List of battles and other violent events by death toll
World War II
Columns: Estimate | Name | Nat. | Ship type | Where sunk | Date
9,000 | Wilhelm Gustloff | Germany | Cruise ship | Baltic Sea | Jan 30, 1945 | 6,000-6,700 | Goya | Germany | Troopship | Baltic Sea | Apr 16, 1945 | 5,000-7,000 | Armenia | USSR | Hospital ship | Black Sea | Nov 7, 1941 | 5,000-7,000 | Cap Arcona | Germany | Prison ship | Baltic Sea | May 3, 1945 | 5,620 | Junyō Maru | Japan | Hell ship | Indian Ocean | Sep 18, 1944 | 5,400 | Toyama Maru | Japan | Troopship | Sea of Japan | Jun 29, 1944 | 4,998 | Ryusei Maru | Japan | Troopship | Bali Sea | Feb 25, 1944 | 4,755 | Tamatsu Maru | Japan | Troopship | Off Luzon | Aug 19, 1944 | 3,900-5,000 | Totila | Germany | Cargo ship | Crimean Peninsula | May 10, 1944 | 4,074 | Oria | Germany | Troopship | Cape Sounion | Feb 12, 1944 | 3,850 | Orion | Germany | Auxiliary cruiser | Baltic Sea | May 4, 1945 | 3,000-4,500 (1,738 known dead; 2,477 survived) | HMTLancastria | UK | Troopship | Bay of Biscay | Jun 17, 1940 | 2,000-4,000 | Teja | Germany | Cargo ship | Crimean Peninsula | May 10, 1944 | 2,000-5,400 | Ural Maru | Japan | Troopship | South China Sea | Sep 27, 1944 | 3,536 | Mayasan Maru | Japan | Troopship | East China Sea | Aug 17, 1944 | 3,000-4,000 | General von Steuben | Germany | Passenger ship | Baltic Sea | Feb 10, 1945 | 3055 -3063 | Yamato | Japan | Battleship | Sea of Japan | Apr 7, 1945 | 3,000 | Tango Maru | Japan | Hell ship | Bali Sea | Feb 25, 1944 | 2,750 | Thielbek | Germany | Prison ship | Baltic Sea | May 3, 1945 | 2,750 | Lenin | USSR | Passenger ship | Black Sea | Jul 27, 1941 | 2,700 | Moero | Germany | Hospital ship | Baltic Sea | Sep 22, 1944 | 2,670 | Petrella | Germany | Cargo liner | Suda Bay, Crete | Feb 8, 1944 | 2,665 | Teia Maru | Japan | Troopship | Off Luzon | Aug 18, 1944 | 2,586 | Yoshida Maru | Japan | Troopship | Off Luzon | Apr 26, 1944 | 2,571 | Rigel | Norway | Cargo ship | Off Norway | Nov 27, 1944 | 2,300 | Akitsu Maru | Japan | Escort aircraft carrier | Manila Bay | Nov 15, 1944 | 2,134 | Hawaii Maru | Japan | Troopship | East China Sea | Dec 2, 1944 | 2;114 | Edogawa Maru | Japan | Troopship | Yellow sea | Nov 18, 1944 | 2,106 -2,200 | Bismarck | Germany | Battleship | Atlantic Ocean | May 27, 1941 | 2,098 | Sinfra | France | Cargo ship | Suda Bay, Crete | Oct 20, 1943 | 2,035 | Kamakura Maru | Japan | Troopship | Philippines Sea | Apr 28, 1943 | 2,003 | Awa Maru | Japan | Hospital ship | Taiwan Straits | Apr 1, 1945 | 2,000 | Dainichi Maru | Japan | Hell ship , Troopship | Philippines Sea | Oct 8, 1943 | 2,000 | Salzburg | Germany | Cargo liner | Black Sea | Oct 1, 1942 | 2,000 | Iosif Stalin | USSR | Passenger ship | Baltic Sea | Dec 3, 1941 | 1,932 | Scharnhorst | Germany | Battleship | Arctic Ocean | Dec 26, 1943 | 1,796 | Gaetano Donizetti | Italy | Cargo ship | Aegean Sea | Sep 23, 1943 | 1,777 | Arisan Maru | Japan | Hell ship | China Sea | Oct 24, 1944 | 1,747 | Arabia Maru | Japan | Troopship | South China Sea | Oct 18, 1944 | 1,700 | Takahito Maru | Japan | Hospital ship | Taiwan Strait | Mar 19, 1943 | 1,658 | RMSLaconia | UK | Armed merchant cruiser | South Atlantic | Sep 12, 1942 | 660 -1,650 | Taihō | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Philippine Sea | Mar 7, 1944 | 1,636 | Yamashiro | Japan | Battleship | Surigao Strait | Oct 25, 1944 | 1,540 | Koshu Maru | Japan | Hell ship | Indonesia | Aug 4, 1944 | 1,529 | Tsushima Maru | Japan | Passenger ship | Sea of Japan | Aug 22, 1944 | 1,470 | Chiyoda | Japan | Light aircraft carrier | Philippines Sea | Oct 25, 1944 | 1,450 | Maebashi Maru | Japan | Troopship | Pacific Ocean | Sep 30, 1943 | 1,435 | Shinano | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Pacific Ocean | Nov 29, 1944 | 1,430 | Jinyo Maru | Japan | Cargo ship | South China Sea | Dec 7, 1944 | 1,428 | Shiranesan Maru (I) | Japan | Troopship | South China Sea | Oct 18, 1944 | 1,415 | HMSHood | UK | Battlecruiser | Denmark Strait | May 24, 1941 | 1,400 | Fusō | Japan | Battleship | Surigao Strait | Oct 25, 1944 | 1,400 | Chikuma | Japan | Heavy cruiser | Philippine Sea | Oct 25, 1944 | 1,400 | Tatsuta Maru | Japan | Troopship | Sea of Japan | Feb 9, 1943 | 1,384 | Fuso Maru | Japan | Troopship | South China Sea | Jul 31, 1944 | 1,300 | Mario Roselli | Italy | Cargo ship | Corfu Bay | Oct 10, 1943 | 1,291 | Conte Rosso | Italy | Troopship | Mediterranean Sea | May 24, 1941 | 1.288 | Yasukuni Maru | Japan | Troopship | Philippines Sea | Jan 31, 1944 | 1,279 | Khedive Ismail | Egypt | Troopship | Indian Ocean | Feb 12, 1944 | 1,263 | Shōkaku | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Philippine Sea | Jun 19, 1944 | 1,253 | Roma | Italy | Battleship | Mediterranean | Sep 8, 1943 | 1,250 | Kongō | Japan | Battleship | Formosa Strait | Nov 21, 1944 | 1,243 | Chuyo | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Izu Islands | Dec 4, 1943 | 1,240 | Unryū | Japan | Escort aircraft carrier | East China Sea | Dec 19, 1944 | 1,207 | HMSGlorious | UK | Aircraft carrier | Norwegian Sea | Jun 8, 1940 | 1,177 | USSArizona | USA | Battleship | Pearl Harbor | Dec 7, 1941 | 1,159 | Rakuyo Maru | Japan | Hell ship | South China Sea | Sep 12, 1944 | 1,138 | Rohna | UK | Troopship | Mediterranean | Nov 26, 1943 | 1,124 | Montevideo Maru | Japan | Hell ship | Philippine Sea? | Jul 1, 1942 | 1,121 | Mutsu | Japan | Battleship | Hashirajima ( Japan ) | Jun 8, 1943 | 1,118 | Hakozaki Maru | Japan | Troopship | Yellow Sea | Mar 19, 1945 | 1,023 | Musashi | Japan | Battleship | Leyte Gulf | Oct 24, 1944 | 1,000 | Eiwa Maru | Japan | Tanker ship | South China Sea | Nov 13, 1944 | 991 | Galilea | Italy | Troopship | Mediterranean Sea | Mar 28, 1942 | 956-1,025 | Neuwerk | Germany | Cargo ship | Baltic Sea | Apr 10, 1945 | 977 | Bretagne | France | Battleship | Mers El Kébir | Jul 3, 1940 | 850-1,100 | Shuntien | UK | Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship | Mediterranean Sea | Dec 23, 1941 | 970 | Karlsruhe | Germany | Cargo ship | Baltic sea | Apr 13, 1945 | 956 | Taihei Maru | Japan | Troopship | Sea of Okhotsk | Jul 9, 1944 | 954 | Palatia | Germany | Passenger ship | Off Lindesnes | Oct 21, 1942 | 946 | Exercise Tiger | UK | Military exercise | South Devon | Apr 28, 1944 | 945 | Aikoku Maru | Japan | Armed merchant cruiser | Pacific Ocean | Feb 17, 1944 | 918 | Corregidor | Philippines | Ocean liner | South China Sea | Dec 12, 1941 | 920 | Blücher | Germany | Heavy cruiser | Oslofjord | Apr 9, 1940 | 903 | Chitose | Japan | Light aircraft carrier | Philippines Sea | Oct 25, 1944 | 800 -901 | Unyō | Japan | Escort aircraft carrier | South China Sea | Sep 17, 1944 | 900 | Haguro | Japan | Heavy cruiser | Strait of Malacca | May 16, 1945 | 895 | Tirpitz | Germany | Battleship | Tromsø | Nov 12, 1944 | 883 | USSIndianapolis | USA | Heavy cruiser | Philippine Sea | Jul 30, 1945 | 881 | Nachi | Japan | Heavy cruiser | Manila Bay | Nov 5, 1944 | 862 | HMSBarham | UK | Battleship | Mediterranean Sea | Nov 25, 1941 | 858 | RMSNova Scotia | UK | Troopship | Indian Ocean | Nov 28, 1942 | 846 | Lisbon Maru | Japan | Hell ship | East China Sea | Oct 1, 1942 | 843 | Zuikaku | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Leyte Gulf | Oct 25,1944 | 833 | HMSRoyal Oak | UK | Battleship | Scapa Flow | Oct 14, 1939 | 817 | Taiyo Maru | Japan | Passenger ship | East China Sea | May 8, 1942 | 814 | Kaga | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Midway | Jun 4, 1942 | 808 | Leopoldville | Belgium | Troopship | English Channel | Dec 24, 1944 | 791 | Struma | Panama | Passenger | Black Sea | Feb 24, 1942 | 718 | Sōryū | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Midway | Jun 4, 1942 | 693 | USSHouston | USA | Heavy cruiser | Java Sea | March 1, 1942 | 655 | Ceramic | UK | Passenger | Atlantic Ocean | Dec 6, 1942 | 645 | HMASSydney | UK | Light cruiser | Indian Ocean | Nov 19, 1941 | 631 | Shōhō | Japan | Aircraft carrier | Coral Sea | May 7, 1942 | 549 | Ukishima Maru | Japan | Transport | Maizuru , Japan | Aug 24, 1945 | 518 | HMSCourageous | UK | Aircraft carrier | Irish coast | Sep 17, 1939 | 513 | HMSRepulse | UK | Battlecruiser | South China Sea | Dec 10, 1941 | 484 | Yoma | UK | Troopship | Mediterranean | June 17, 1943 | 353 | HMASPerth | UK | Light cruiser | Sunda Strait | Mar 1, 1942 | 338 | HMSCuracoa | UK | Light cruiser | Atlantic? | Oct 2, 1942 | 327 | HMSPrince of Wales | UK | Battleship | South China Sea | Dec 10, 1941 | 271 | Ilmarinen | Finland | Coastal defence ship | Baltic Sea | Sep 13, 1941 | 159 | USSAsheville | USA | Gunboat | Java Sea | March 3, 1942 | 137 | Caribou | Canada | Ferry | Cabot Strait | Oct 14, 1942