Warships and Submarines
Lost in battle and in peace: the Hood, the Bismarck, the Arizona, the Yamato, the Kursk, and the German fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow in 1919.
This chapter of Lost at Sea holds 58 ships. For each one we give what she was, when and where she was lost, why she is remembered and where she lies today. See all 489 ships on one page.
Marea can build any of these ships as she was on the day she sailed, with the maximum detail the records permit. Many of these wrecks are war graves or the resting place of those lost with them, and we build them with that in mind.
This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence, from museums, heritage registers, archaeological reports, official inquiries, newspapers and encyclopaedias. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these ships better than we do.
Have you spotted a mistake, or is a wreck missing? Tell us which ship and what to correct, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here
The ships
Warships and Submarines · United States (Union Navy)
USS Monitor Storm
31 December 1862 · About 16 miles south-east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°00'06“N 75°24'23”W
The ship Ironclad (turret ship), designed by John Ericsson, United States (Union Navy)
Built Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; launched 30 January 1862
Size 179 ft (54.6 m); 987 long tons
Aboard 49 officers and men
Lives lost 16; 47 rescued by USS Rhode Island
While under tow to Beaufort, North Carolina, she met a severe storm off Cape Hatteras. Water poured in through ventilation openings and the gap between turret and deck, and despite the pumps she sank.
Why she is remembered Her duel with CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads on 9 March 1862 was the first battle between armoured warships and made the monitor type famous.
The wreck today Found on 27 August 1973 by a Duke University led expedition at 230 ft (70 m). The site became the first US national marine sanctuary on 30 January 1975. Her turret was raised on 5 August 2002 and is conserved at The Mariners' Museum, Newport News; two sailors found in it were buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 8 March 2013.
Sources differ The published figures (49 aboard, 16 lost, 47 rescued) do not add up.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Confederate States
CSS Alabama War
Also known as Enrica
19 June 1864 · Off Cherbourg, France, English Channel, 49°45'09“N 1°41'42”W
The ship Screw sloop-of-war (commerce raider), Confederate States
Built John Laird Sons and Company, Birkenhead; launched 29 July 1862 as Enrica
Size 220 ft (67 m); 1,050 tons displacement
Aboard 170
Lives lost 19 (9 killed in action, 10 drowned)
The famous Confederate raider was blockaded at Cherbourg by USS Kearsarge and came out to fight. In about an hour Kearsarge, protected by chain armour, outgunned her, helped by Alabama's deteriorated powder; one of Alabama's shells lodged in Kearsarge's stern but failed to explode.
Why she is remembered The Alabama Claims against Britain for building Confederate raiders ended in a $15.5 million award to the United States. Édouard Manet painted the battle.
The wreck today Found in November 1984 by the French Navy minehunter Circé at about 200 ft (60 m). A French and US agreement of 3 October 1989 treats her as shared heritage; her bell and over 300 objects were recovered by 2002.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rear Admiral J. W. Schmidt [1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Italy (Regia Marina)
Re d'Italia War
20 July 1866 · Off Lissa (Vis), Adriatic Sea
The ship Armoured steam frigate (ironclad), Italy (Regia Marina)
Built William H. Webb, New York; launched 1863
Size 99.61 m overall
Aboard about 500 or more
Lives lost between 391 and 440 (27 officers and 364 men stated); about 160 to 177 rescued
At the Battle of Lissa her rudder was disabled, and the Austrian flagship Erzherzog Ferdinand Max rammed her at 11.5 knots, tearing a breach of about 15 square metres below the armour belt. She capsized and sank within minutes at about 11:30, her crew firing until the end.
Why she is remembered Sunk by ramming at the Battle of Lissa with the loss of most of her crew; the painter Ippolito Caffi and the deputy Pier Carlo Boggio were aboard.
The wreck today Found in spring 2005 off the Dalmatian coast at 105 m, listing slightly to starboard.
Sources differ Deaths 391 to 440; survivors 160 to 177.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Gemälde von Gustav Kappler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Captain Storm
7 September 1870 · Off Cape Finisterre, Spain, Atlantic
The ship Masted turret ship (ironclad), United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Laird Brothers, Birkenhead; launched 27 March 1869
Size 320 ft (97.54 m); 7,767 long tons as built (designed 6,960 long tons)
Aboard about 500 officers and men
Lives lost about 472; 18 survivors
A radical turret ship carrying a full sailing rig, she was completed with a freeboard of only 6 ft 6 in instead of the designed 8 ft, which left her dangerously unstable. On the night of 6 to 7 September 1870 she was caught in a gale off Cape Finisterre, heeled over and capsized before sail could be reduced. Only 18 men escaped in a boat that broke free.
Why she is remembered Her loss led to a court-martial and an Admiralty committee on stability that included William Thomson and William Rankine, and it shaped later warship design. Memorials stand in St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St Anne's Church, Portsmouth.
The wreck today Found on 30 August 2022 by multibeam echosounder, by a Galician documentary company in the Find the Captain project started by Dr Howard Fuller.
Sources differ Loss stated as both nearly 500 and about 472.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Frederick Mitchell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Victoria Collision
22 June 1893 · Eastern Mediterranean off Tripoli, Lebanon, 34°32'N 35°50'E
The ship Victoria-class ironclad battleship, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Armstrong, Mitchell and Co., Elswick; launched 9 April 1887
Size 340 ft (100 m); 11,020 long tons
Aboard about 583
Lives lost 358, including Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon
Flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, she was rammed by HMS Camperdown when Tryon ordered the two columns to turn inwards while only 1,200 yards apart, less than their combined turning circles. Struck by Camperdown's armoured ram, she sank in about 15 minutes. Her executive officer, John Jellicoe, survived and later commanded the Grand Fleet.
Why she is remembered Lost through a manoeuvre ordered by her own admiral that the ships' turning circles made impossible; examined at a court-martial in Malta in July 1893.
The wreck today Found on 22 August 2004 by divers Christian Francis and Mark Ellyatt at 140 m. She stands vertically, with her bow and about 30 m of hull buried in the mud, an unusual position for a wreck.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Frederick Mitchell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Maine Explosion
15 February 1898 · Havana Harbor, Cuba, 23°08'07“N 82°20'03”W
The ship Armored cruiser, later second-class battleship, United States (US Navy)
Built Brooklyn Navy Yard; launched 18 November 1890
Size 324 ft 4 in (98.9 m); 6,682 long tons
Aboard 355 (26 officers, 290 enlisted, 39 marines)
Lives lost 261; 94 survivors
At 21:40 on 15 February 1898 an explosion of more than 5 long tons of powder charges destroyed the forward third of the ship as she lay at anchor in Havana. The 1898 US inquiry blamed an external mine, while a Spanish inquiry and later studies, including Admiral Rickover's in 1974, pointed to a coal bunker fire igniting the magazines.
Why she is remembered The cry “Remember the Maine!” helped push the United States into the Spanish-American War in April 1898. Her main mast stands at Arlington National Cemetery and her foremast at the US Naval Academy.
The wreck today Raised inside a cofferdam in 1911 to 1912, the remains were towed out and scuttled on 16 March 1912 in about 3,600 ft (1,100 m) of water. Rediscovered on 18 October 2000 by an Advanced Digital Communications expedition about 3 miles north-east of Havana.
Sources differ Cause disputed: external mine (Sampson Board 1898, Vreeland Board 1911) against internal coal bunker fire (Spanish inquiry, Rickover 1974, 2002 Discovery Channel study).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Russia (Imperial Russian Navy)
Petropavlovsk War
13 April 1904 · About two nautical miles off Port Arthur, north-east China, Yellow Sea
The ship Petropavlovsk-class pre-dreadnought battleship, Russia (Imperial Russian Navy)
Built Galerniy Island Shipyard, Saint Petersburg; launched 9 November 1894
Size 376 ft (114.6 m); 11,354 long tons
Lives lost 27 officers and 652 men, including Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov and the war artist Vasily Vereshchagin; 7 officers and 73 men rescued
Flagship of the First Pacific Squadron during the Russo-Japanese War, she struck one or more mines at 09:42 while returning to Port Arthur and sank almost at once.
Why she is remembered The deaths of Admiral Makarov and the painter Vereshchagin made her loss famous.
The wreck today Japanese divers later found Makarov's remains in the wreck and buried him at sea in 1913.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Mikasa Explosion
11 to 12 September 1905 (sank at moorings; refloated 1906) · Sasebo harbour, Japan
The ship Pre-dreadnought battleship, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Barrow-in-Furness; launched 8 November 1900
Size 432 ft (131.7 m); 15,140 long tons normal load
Lives lost 251 crewmen
A British-built battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, she was lost in September 1905 when a fire and magazine explosion sank her at her moorings in Sasebo. She was raised on 7 August 1906, rebuilt and returned to service in 1908.
Why she is remembered Preserved after 1923 under the Washington Naval Treaty, she is the only surviving pre-dreadnought battleship in the world.
The wreck today Not a wreck: museum ship at Mikasa Park, Yokosuka, open since 12 November 1926, hull set in concrete; guns and turrets are replicas.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Imperial German Navy)
SMS Scharnhorst War
8 December 1914 · About 98 nautical miles south-east of the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic, 52°53'49“S 56°00'59”W
The ship Scharnhorst-class armoured cruiser, Germany (Imperial German Navy)
Built Blohm und Voss, Hamburg; launched 23 March 1906
Size 144.6 m (474 ft 5 in); 12,985 t full load
Aboard about 860
Lives lost all about 860, including Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee and two of his sons
Flagship of the East Asia Squadron, which had beaten the British at Coronel, she was caught at the Battle of the Falkland Islands by the battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible. After sustained fire she capsized to port and sank at 16:17 with no survivors.
Why she is remembered Her loss with all hands, including von Spee, avenged the German victory at Coronel and ended his squadron's cruise.
The wreck today Found on 5 December 2019 by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust search led by Mensun Bound, from Seabed Constructor, upright at about 1,610 m.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Hampshire War
5 June 1916 · About 1.5 nautical miles off Mainland, Orkney, between Brough of Birsay and Marwick Head, 59°07.065'N 3°23.843'W
The ship Devonshire-class armoured cruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick; launched 24 September 1903
Size 473 ft 6 in (144.3 m); 10,850 long tons
Aboard 735 crew and 14 passengers
Lives lost 737, including Field Marshal Lord Kitchener and his staff; 12 survivors
Days after Jutland she left Scapa Flow carrying Kitchener on a mission to Russia. In heavy seas she struck a mine laid by U-75 and sank by the bow in about 15 minutes; only 12 men reached shore on Carley floats.
Why she is remembered The death of Kitchener shocked Britain and spawned conspiracy theories. The Kitchener Memorial tower at Marwick Head was raised in 1926.
The wreck today Lies upside down at 180 to 230 ft (55 to 70 m). A controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; diving needs a licence. Salvaged items, including a propeller and guns, are at the Scapa Flow museum.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: H. Symonds & Co, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Invincible War
31 May 1916 · North Sea, 57°02'40“N 6°07'15”E
The ship Invincible-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyneside; launched 13 April 1907
Size 567 ft (173 m); 17,250 long tons load, 20,420 long tons deep load
Aboard complement 784, up to 1,000 in wartime
Lives lost 1,026 including Rear-Admiral Horace Hood; 6 survivors
Flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron at Jutland, she was engaged by Lützow and Derfflinger at 18:21. A 30.5 cm shell pierced her midships Q turret and set off the magazines; she broke in two and sank in about 90 seconds. HMS Badger picked up six survivors.
Why she is remembered Eighteen months earlier she had helped sink von Spee's flagship Scharnhorst at the Falklands; at Jutland she was destroyed in seconds with her admiral.
The wreck today Located after the war by a Royal Navy minesweeper at about 180 ft (55 m), stern upright and bow upside down. Protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Sources differ A famous photograph of her explosion has been questioned by one historian.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Presumed to be an official British Government photograph, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Queen Mary War
31 May 1916 · North Sea, 56°42'N 5°54'E
The ship Queen Mary-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow; launched 20 March 1912
Size 700 ft 1 in (213.4 m); 26,770 long tons normal, 31,650 long tons deep load
Aboard 1,286
Lives lost 1,266; 20 survivors (18 rescued by British destroyers, 2 by the Germans)
During the Run to the South at Jutland, Derfflinger shifted fire to her at about 16:16 and hit her twice. A shell forward set off her forward magazines and broke her in two near the foremast.
Why she is remembered One of the British battlecruisers destroyed by magazine explosions at Jutland, with only 20 survivors from 1,286.
The wreck today Found in 1991; lies in three sections, the aft part upside down and missing its salvaged propellers. A protected place and war grave under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Sources differ Officers killed given as 57 or 67; prisoners 2 or 3.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Imperial Russia (Imperial Russian Navy)
Som Collision
1916 · Off the east coast of central Sweden, 2.75 km offshore between Arholma and Svartklubben, Baltic
The ship Som-class submarine, Imperial Russia (Imperial Russian Navy)
Built launched about 1905
Size 20 m (66 ft) long, 3 m diameter
Lives lost all crew
Serving in the Baltic in the First World War, she sank after a collision with the Swedish steamship Ångermanland, with the loss of all hands.
Why she is remembered Her wreck was found almost a century after her loss, in Swedish waters.
The wreck today Found in July 2015 by Ocean X Team led by Dennis Åberg; identified by the Swedish Armed Forces as most likely Som from Cyrillic markings in pre-1917 spelling. Treated as of archaeological interest; the Russian embassy was informed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Warships and Submarines · Austria-Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Navy)
SMS Szent István War
10 June 1918 · Off the island of Premuda, Adriatic Sea
The ship Tegetthoff-class dreadnought battleship, Austria-Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Navy)
Built Ganz-Danubius, Fiume (Rijeka); launched 17 January 1914
Size 152.18 m (499 ft 3 in); 20,008 t standard, 21,689 t deep load
Aboard 1,094
Lives lost 89, including 41 from Hungary
On her way to attack the Otranto Barrage, she was hit by two torpedoes from the Italian motor torpedo boat MAS-15 under Luigi Rizzo. Flooding spread into the forward boiler room and she capsized about three hours later.
Why she is remembered The only battleship whose sinking was filmed in the First World War. Italy celebrates 10 June as its Navy Day.
The wreck today Found in the mid-1970s by the Yugoslav Navy at 66 m. A protected site of the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Work of K.u.k. Kriegsmarine personnel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Imperial German Navy)
SMS Hindenburg Scuttled
21 June 1919 · Scapa Flow, Orkney
The ship Derfflinger-class battlecruiser, Germany (Imperial German Navy)
Built Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven; launched 1 August 1915
Size 212.8 m (698 ft 2 in); 26,947 t normal, 31,500 t full load
Scuttled at Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919 on the order of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, together with most of the interned German High Seas Fleet, to prevent the ships being handed over to the Allies. Completed too late for Jutland, she was the last ship to sink, at 17:00.
Why she is remembered Her raising in 1930 was one of the feats of Ernest Cox, who developed new patching and air-displacement salvage methods at Scapa Flow.
The wreck today Raised by Cox and Danks on 23 July 1930 after several failed attempts, then sold to Metal Industries and scrapped at Rosyth in 1930 to 1932.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Admiral Graf Spee Scuttled
17 December 1939 · River Plate estuary off Montevideo, Uruguay
The ship Deutschland-class Panzerschiff (pocket battleship), Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Built Reichsmarinewerft, Wilhelmshaven; launched 30 June 1934
Size 186 m (610 ft 3 in); 16,020 long tons full load
Lives lost 36 killed and 60 wounded in the battle; none in the scuttling stated
Damaged by three British cruisers at the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December 1939, she put into Montevideo. Believing false reports of a superior British force waiting outside, Captain Hans Langsdorff had her equipment destroyed and scuttled her; he shot himself in Buenos Aires on 20 December.
Why she is remembered Her hunt and scuttling are retold in the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate.
The wreck today Lies at about 11 m. A 27 t rangefinder was raised in 2004 and the 400 kg eagle crest in 2006, now held by the Uruguayan Navy amid controversy over its fate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Courageous War
17 September 1939 · Western Approaches, off the coast of Ireland
The ship Aircraft carrier converted from a Courageous-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Armstrong Whitworth (yard 895); launched 5 February 1916
Size 786 ft 9 in (239.8 m); 22,560 long tons deep load as battlecruiser
Lives lost 519, including her captain
In September 1939 she was hit by two torpedoes from U-29 under Otto Schuhart and sank in 20 minutes. Survivors were picked up by the merchant ships Collingsworth and Dido and the Dutch liner Veendam.
Why she is remembered The first British warship sunk by German forces in the Second World War.
The wreck today No wreck details in the source.
Sources differ Deaths given as more than 500 and as 519.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Royal Oak War
14 October 1939 · Scapa Flow, Orkney, 58°55'44“N 2°59'09”W
The ship Revenge-class battleship, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Devonport Royal Dockyard; launched 1914
Size 620 ft 7 in; 31,130 long tons deep load
Aboard 1,234 men and boys
Lives lost 835, of whom 134 were boy seamen under 18; about 399 survivors
The U-boat U-47 under Günther Prien slipped into the fleet anchorage through Kirk Sound. A first torpedo did little harm, but a second salvo struck amidships at 01:16 and she rolled over and sank by 01:29. The tender Daisy II, under John Gatt, rescued many survivors.
Why she is remembered The raid led to the Churchill Barriers, causeways that sealed the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow.
The wreck today Lies nearly upside down in about 30 m (100 ft). A designated war grave: diving is prohibited, and Royal Navy divers place a White Ensign at her stern each year. Oil is still being removed.
Sources differ The accepted toll of 835 was set in 2019 after local research.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Thetis Other causes
1 June 1939 (salvaged; finally lost as HMS Thunderbolt on 14 March 1943) · Liverpool Bay, England
The ship T-class submarine, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; launched 29 June 1938
Size 275 ft (84 m); 1,090 long tons surfaced, 1,560 long tons submerged
Aboard 103 (59 crew plus Cammell Laird staff and naval observers)
Lives lost 99; 4 survivors
On diving trials a blocked test cock on No. 5 torpedo tube and confusing indicators led the crew to open the inner door while the outer door was open to the sea. Her bow flooded and sank to 150 ft; four men escaped through the aft escape chamber, but the rest died of carbon dioxide poisoning while rescue efforts failed.
Why she is remembered Four men escaped while 99 died within reach of rescuers; memorials stand at Holyhead (1947) and Birkenhead (2014).
The wreck today Raised, recommissioned as HMS Thunderbolt in October 1940, and sunk with all hands by the Italian corvette Cicogna off Sicily on 14 March 1943 in 1,350 m of water.
Sources differ A salvage diver also died on 23 August 1939.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lt S. J. Beadell, Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Blücher War
9 April 1940 · Drøbak Sound, Oslofjord, Norway
The ship Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser, Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Built Deutsche Werke, Kiel; launched 8 June 1937
Size 203.20 m (666 ft 8 in); 16,170 t normal, 18,500 t full load
Aboard 42 officers, 1,340 men and about 800 soldiers
Lives lost uncertain: 600 to 1,000 (Lunde) or 125 seamen and 195 soldiers (Rohwer)
Leading the invasion force towards Oslo, she was hit at close range by the old guns and torpedoes of Oscarsborg Fortress in the Drøbak Narrows and sank.
Why she is remembered The delay allowed the Norwegian royal family and government to escape Oslo.
The wreck today Lies at 64 m in the Drøbak Narrows. About 1,600 t of oil removed between 1994 and 2023. Protected as a war memorial since 16 June 2016 and treated as a war grave.
Sources differ Loss of life given as unknown (Gröner), 600 to 1,000 (Lunde) or 320 (Rohwer).
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Glorious War
8 June 1940 · Norwegian Sea, about 68°38'N 3°50'E
The ship Aircraft carrier converted from a Courageous-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Harland and Wolff, Belfast; launched 20 April 1916
Size 786 ft 9 in (239.8 m); 19,180 long tons normal as battlecruiser
Lives lost 1,207 from Glorious, plus 160 from HMS Acasta and 152 from HMS Ardent (1,519 in all); 40 survivors from the three ships
Returning independently to Scapa Flow after evacuating RAF aircraft from Norway, she was caught by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Hit by 28.3 cm shells from 16:38, she sank at 18:10; her escorts Ardent and Acasta were sunk attacking the German ships.
Why she is remembered Her loss raised lasting questions in Parliament about missed sighting reports, the absence of air patrols and unheeded Bletchley Park warnings.
The wreck today No wreck discovery is recorded in the source.
Sources differ About 900 men abandoned ship but only 40 were rescued after days in the water.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom
Lancastria War
Also known as Tyrrhenia (1920 to 1924)
17 June 1940 · Charpentier Roads, about 5 miles south-west of Saint-Nazaire, Loire estuary, France
The ship Ocean liner requisitioned as troopship, United Kingdom
Built William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir; launched 31 May 1920
Size 578 ft (176 m); 16,243 GRT
Aboard estimates from 4,000 to 9,000 (Captain Sharp estimated 5,500; normal troop capacity 1,300)
Lives lost estimates of 4,000 to 7,000, with at least 3,500 widely accepted; 2,477 survivors recorded
Evacuating troops and civilians from France during Operation Aerial, the overloaded ship was hit by three or four bombs from Junkers Ju 88s at 15:50 and sank within 20 minutes. Lack of lifeboats and lifejackets, burning fuel oil and cold caused huge loss of life.
Why she is remembered A disaster on a vast scale whose news Churchill suppressed the news by D-Notice. A commemorative medal was issued in 2008 and memorials stand in Saint-Nazaire, London, Liverpool and Clydebank.
The wreck today Lies in French territorial waters; protected by the French authorities as a war grave since 2006. Not eligible for UK Protection of Military Remains Act designation.
Sources differ Aboard 4,000 to 9,000 (estimates only). Death toll from 3,500 to 7,000; the Lancastria Association names 1,738 confirmed dead and the CWGC records 1,816.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Arizona War
7 December 1941 · Battleship Row, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
The ship Pennsylvania-class (Standard-type) battleship, United States (US Navy)
Built Brooklyn Navy Yard; launched 19 June 1915
Size 608 ft (185.3 m); 29,158 long tons standard
Aboard 1,512
Lives lost 1,177; 335 survivors
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor she was hit by four bombs. The last, at 08:06 near No. 2 turret, set off her forward magazines in a huge explosion that destroyed the forward part of the ship.
Why she is remembered Her wreck and memorial are the national shrine of the Pearl Harbor attack; her guns, bell and anchor are displayed in Arizona.
The wreck today Never raised. She rests in Pearl Harbor beneath the USS Arizona Memorial (national shrine 1962, National Historic Landmark 1989), still leaking about 2.2 litres of oil a day. Ashes of survivors have been interred inside her.
Sources differ A January 1942 report listed seven bomb hits and a torpedo, later unconfirmed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, retouched by Mmxx, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Ark Royal War
14 November 1941 · About 30 nautical miles east of Gibraltar, western Mediterranean
The ship Aircraft carrier, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; launched 13 April 1937
Size 800 ft (240 m); 27,720 long tons deep load
Aboard about 1,580
Lives lost 1 (Able Seaman Edward Mitchell)
Torpedoed by U-81 at 15:40 on 13 November 1941, she listed steadily as flooding spread; design flaws such as the lack of backup power defeated damage control. She capsized and sank at 06:19 the next morning while under tow.
Why she is remembered Famous for the Swordfish strike that crippled Bismarck; the inquiry into her loss led to design changes in later British carriers.
The wreck today Found in December 2002 by C and C Technologies with a sonar-equipped autonomous underwater vehicle at about 3,300 ft (1,000 m), further east than expected.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Barham War
25 November 1941 · Off the Egyptian coast, eastern Mediterranean
The ship Queen Elizabeth-class battleship, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built John Brown and Company, Clydebank; launched 31 December 1914
Size 643 ft 9 in (196.2 m); 32,590 long tons
Lives lost about 862
Torpedoed three times by U-331, she capsized to port and about four minutes later her magazines exploded. A Pathé cameraman on HMS Valiant filmed the explosion.
Why she is remembered The Admiralty kept the loss secret until January 1942; the medium Helen Duncan's claimed contact with a Barham sailor led to her prosecution under the Witchcraft Act 1735.
The wreck today No wreck details in the source.
Sources differ Survivors given as 337 (Hotspur) plus 150 (Nizam), or 396 or 450 by other historians.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Bismarck War
27 May 1941 · North Atlantic about 650 km west of Brest, 48°10'N 16°12'W
The ship Bismarck-class battleship, Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Built Blohm und Voss, Hamburg; launched 14 February 1939
Size 251 m (823 ft 6 in); 41,700 t standard, 50,300 t full load
Aboard over 2,200 (2,221 sailed)
Lives lost about 2,100; 114 survivors
After sinking HMS Hood she was hunted across the Atlantic. A Swordfish torpedo jammed her rudder, and on 27 May the battleships King George V and Rodney wrecked her at close range. Her crew set scuttling charges and HMS Dorsetshire fired torpedoes; she sank at about 10:40.
Why she is remembered Her pursuit ended in the last battleship against battleship engagement in the Atlantic and showed the decisive role of aircraft over traditional gunnery.
The wreck today Found on 8 June 1989 by Robert Ballard at about 4,791 m, upright on her keel. Ballard kept the position secret to protect the site; later surveys found no penetrations of the armoured citadel.
Sources differ Whether scuttling, gunfire or torpedoes sank her is still debated; survivor counts by rescuing ship vary between sources.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Hood War
24 May 1941 · Denmark Strait, between Greenland and Iceland
The ship Admiral-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built John Brown and Company, Clydebank; launched 22 August 1918
Size 860 ft 7 in (262.3 m); 46,680 long tons deep load
Aboard 1,433 officers and crew
Lives lost 1,415; 3 survivors (Ted Briggs, Robert Tilburn, William Dundas)
The Royal Navy battlecruiser engaged Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. A shell from Bismarck penetrated her protection and set off her aft magazines; she sank in about three minutes. HMS Electra picked up three survivors some two hours later.
Why she is remembered Her sudden loss shocked Britain and triggered the hunt for Bismarck. Two boards of inquiry blamed magazine penetration.
The wreck today Found in July 2001 by David Mearns and Blue Water Recoveries for Channel 4, at about 2,800 m in two debris fields. Her bell was raised on 7 August 2015 and is at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth. Designated a war grave in 2002 under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Sources differ The exact path of the fatal shell and the cause of the explosion remain debated.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Allan C. Green, restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Prince of Wales War
10 December 1941 · Off Kuantan, Malaya, South China Sea, 3°33'36“N 104°28'42”E
The ship King George V-class battleship, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; launched 3 May 1939
Size 745 ft 1 in (227.1 m); 43,786 long tons full load
Aboard 1,612
Lives lost 327, including Admiral Tom Phillips and Captain John Leach
Flagship of Force Z, sent to Singapore with Repulse as a deterrent, she was attacked by Japanese land-based bombers while hunting invasion convoys. An early torpedo wrecked a propeller shaft and caused uncontrollable flooding; she capsized and sank stern first at 13:20.
Why she is remembered With Repulse, the first capital ships sunk solely by air power on the open sea. Months earlier she had carried Churchill to the Atlantic Charter meeting with Roosevelt.
The wreck today Lies upside down in 68 m (223 ft); Protected Place since 2001. Her bell, raised in 2002, is at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Illegally salvaged by the Chinese vessel Chuan Hong 68 (reported 2023, detained 2024).
Sources differ Torpedo hits given as one or four.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lt H. J. Abrahams, Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Repulse War
10 December 1941 · Off Kuantan, Malaya, South China Sea, 3°37'N 104°20'E
The ship Renown-class battlecruiser, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built John Brown and Company, Clydebank; launched 8 January 1916
Size 794 ft (242 m); 27,200 long tons normal
Aboard 1,309
Lives lost 508; 801 rescued
After dodging some 19 torpedoes and bombs, she was caught by a pincer attack of Japanese torpedo bombers and hit several times in quick succession. She capsized and went down by the stern minutes before Prince of Wales.
Why she is remembered Her loss alongside Prince of Wales marked the end of the battleship era in the Far East.
The wreck today Lies nearly inverted in about 56 m (183 ft); Protected Place since 2002; damaged by illegal salvage, including by the Chuan Hong 68 in 2023.
Sources differ Survivors reported five torpedo hits; a 2007 diving expedition found evidence of only two.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Underwood & Underwood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Akagi War
5 June 1942 · North Pacific off Midway, 30°30'N 178°40'W
The ship Aircraft carrier converted from an Amagi-class battlecruiser, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Kure Naval Arsenal; launched 22 April 1925
Size 260.67 m (855 ft 3 in) after 1938; 36,500 long tons standard, 41,300 long tons deep load
Aboard complement 1,630
Lives lost 267
Admiral Nagumo's flagship at Midway was hit by a dive bomber from USS Enterprise at about 10:26 on 4 June, setting off armed and fuelled aircraft in her hangar. The fires could not be controlled; Japanese destroyers torpedoed her on 5 June and she sank bow first at 05:20.
Why she is remembered Nagumo's flagship, lost with her sister carriers at the Battle of Midway; her wreck was found 77 years later.
The wreck today Found on 20 October 2019 by RV Petrel at 5,490 m (18,011 ft), upright and largely intact.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Australia (Royal Australian Navy)
HMAS Perth War
Also known as HMS Amphion
1 March 1942 · Sunda Strait, Indonesia, 5°51'42“S 106°07'52”E
The ship Modified Leander-class light cruiser, Australia (Royal Australian Navy)
Built HM Dockyard, Portsmouth; launched 27 July 1934
Size 562 ft 4 in (171.4 m); 7,040 long tons standard, 9,140 long tons deep load
Lives lost 353; 328 survivors, of whom 106 died in captivity
With USS Houston she ran into the Japanese invasion fleet in the Sunda Strait. Hit by several torpedoes, Captain Waller ordered abandon ship after the second hit, and she capsized to port and sank at 00:25.
Why she is remembered Her survivors endured years as prisoners, 38 of them killed when Allied forces attacked Japanese hell ships.
The wreck today Found in 1967 at about 35 m, then reasonably intact; by 2013 illegal salvage had stripped most of her superstructure, forward turrets and decking, confirmed by a 2017 survey.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Marine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Hornet War
27 October 1942 · Near the Santa Cruz Islands, South Pacific
The ship Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, United States (US Navy)
Built Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia; launched 14 December 1940
Size 824 ft 9 in (251.38 m); 20,000 long tons standard, 25,500 long tons full load
Aboard about 2,200 at the sinking (wartime complement 2,919)
Lives lost 140
At the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands she was crippled by Japanese torpedo planes and dive bombers. She was finally sunk by Japanese destroyers.
Why she is remembered She launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, carrying 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers, on 18 April 1942.
The wreck today Found in January 2019 by RV Petrel at more than 17,500 ft (5,300 m), upright.
Sources differ Complement 2,919 against about 2,200 aboard at the sinking.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Houston War
1 March 1942 · Sunda Strait, Indonesia
The ship Northampton-class heavy cruiser, United States (US Navy)
Built Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia; launched 7 September 1929
Size 600 ft 3 in (182.96 m); 9,050 long tons standard
Aboard 1,061
Lives lost 693 killed in action; 368 survivors taken prisoner, of whom 77 died in captivity
Fighting alongside HMAS Perth in a night action against a Japanese invasion force, she was hit by a torpedo shortly after midnight and then by three more, sinking at about 00:30.
Why she is remembered Lost in the same action as HMAS Perth; all her survivors became prisoners of war and over a fifth died in captivity.
The wreck today Confirmed in June 2014 by US Navy divers. Damaged by illegal salvage, including removal of rivets and hull plate.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Kaga War
4 June 1942 · North Pacific north-west of Midway, 30°23'N 179°17'W
The ship Aircraft carrier converted from a Tosa-class battleship, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Kawasaki, Kobe, completed at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal; launched 17 November 1921
Size 247.65 m after 1935; 38,200 long tons standard
Aboard 1,708
Lives lost 811, including 21 aviators
At 10:22 dive bombers from USS Enterprise hit her with at least four bombs. Fires spread out of control, and she was scuttled with two torpedoes from the destroyer Hagikaze, sinking stern first.
Why she is remembered The highest loss of life among the Japanese carriers sunk at Midway.
The wreck today Debris found by Nauticos in 1999 at about 17,000 ft; the main wreck found by RV Petrel in October 2019 at about 5,400 m, upright.
Sources differ Survivor numbers do not reconcile exactly with the stated complement.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Lexington War
8 May 1942 · Coral Sea about 800 km east of Queensland, 15°20'S 155°30'E
The ship Lexington-class aircraft carrier converted from a battlecruiser, United States (US Navy)
Built Fore River Ship Building Co., Quincy, Massachusetts; launched 3 October 1925
Size 888 ft (270.7 m); 36,000 long tons standard, 47,700 long tons deep load
Aboard complement 2,791 (1942)
Lives lost 216; 2,735 evacuated
At the Battle of the Coral Sea she was hit by two torpedoes and two bombs. At 12:47 sparks ignited petrol vapour from cracked tanks and a great explosion followed; fires spread out of control and the destroyer Phelps sank her with five torpedoes, the last at 19:52.
Why she is remembered Lost at the Battle of the Coral Sea; built on a battlecruiser hull, she was found 76 years later in the Coral Sea.
The wreck today Found on 4 March 2018 by RV Petrel, funded by Paul Allen, at about 3,000 m, in several sections.
Sources differ Stanley Johnston reported five torpedo hits, against the standard two.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Yorktown War
7 June 1942 · North Pacific off Midway, 30°35'59“N 176°34'04”W
The ship Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, United States (US Navy)
Built Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia; launched 4 April 1936
Size 824 ft 9 in (251.4 m); 25,500 long tons full load
Aboard complement 2,217 (1941)
Lives lost 141
At Midway she was crippled by dive bombers and torpedo planes from the Japanese carrier Hiryu on 4 June. On 6 June she was torpedoed by the submarine I-168, and on 7 June she rolled over and sank.
Why she is remembered The US carrier lost at Midway, sunk only after a submarine attack two days after she was crippled.
The wreck today Found on 19 May 1998 by Robert Ballard at about 5,500 m (3,000 fathoms), upright with paint still visible.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy photo 19-N-17424, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom
HMT Rohna War
26 November 1943 · Off Bougie, Mediterranean
The ship Passenger and cargo liner used as troopship, United Kingdom
Built Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn; launched 24 August 1926
Size 461.4 ft (140.6 m); 8,602 GRT
Aboard about 2,000 US troops and about 200 crew
Lives lost 1,138 (1,015 US personnel); 819 rescued
In convoy KMF 26 she was struck by a Henschel Hs 293 radio-guided glide bomb launched from a Heinkel He 177, the only ship hit of almost 30 bombs launched. The bomb hit her port side by the engine room, destroying lifeboats and flooding the ship.
Why she is remembered Long kept secret, with the US first suggesting a submarine; the guided bomb was only disclosed in 1967. Memorials stand at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery and elsewhere.
The wreck today No wreck details in the source.
Sources differ A further 35 US troops died later of wounds.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Duncan's Maritime Disasters of World War II, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Mutsu Explosion
8 June 1943 · Hashirajima fleet anchorage, Japan
The ship Nagato-class dreadnought battleship, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Yokosuka Naval Arsenal; launched 1920
Size 215.8 m as built, 224.94 m after 1934 to 1936 rebuild; 32,720 t standard as built, 39,050 t in 1943
Aboard about 1,474 crew plus 113 flying cadets and 40 instructors
Lives lost 1,121; 353 rescued
While at anchor, the magazine of her No. 3 turret exploded, cutting her in two. The forward part capsized and sank at once and the stern followed. The navy's inquiry blamed sabotage by a disgruntled crewman, though defective ammunition or accidental fire have also been suggested.
Why she is remembered Lost at anchor without an enemy in sight; her relics are kept in several Japanese museums.
The wreck today About 75 per cent was salvaged and scrapped in 1970 to 1978. A 35 m section from the bridge to No. 1 turret remains, its highest point 12 m below the surface. Relics are shown at the Mutsu Memorial Museum, Yasukuni Shrine and Etajima.
Sources differ Cause disputed: sabotage (official finding) against defective Type 3 shells or accidental fire.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Italy (Regia Marina)
Roma War
9 September 1943 · Strait of Bonifacio, about 30 km off northern Sardinia
The ship Littorio-class battleship, Italy (Regia Marina)
Built Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico; launched 9 June 1940
Size 240.68 m (789 ft 8 in); 45,485 long tons full load
Aboard 1,849 (official) or 2,021 (Mattesini)
Lives lost 1,253 (official) or 1,393 (revised); 596 survivors
Sailing to surrender under the Italian armistice, the fleet was attacked by German Dornier Do 217s with Fritz X radio-guided bombs. Two hits set off her magazines; she capsized and broke in two. Admiral Carlo Bergamini died with her.
Why she is remembered Sunk by Germany, her former ally, hours after the armistice, with the Fritz X radio-guided bomb; her crew are remembered in Italy as men who did their duty.
The wreck today Found in June 2012 by the underwater robot Pluto Palla designed by Guido Gay, at about 1,000 m.
Sources differ Aboard 1,849 or 2,021; dead 1,253 or 1,393 depending on whether the admiral's staff are counted.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Scharnhorst War
26 December 1943 · Off the North Cape, Norway, Barents Sea
The ship Scharnhorst-class battleship (often called a battlecruiser), Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Built Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven; launched 3 October 1936
Size 234.9 m (770 ft 8 in); 32,100 long tons standard, 38,100 long tons full load
Aboard 1,968
Lives lost 1,932; 36 survivors
Sent to attack Arctic convoy JW 55B, she was intercepted by British cruisers and then by the battleship HMS Duke of York at the Battle of the North Cape. Repeated hits and destroyer torpedoes slowed her, and she went down by the bow at 19:45 with her propellers still turning.
Why she is remembered Lost with all but 36 of 1,968 men while attacking an Arctic convoy; her wreck was found in 2000.
The wreck today Found in September 2000 by a joint BBC, NRK and Royal Norwegian Navy expedition with the survey ship Sverdrup II, at about 290 m.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Johnston War
25 October 1944 · Philippine Trench, off Samar, Philippine Sea
The ship Fletcher-class destroyer, United States (US Navy)
Built Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation; launched 25 March 1943
Size 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m); 2,100 long tons standard
Lives lost 186; 141 survivors rescued after 50 hours in the water
At the Battle off Samar, Lieutenant Commander Ernest E. Evans charged a far superior Japanese force to protect the escort carriers, firing over 200 shells at the cruiser Kumano and all ten torpedoes, before being overwhelmed by fire from ships including Yamato.
Why she is remembered Evans was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously; her wreck was for a time the deepest ever found.
The wreck today Debris found by RV Petrel on 30 October 2019; the main wreck identified on 31 March 2021 by Victor Vescovo's DSV Limiting Factor at 6,460 m (21,180 ft), the deepest known wreck until 2022.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Musashi War
24 October 1944 · Sibuyan Sea, Philippines, 13°07'N 122°32'E
The ship Yamato-class battleship, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Mitsubishi Shipyard, Nagasaki; launched 1 November 1940
Size 263 m (862 ft 10 in); 64,000 long tons standard, 71,659 long tons deep load
Aboard about 2,399
Lives lost about 1,023; 1,376 rescued
Sister of Yamato, she was attacked again and again by US carrier aircraft during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Heavily flooded and listing, she capsized at 19:36.
Why she is remembered Sister of Yamato, built to the same giant design; her wreck, holding over 1,000 sailors, was found only in 2015.
The wreck today Found in March 2015 by a team funded by Paul Allen, at about 1,000 m. It holds the remains of over 1,000 sailors.
Sources differ Hits disputed: 11 torpedoes and 10 bombs (Japanese sources), about 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs (other estimates), 10 torpedoes and 16 bombs (US Naval Technical Mission). Depth given as about 900 m, 1,000 m and 1,350 m in different passages.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant Tobei Shiraishi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Samuel B. Roberts War
25 October 1944 · Philippine Trench, off Samar, Philippine Sea
The ship John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, United States (US Navy)
Built Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas; launched 20 January 1944
Size 306 ft (93 m); 1,350 long tons
Aboard 224
Lives lost 114 (89 in battle, 25 of wounds or shark attack awaiting rescue); 120 rescued
At the Battle off Samar, under Commander Robert W. Copeland, the small escort fired over 600 rounds of 5-inch ammunition against the Japanese Center Force to protect the escort carriers before she was sunk. Survivors waited about 50 hours for rescue.
Why she is remembered Known as the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship.
The wreck today Found on 22 June 2022 by Victor Vescovo's expedition at 6,890 m (22,620 ft), the deepest known shipwreck.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Tirpitz War
12 November 1944 · Off Håkøya island, Tromsø, Norway
The ship Bismarck-class battleship, Germany (Kriegsmarine)
Built Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven; launched 1 April 1939
Size 251 m (823 ft 6 in); 42,900 t standard, 52,600 t full load
Aboard about 1,600
Lives lost about 950 to 1,204 (figures vary); 82 men rescued from inside the upturned hull
Bismarck's sister was lying off Håkøya near Tromsø when, in Operation Catechism, 32 Lancaster bombers dropped 29 Tallboy bombs, scoring two direct hits and a near miss. She listed to 60 degrees within ten minutes, a magazine exploded near turret Caesar, and she capsized; 82 men trapped inside were cut out through her bottom.
Why she is remembered Sister of Bismarck, sunk by heavy Tallboy bombs dropped from Lancasters; the rescue of 82 men cut out of her upturned hull is remembered as part of her story.
The wreck today Broken up where she lay by a Norwegian and German salvage operation between 1948 and 1957; fragments were sold off.
Sources differ Death toll given from about 950 to 1,204.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Indianapolis War
30 July 1945 · Philippine Sea
The ship Portland-class heavy cruiser, United States (US Navy)
Built New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched 7 November 1931
Size 610 ft 3 in; 9,950 long tons standard
Aboard 1,195
Lives lost about 879; 316 rescued
Sailing alone in the Philippine Sea, she was torpedoed twice by the Japanese submarine I-58 and sank in about 12 minutes. About 300 men went down with her; the rest drifted for nearly four days with few rafts, suffering exposure, dehydration and shark attacks, until spotted by a patrol aircraft on 2 August.
Why she is remembered Most of her crew died in the water awaiting rescue. Captain Charles McVay III was court-martialled and exonerated by Congress in 2000; the ordeal is retold in the film Jaws (1975).
The wreck today Found on 19 August 2017 by Paul Allen's research vessel Petrel at about 5,500 m (18,000 ft), well preserved.
Sources differ Deaths from shark attack are given as anything from a few dozen to 150.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Germany
Wilhelm Gustloff War
30 January 1945 · Baltic Sea about 19 nautical miles offshore between Leba and Großendorf, 55°04'22“N 17°25'17”E
The ship Cruise ship, later hospital ship, barracks ship and evacuation transport, Germany
Built Blohm und Voss, Hamburg (yard 511); launched 5 May 1937
Size 208.5 m; 25,484 GRT
Aboard 6,050 officially recorded; 10,582 according to Heinz Schön (including 8,956 civilians)
Lives lost about 9,343 (Schön) or about 9,600 (Discovery Channel analysis); about 1,252 rescued
During Operation Hannibal, the evacuation of East Prussia ahead of the Soviet advance, the overcrowded ship was hit by three torpedoes from the Soviet submarine S-13 under Alexander Marinesko at about 21:00. German vessels, including the torpedo boat T36 and Löwe, rescued about 1,252 people.
Why she is remembered Her death toll, estimated at over 9,000, is the subject of Günter Grass's novel Crabwalk (2002) and the films Darkness Fell on Gotenhafen (1960) and Die Gustloff (2008).
The wreck today Lies at 44 m; classified as a war grave. The Polish Maritime Office prohibits diving, anchoring and fishing within 500 m.
Sources differ Numbers aboard and lost are estimates: aboard 6,050 or 10,582, dead about 9,343 or about 9,600.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Yamato War
7 April 1945 · East China Sea, about 290 km south-west of Kyushu
The ship Yamato-class battleship, Japan (Imperial Japanese Navy)
Built Kure Naval Arsenal; launched 8 August 1940
Size 263 m (862 ft 10 in); 71,659 t full load
Aboard 3,233
Lives lost about 3,055; about 277 survivors
The lead ship of the Yamato class was sent on a one-way mission, Operation Ten-Go, to beach herself at Okinawa. US carrier aircraft hit her with at least 11 torpedoes and 6 bombs between 12:37 and 14:23; she capsized and sank rapidly.
Why she is remembered A national symbol in Japan, the subject of the Space Battleship Yamato anime and the 2005 film Yamato, and of the Yamato Museum in Kure.
The wreck today Located in the 1980s at about 340 m; surveyed digitally in 2016. The wreck holds the remains of most of her crew.
Sources differ Loss given as 3,055 or 3,063 (Garzke and Dulin).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hasuya Hirohata, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Affray Other causes
16 April 1951 · Hurd Deep, English Channel, 17 miles north-west of Alderney, at 86 m
The ship Amphion-class submarine, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; launched 12 April 1945
Size 1,385 t surfaced, 1,620 t submerged
Aboard 75, including 13 sub-lieutenants and 7 engineering lieutenants under training and four Royal Marines
Lives lost all 75
With officers under training aboard, she failed to surface. When found, her snort mast was broken; the inquiry named this the primary cause, while others suggested a battery explosion or a failed snort float valve letting in about 13 tons of water a minute.
Why she is remembered Her loss with all 75 aboard was long debated; reports of trapped crew signalling were later dismissed by the Admiralty.
The wreck today Found on 14 June 1951 by HMS Loch Fyne; HMS Reclaim's underwater camera read her name. A controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 since 2001.
Sources differ Cause disputed: broken snort (inquiry), battery explosion (Sir Victor Shepheard), snort float valve failure (recent theory).
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Thresher Other causes
10 April 1963 · Atlantic, about 350 km (220 mi) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts
The ship Permit-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, United States (US Navy)
Built Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; launched 9 July 1960
Size 279 ft (85 m); 3,540 short tons light, 3,770 short tons submerged
Aboard 129 (16 officers, 96 enlisted, plus shipyard personnel)
Lives lost all 129
On deep-diving trials after an overhaul, a brazed salt-water pipe joint probably failed, flooding the engine room and shutting down the reactor. Ice in the air lines stopped the crew blowing the ballast tanks, and she sank past her limits and broke up.
Why she is remembered Her loss created the US Navy SUBSAFE programme in December 1963.
The wreck today Found by USNS Mizar on 27 June 1964 at about 2,600 m (8,400 ft); the bathyscaphe Trieste II dived on the wreck in 1964.
Sources differ Bruce Rule's 2013 acoustic analysis argues an electrical failure, not flooding, began the loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Israel (Israeli Navy)
INS Dakar Missing
Also known as HMS Totem
25 January 1968 · Eastern Mediterranean between Cyprus and Crete, about 3,000 m deep
The ship Modified T-class diesel-electric submarine, Israel (Israeli Navy)
Built HM Dockyard Devonport; launched 29 September 1943
Size 276 ft 6 in (84.28 m); 1,290 t surfaced, 1,560 t submerged
Aboard 69
Lives lost all 69
Bought from Britain and commissioned in November 1967, she left the UK on 9 January 1968 for Haifa. Her last message came on 25 January and she was declared missing the next day. The cause is unknown.
Why she is remembered One of the great mysteries of the Israeli Navy, searched for over three decades; memorial at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem.
The wreck today Found on 24 May 1999 by a US and Israeli team led by Thomas Kent Dettweiler of Nauticos at about 3,000 m. Her conning tower was recovered and is displayed at the Naval Museum in Haifa.
Sources differ Crew listed as 61 and 69; early buoy analysis placed her wrongly at 150 to 326 m.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Warships and Submarines · Soviet Union (Soviet Navy)
K-129 Missing
8 March 1968 (implosion detected) · North Pacific about 1,560 miles north-west of Hawaii, 40.1°N 179.9°E, at about 5,000 m
The ship Project 629A diesel ballistic missile submarine, Soviet Union (Soviet Navy)
Carrying three nuclear missiles in her sail, she was lost after an implosion detected acoustically on 8 March 1968. The Soviet search failed, but the United States located her and in 1974 used the Hughes Glomar Explorer in the secret Project Azorian to lift part of her.
Why she is remembered Project Azorian, the attempt to raise her with the Hughes Glomar Explorer, is a Cold War intelligence operation documented in many books and documentaries.
The wreck today In 1974 only a 38 ft (12 m) bow section was recovered after the grab's claws failed. It held two nuclear torpedoes, the bell and six crewmen, who were buried at sea with military honours. The rest lies at about 5,000 m.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Warships and Submarines · France (French Navy)
Minerve Missing
27 January 1968 · Gulf of Lion, wreck about 45 km south of Toulon, Mediterranean
The ship Daphné-class diesel-electric submarine, France (French Navy)
Built Chantiers Dubigeon, Nantes; launched 31 May 1961
Size 57.75 m (189 ft 6 in); 860 t surfaced, 1,038 t submerged
Aboard 52 (6 officers, 46 enlisted)
Lives lost all 52
Returning to Toulon on snorkel in very bad weather, she reported she would arrive within the hour at 07:55. Nothing more was heard. The weather is thought the only plausible cause.
Why she is remembered Lost two days after INS Dakar; families waited 51 years for her to be found.
The wreck today Found on 21 July 2019 by Ocean Infinity's Seabed Constructor at 2,350 m, scattered over 300 m with 'MINE' readable on the hull. Victor Vescovo and Hervé Fauve placed a granite plaque on her in February 2020.
Sources differ Crew listed as 45 in specifications, 52 in the loss account.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United States (US Navy)
USS Scorpion Missing
22 May 1968 · North Atlantic about 740 km south-west of the Azores, 32°55'N 33°09'W
The ship Skipjack-class nuclear-powered submarine, United States (US Navy)
Built General Dynamics Electric Boat; launched 29 December 1959
Size 251 ft 8 in (76.71 m); 3,075 long tons full load
Aboard 99
Lives lost all 99
Returning to Norfolk from the Mediterranean, she was watching Soviet naval units near the Azores when contact was lost; she sank and imploded below crush depth.
Why she is remembered Her cause of loss has never been settled, and the secret search for her and Thresher provided cover for Robert Ballard's 1985 Titanic search.
The wreck today Found in October 1968 by USNS Mizar at about 9,800 ft (3,000 m), using Bayesian search theory under John Craven; photographed by Ballard with Alvin in 1985 to 1986.
Sources differ Official finding: cause cannot be ascertained. Theories include a Mark 37 torpedo, a battery explosion, hull failure, a trash disposal unit fault or Soviet attack.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Argentina (Argentine Navy)
ARA General Belgrano War
Also known as USS Phoenix (1938 to 1951); 17 de Octubre (1951 to 1956)
2 May 1982 · South Atlantic, 55°24'S 61°32'W, outside the British exclusion zone
The ship Brooklyn-class light cruiser, Argentina (Argentine Navy)
Built New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched March 1938
Size 608.3 ft (185.4 m); 12,242 tons full load
Aboard 1,138 (about 1,093 present at the attack)
Lives lost 323 (321 crew, 2 civilians); 772 rescued
During the Falklands War the British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror hit her with two Mark 8 torpedoes, one in the bow and one aft. Power failed, no distress call could be sent, and Captain Bonzo ordered abandon ship; survivors spent up to 43 hours in rafts in bad weather.
Why she is remembered Her sinking outside the exclusion zone remains controversial, remembered also for The Sun's 'Gotcha' headline. Captain Bonzo himself called it an act of war, not a war crime.
The wreck today Not found by a 2003 National Geographic expedition. Declared a war grave under Argentine law 25.546.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
HMS Sheffield War
hit 4 May 1982, sank 10 May 1982 · South Atlantic off the Falklands, 53°04'S 56°56'W, in 1,000 fathoms
The ship Type 42 guided missile destroyer, United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Built Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness; launched 10 June 1971
Size 125 m; 4,820 tonnes
Aboard 281
Lives lost 20
An AM39 Exocet fired from an Argentine Super Etendard hit her starboard side. Damage to the fire main crippled firefighting, and after nearly four hours Captain Salt ordered abandon ship. She rolled over and sank under tow six days later.
Why she is remembered Lessons from her loss led to changes in fire safety and crew clothing. The idea that an aluminium superstructure caused her loss is a myth: it was steel.
The wreck today Lies in deep water at the edge of the exclusion zone; designated a war grave under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Sources differ Wounded given as 26 to 63; crew given as 281 total and as 21 officers plus 249 ratings.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Warships and Submarines · Soviet Union (Soviet Navy)
K-278 Komsomolets Fire
7 April 1989 · Norwegian Sea about 180 km south-west of Bear Island, 73°43'26“N 13°15'58”E
The ship Project 685 Plavnik (Mike class) nuclear-powered submarine with titanium pressure hull, Soviet Union (Soviet Navy)
Built Sevmash, Severodvinsk (yard 510); launched 3 June 1983
Size 117.5 m (385 ft); 4,400 to 5,750 t surfaced, 6,400 to 8,000 t submerged
Aboard 69
Lives lost 42 (9 in the accident and sinking, 30 of hypothermia, 3 aboard the rescue ship); 27 survivors
A short circuit started a fire in an engineering compartment that spread through cable openings in the bulkheads. She surfaced and stayed afloat for about five hours before sinking; most of the dead died of cold in the water, and only one of five men in the escape capsule survived.
Why she is remembered She dived to a record 1,020 m in 1984, and her wreck, holding a reactor and two nuclear torpedoes, is still monitored for radiation.
The wreck today Lies at 1,680 m. Plutonium leakage was found in 1994 and openings were sealed in 1995 to 1996; a Norwegian and Russian expedition in 2019 detected radioactive leakage, and monitoring continues yearly.
Sources Wikipedia
Warships and Submarines · Russia (Russian Navy)
Kursk (K-141) Explosion
12 August 2000 · Barents Sea about 135 km from Severomorsk, 69°40'N 37°35'E, depth 108 m
The ship Oscar II-class (Project 949A Antey) nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, Russia (Russian Navy)
Built Severodvinsk; launched 1994
Aboard 118
Lives lost all 118
During an exercise, high-test peroxide leaked from a faulty weld in a Type 65 practice torpedo and exploded; a second blast 135 seconds later wrecked the forward compartments. Twenty-three men survived for a time in the ninth compartment but died in a flash fire. Russia at first refused British and Norwegian help.
Why she is remembered Her loss and the refusal of early foreign help drew worldwide attention; she is the subject of the film Kursk (2018) directed by Thomas Vinterberg.
The wreck today Raised in 2001 by the Dutch firms Mammoet and Smit International after the bow was cut off, and brought into a floating dock at Severomorsk.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Warships and Submarines · Argentina (Argentine Navy)
ARA San Juan Explosion
15 November 2017 · South Atlantic off Patagonia, wreck at 45°56'59“S 59°46'22”W
The ship TR-1700-class diesel-electric submarine, Argentina (Argentine Navy)
Built Thyssen Nordseewerke, Emden; launched 20 June 1983
Size 67.30 m (220.8 ft); 2,140 t surfaced, 2,336 t submerged
Aboard 44
Lives lost all 44
Water entering through the snorkel reached the forward batteries and started a fire. Contact was lost on 15 November and an acoustic event consistent with an implosion was detected within hours.
Why she is remembered A huge international search involving more than 40 countries; a memorial was unveiled at Mar del Plata Naval Base in 2021.
The wreck today Found on 16 November 2018 by Ocean Infinity from the ship Seabed Constructor at 907 m, wreckage spread over 8,000 square metres.
Sources differ Complement listed as 37 in specifications, but 44 were aboard.
Sources Wikipedia
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