War II: Operation Demon: The troopship was bombed and damaged off San Giorgio Island by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of four of her crew. HMS Griffin (Royal Navy) rescued about 350 people and sank Pennland by gunfire.[116][202]
World War II: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the Aegean Sea by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was later raised, and was scrapped in Venice, Italy, in 1949.[116][206]
World War II: Battle of Greece The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Piraeus by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was subsequently refloated, but was wrecked at Chalkis.[73]
World War II: The cargo ship collided with HMT Lord Plender (Royal Navy) and sank in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, United Kingdom with the loss of three of her crew and three crew from HMT Lord Plender, which rescued the survivors.[221][222]
World War II: Battle of Greece, Slamat disaster: The troopship was bombed and sunk in the Argolic Gulf of the Peloponnese (37°01′N23°10′E / 37.017°N 23.167°E / 37.017; 23.167) by Junkers Ju 87 aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 77, Luftwaffe with the immediate loss of 193 of the 843 people aboard. Many survivors were rescued by HMS Diamond and HMS Wryneck (both Royal Navy) but most were killed when those ships were also sunk. Only five people survived.[224] The combined loss of Slamat, Diamond and Wryneck cost an estimated 983 lives. There were a total of 66 survivors from the three ships.[225]
World War II: Battle of Greece: The W-class destroyer was bombed and sunk in the Sea of Crete by Junkers Ju 87 aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 77, Luftwaffe with the loss of 107 of her 156 crew. Twenty-seven survivorw were rescued by HMS Griffin (Royal Navy), and 22 reached Suda Bay in the ship's whale boat.
World War II: The collier was bombed and damaged off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was on a voyage from Ipswich, Suffolk to West Hartlepool, County Durham. Empire Strait was subsequently repaired and returned to service.[239]
World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel was bombed and sunk at Plymouth by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was raised, repaired and returned to service in 1942.[116]
World War II: The Hunt-class minesweeper was bombed and damaged at Malta by Luftwaffe aircraft and was declared a constructive total loss. She was further damaged by bombing on 4 May and sank.
World War II: The Landing Ship, Infantry (Large) was severely damaged in the evacuation of military personnel from Greece. Subsequently repaired and returned to service.[253]
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 468. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
^ abMitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 437. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^ abMitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 438. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 393. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 439. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Ships 1939. London: Chatham House. p. 234. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
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