List of naval battles


This list of naval battles is a chronological list delineating important naval battles that have occurred throughout history, from the beginning of naval warfare with the Hittites in the 12th century BC to Piracy off the coast of Somalia in the 21st century. If a battle has no commonly used name isn't known it's referred to as "Action of " within the list below.

Ancient

Middle Ages

5th century

Later 16th century

The Russian calendar was eleven days behind the Swedish during the 18th century, so Russian dates are eleven days earlier.
YearDateBattleNotes
1914–1918First Battle of the Atlantic
1914August 16Battle of Antivari
August 28Battle of Heligoland BightBritish Grand Fleet ambushes and sinks German ships on patrol off Germany's coast; led Germany to pursue a fleet in being strategy for most of the rest of the war
October 28Battle of Penang
November 1Battle of CoronelGerman cruisers under von Spee defeat a British cruiser force off the coast of Chile; German victory
November 9Battle of CocosHMAS Sydney intercepts and forces the beaching of SMS Emden; Australian victory
November 18Battle of Cape Sarych
December 8Battle of the Falkland IslandsBritish battlecruiser force virtually wipes out von Spee's squadron.
1915January 24Battle of Dogger BankBlucher sunk by British battlecruisers in the North Sea.
February 19Naval operations in the Dardanelles CampaignMainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia against Ottoman Empire and ended with Turkish victory
May 1Battle off Noordhinder Bank
July 2Russian raid on GotlandRussian cruiser squadron intercepts German cruiser force laying mines off the Åland Islands. German mine-laying cruiser Albatross sunk and cruisers Roon and Prince Adalbert damaged.
December 10Battle of Kirpen Island
1916May 31 - June 1Battle of JutlandInconclusive two-day battle between the main British and German fleets, largest and only such engagement of World War I.
1917April 21Battle of Dover StraitDestroyer battle.
15 MayRaid on the Otranto Barrage
17 OctoberBattle of Moon SoundGerman and Russian forces clash in the Baltic Sea.
November 17Second Battle of Heligoland Bight
1918January 20Battle of ImbrosOttomans and British fight off Imbros in the Aegean.

Between the World Wars (1919–39)