Date | Location | Name | Deaths | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 November 1781, et seq | Caribbean Sea, east of Jamaica | Zong massacre | 132–142 | In order to claim on insurance, 132 to 142 African slaves were thrown overboard when potable water ran low.[1] | |
8 April 1917 | Western Approaches, 150 miles south-west of Scilly | SS Torrington | 34 | After torpedoing Torrington, U-55s commander took the crew on deck and sank their lifeboats, then submerged, leaving them to drown. One crew member survived. | |
27 June 1918 | Western Approaches, 116 miles west of Fastnet | Llandovery Castle | 234 | After torpedoing a Hospital ship, contrary to international law, U-86 rammed and sank lifeboats, firing on survivors. 24 crew escaped. | |
8 August 1940 | Central Atlantic, 800 miles west of Canary Islands | SS Anglo Saxon | 39 | After sinking Anglo Saxon, German raider Widder fired on the lifeboats. One escaped, two crew survived. | |
13 March 1944 | South Atlantic | SS Peleus | 32 | After torpedoing Peleus, U-852 fired on survivors clinging to wreckage. Three survived. | |
18 March 1944 | Indian Ocean, off Tanjung Priok | SS Behar | 104–108 | After sinking Behar, Japanese cruiser Tone took the crew on board, then later killed them by beheading. Four men escaped. | |
26 March 1944 | Pacific Ocean | Bismarck Sea Massacre | Unknown | After destroying a Japanese convoy, Allied boats and planes attacked Japanese rescue vessels, as well as survivors on life rafts and swimming or floating in the sea.[2] | |
4 March 1943 | Indian Ocean | SS Tjisalak | 105 | After torpedoing Tjisalak, Japanese submarine I-8 took the survivors on board, then beat them to death. | |
5 May 1985 | Jaffna District, Sri Lanka | Kumudini boat massacre | 23 | Kumudini boat massacre, massacre of 23 Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea off Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. | |
2 January 1993 | Jaffna District, Sri Lanka | Jaffna lagoon massacre | [3] | 38Jaffna lagoon massacre, massacre of 38 Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan Navy in the sea off Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. |