List of missing ships explained

This is a list of missing ships and wrecks. If it is known that the ship in question sank, then its wreck has not yet been located.

Ships are usually declared lost and assumed wrecked after a period of disappearance. The disappearance of a ship usually implies all hands lost. Without witnesses or survivors, the mystery surrounding the fate of missing ships has inspired many items of nautical lores and the creation of paranormal zones such as the Bermuda Triangle. In many cases a probable cause has been deduced, such as a known storm or warfare, but it could not be confirmed without witnesses or sufficient documentation.

Many disappearances occurred before wireless telegraphy became available in navigation applications in the late 1890s, which would have allowed crew to send a distress call. Sudden disasters such as military strike, collision, rogue wave, or piracy could also prevent a crew from sending a distress call and reporting a location.

Among the many missing ships on the list are submarines, which have limited communication, and provide the crew almost no chance of survival if struck by disaster under water.

The advancement of radar technology by the end of World War II and today's Global Positioning System make it more likely that a distressed vessel will be located.

Most vessels currently listed as missing disappeared over a vast search area and/or deep water and there is little commercial interest in searching for the vessels and salvaging the wreck and its contents. Often the search and recovery costs are prohibitive even with today's sonar and wrecking technologies and could not be compensated by salvaged valuables, even if there were any on board. The search for these types of missing vessels is usually motivated by historical, legal or actuarial interests requiring the aid of government funding such as in the 2008 discovery of HMAS Sydney and Kormoran.[1]

The list is organised by the marine region in which the disappearance or sinking occurred, or the closest country to the area. The year of the disappearance, last known location, and possible location of the wreck are included.

High seas

The following lists contain entries that could not be referenced to an area close to any one particular country or an area definitely in international waters.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Banham . Cynthia . 15 August 2005 . PM offers reward to find sunken warship . The Sydney Morning Herald . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604162945/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/08/14/1123957949752.html . 4 June 2011.
  2. Web site: HMS Blenheim (+1807) . Wreck Site . 12 October 2013.
  3. "The Loss of the Waratah. The Times 23 February 1911 p.24
  4. Web site: Never heard of – Mysteries of the Atlantic Ferry. https://web.archive.org/web/20080312064541/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Wrecks/never.htm. dead. 12 March 2008.
  5. Book: The Wreck of the Andrea Gail: Three Days of a Perfect Storm. 9780823936779. Houghton. Gillian. 15 December 2002.
  6. Web site: L'Acadien II – Update. https://web.archive.org/web/20080412080607/http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/newsrel/2008/20080410b_e.htm. dead. 12 April 2008. dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
  7. Web site: Canadian fisherman, 1920. 1914.
  8. Boyer, Dwight. True Tales of the Great Lakes. Cleveland: Freshwater Press, 1971. (pgs. 293–294)
  9. Web site: Leafield (Propeller), sunk, 9 Nov 1913. images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca.
  10. 29 February 1932 . Aeronautics: Flights & Flyers, Feb. 29, 1932 . Time . 10 December 2023 . content.time.com.
  11. Web site: Search goes on for undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks. MPR News. 8 July 2018 .
  12. Web site: D. M. Clemson (Propeller), sunk, 2 Dec 1908. images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca.
  13. Web site: 8 undiscovered shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. Ann. Zaniewski. Detroit Free Press.
  14. http://home.pacbell.net/corwind/cgreport.html Marine Sulphur Queen Coast Guard Report Summary of Findings
  15. Web site: PLYMOUTH (1854, Propeller). Michigan 49707. USA356-6188. greatlakeships.org.
  16. Web site: Albany. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  17. Web site: Cyclop. navy.mil. 31 May 2018. 20 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120920133256/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c16/cyclops-ii.htm. dead.
  18. Web site: Nourse Line . TheShipsList . 1 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002234018/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/nourse.htm . 2 October 2011.
  19. Web site: 3 September 1959 . Boys' Life . Boy Scouts of America, Inc. . Google Books.
  20. Grocott, Terence. Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras, Caxton Editions, Great Britain: 2002.
  21. Web site: Insurgent. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  22. News: 5 September 1869 . The Missing Boston Clipper Ship Java . The New York Times . 10 December 2023.
  23. Web site: Lynx. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  24. News: España suspendió el alerta por el Maratonga. Diario Río Negro. Bariloche. 2 November 2015. 16 July 2017. Spanish.
  25. Web site: Nereus. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  26. Web site: Pickering. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  27. Web site: Proteus. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  28. Web site: Saratoga. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  29. Web site: Gujarat saw a Titanic in 1888 | Ahmedabad News – Times of India. The Times of India.
  30. Web site: Deccan Herald July 20, 2005.
  31. Web site: The Type IXD2 U-boat U-196 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  32. Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. .
  33. Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. .
  34. Web site: Runner. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  35. Web site: Sword fish. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  36. Web site: Grayling. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  37. Web site: Porpoise. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  38. Web site: Snook. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  39. Web site: HMS Sickle (P 224) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  40. Web site: UB 3 - uboat.net. uboat.net. 24 March 2023.
  41. Web site: Java, Cunard Line . Norway Heritage .
  42. Web site: The Type VIIB U-boat U-47 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  43. Web site: The Type IIB U-boat U-22 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  44. Web site: The Type VIIB U-boat U-54 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  45. Web site: The Type IXB U-boat U-122 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  46. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-240 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  47. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-337 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  48. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-376 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  49. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-455 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  50. Web site: The Type IXC U-boat U-519 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  51. Web site: Remember. Cymric and 11 crew. 6 October 2015.
  52. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-703 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  53. Semmes, Raphael, The Cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter, Carleton, 1864, Digitized by Digital Scanning Incorporated, 2001,
  54. Web site: HMS Seahorse (98 S) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  55. Web site: HMS Snapper (N 39) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  56. Web site: ORP Orzeł (85 A) of the Polish Navy - Polish Submarine of the Orzeł class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 3 February 2019.
  57. Web site: SV Amy Louise (+1909) . The Wrecksite . 28 September 2019.
  58. http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/nsw-main.html Shipwrecks of New South Wales
  59. Encyclopedia: Stone . Peter . Northern territory . Encyclopedia of Australian Shipwrecks . 14 August 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100804032419/http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/nt-main.html . 4 August 2010 . live .
  60. Australian Shipwrecks – vol 1 1622–1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, p50
  61. http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/tas-main.html Shipwrecks of Tasmania
  62. http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/furneaux-main.html Furneaux Group Shipwrecks
  63. http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/macquarie-main.html Macquarie Island Shipwrecks
  64. Web site: KING ISLAND – MAINFRAME. Peter. Stone. oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au. 31 May 2018.
  65. http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/kent-main.html Kent Group Shipwrecks
  66. Web site: Wrecksite – Christina Fraser Cargo Ship (1925–1933)..
  67. News: 28 June 1933 . Search Goes On by Air &Sea . 1 . Newcastle Sun . 31 October 2022.
  68. Book: Bauer , K. Jack . Roberts, Stephen S. . Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Greenwood Press. 1991. Westport, Connecticut. 270. 978-0-313-26202-9 .
  69. Web site: Gudgeon (SS-211) of the US Navy - American Submarine of the Gar class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  70. Book: Eunson , Keith . The wreck of the General Grant. A.H. & A.W. Reed Ltd. 1974. 0-589-0080-3-X .
  71. Web site: Amberjack. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  72. Web site: Grampus. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  73. Web site: NZ Folk Song * The story of David Lowston. folksong.org.nz. 31 May 2018.
  74. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-355 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  75. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-398 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  76. Web site: The Type XB U-boat U-116 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  77. Web site: The Type IXC/40 U-boat U-184 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  78. Web site: The Type IXC/40 U-boat U-192 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  79. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-338 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  80. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-381 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  81. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-420 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  82. Web site: The Type IXC/40 U-boat U-529 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  83. Web site: The Type VIIC U-boat U-553 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  84. Web site: The Type IXC/40 U-boat U-1226 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  85. http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/churches/st_anns/atalanta.htm Memorials & Monuments in St Ann's Church – HMS Atalanta
  86. Web site: North Atlantic passenger steamship losses 1841 to 1978 . TheShipsList . 29 March 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080429022634/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Wrecks/nalosses.htm . 29 April 2008.
  87. Book: "The Bermuda Triangle" by Charles Berlitz
  88. Web site: Epervier. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  89. News: SCHIFFAHRT / JOHANNES KRÜSS: Marmoriert kraus. Der Spiegel . 20 March 1967. 31 May 2018. Spiegel Online.
  90. http://calisto.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-67/t1-g-t2.html The Lost Gold Ship – No 67 Autumn 2001 – La Trobe Journal
  91. Web site: Seefunkstelle Lashcarrier München / DEAT. Heinrich. Busch. seefunknetz.de. 31 May 2018.
  92. Web site: Dudley Dix on seaworthiness . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080430113013/http://www.smallcraftadvisor.com/seaworthiness.html . 30 April 2008 . smallcraftadvisor.com.
  93. Web site: HMS Stonehenge (P 232) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. uboat.net. 31 May 2018.
  94. http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main7.asp?filename=Ne100904HER_HEART.asp 25 years since the Kairali sunk
  95. Web site: Wrecksite website. wrecksite.eu. 31 May 2018.
  96. Australian Shipwrecks – vol1 1622–1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, p52
  97. http://www.orf.i.net.au/SYAurora.html The S Y Aurora...All that Remains
  98. Australian Shipwrecks – vol1 1622–1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, p40
  99. Web site: Kete. navy.mil. 31 May 2018.
  100. News: Lyman D. Foster Overdue. 13 October 1919. Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW: 1891 – 1954). 13 November 2022. 4.
  101. News: Schooner Lyman D. Foster. 17 December 1919. Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW: 1891–1954). 13 November 2022. 4.

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