As of 31 December 1943 the ocean-going German Merchant Navy comprised 897 vessels of more than 1,500 gross register tons, with a total tonnage of 4,956,435 gross register tons and 7,111,364 tons deadweight. This represents a net growth of 67 vessels, with a gross tonnage of 366,302 and a deadweight of 660,635 over the past two years.