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HISTORY
War
Largest Naval Battles by Number of Personnel
This list features the reputedly largest naval battles in history by the number of personnel involved.
RANK | BATTLE | PERSONNEL | SHIPS | YEAR |
1 | Battle of the Red Cliffs | 850,000 | N/A | 208 |
2 | Battle at Cape Ecnomus | 290,000 | 680 | 256 BC |
3 | Battle of Salamis | 250,000 | 1,578 | Oct, 480 BC |
4 | Battle of Yamen | 200,000 | 1,050 | 19 Mar, 1279 |
5 | Battle of Leyte Gulf | 200,000 | 285 | 23 Oct, 1944 |
6 | Battle of Lepanto | 150,000 | 436 | 7 Oct, 1571 |
7 | Battle of the Philippine Sea | 127,000 | 223 | 19-20 Jun, 1944 |
8 | Battle of Jutland | 100,000 | 249 | 31 May, 1916 |
9 | Battle of Actium | 91,000 | 900 | 2 Sep, 31 BC |
10 | Battle of Trafalgar | 47,000 | 73 | 21 Oct, 1805 |
11 | Battle of Midway | 7,000++ | 775 | 4-7 Jun, 1942 |
References
International Relations Careers. (n.d.). Largest naval battles in history. https://internationalrelationscareers.com/issues/largest-naval-battles-in-history/ (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Norwich University. (n.d.). Largest naval sea battles in military history. https://online.norwich.edu/online/about/resource-library/largest-naval-sea-battles-military-history (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Battle of the Philippine Sea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Philippine_Sea (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Battle of Midway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Battle of Trafalgar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Battle of Cape Ecnomus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Ecnomus (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Battle of Actium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Actium (Accessed 1 December 2025).
National WWII Museum. (n.d.). Battle of Midway. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-of-midway#:~:text=By%20June%201942%2C%20PBY%20Catalinas,of%2050%2D150%20miles%20apart. (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Britannica. (n.d.). Battle of Midway. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway (Accessed 1 December 2025).
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