Over the past
few hundred years, countless shipwrecks have occurred
around the world. Most have been forgotten, but some became famous for a
variety of reasons. Some are remembered because of the large number of lives
lost, others because of their political importance at the time of sinking.
Still others are famous because of their valuable cargos or historical
significance. And some are well-known because they are spectacular dive
sites.
Below are brief histories of some of the world's most famous
wrecks. You've probably heard of them, but these mini histories will jog
your memory and get you interested in learning more. Along with each
write-up, we've provided a picture (click to enlarge) and links to some
related sites.
Titanic
The Titanic is without a doubt the world's most
famous shipwreck. The elegant White Star Line steamer sank in the North
Atlantic on her maiden voyage in 1912, after striking an iceberg. Since Titanic's
remains were discovered in 1985, several expeditions have explored
the wreck, and a blockbuster movie has retold the story with style. We can't tell the whole story
here, but the links below will lead you to a wealth of information.
Discovery
Channel Online's Titanic site
Titanic
- Voyage of Dscovery
Lost Liners (PBS)
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Pearl
Harbor Fleet
We all know the story of the
Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Over 300
planes participated in the attack and succeeded in sinking or severely
damaging some 21 navy ships. Over 2,400 people, mostly sailors and marines,
were killed in the attack. Today, the USS Arizona Memorial straddles the
remains of the battleship Arizona and commemorates all those who died
in the attack.
USS Arizona Memorial
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Sultana
In
April of 1865, at the end of the U. S. Civil War, the 260' sidewheel steamer
Sultana sank in the Mississippi River, near Memphis after a boiler exploded.
She was transporting recently-released prisoners of war back to their
families and homes in the north. Over 1,800 souls, mostly soldiers, perished
in the tragedy. At the time of her sinking, the Sultana, certified
for 376 passengers, had over 2,400 people on board. The link below will take
you to an excellent Sultana Website.
Death on the Dark
River
Illustration of Sultana ablaze
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RMS Rhone
The 310' British steamer RMS Rhone sank off Salt Island,
in the British Virgin Islands (Caribbean Sea) in an 1867 hurricane. Today, the
wreck of the
Rhone lies in two pieces on a sloping ledge with her stern in shallow water and her bow at
80''. The Rhone is considered one of the best wreck dives in the world
because of her semi-intact condition and the fact that she's located in a
resort area and in warm, clear
water.
RMS Rhone
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to List
Empress of Ireland
The
Canadian Pacific steamer Empress of Ireland sank in the Saint
Lawrence River, off Quebec, on May 29, 1914. She was rammed on a foggy night
by the Norwegian collier Storstad and sank within 14 minutes. There
were over 1,000 fatalities. The 550' wreck lies in 130' of frigid water, in
a strong current area. Divers "re-discovered" the Empress
in the 1980s, but it's a cold and dangerous dive.
Lost Liners (PBS)
rmsempressofireland.com
Ocean
City Museum (Empress china photo)
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General Slocum
On June 15, 1904, a large group
from S. Mark's Church in Manhattan, boarded the General Slocum for
their annual excursion to Locust Point. The Slocum was a 264'
sidewheel steamer. As the boat steamed up the East River, she caught fire
near Astoria. The fire spread quickly and panic broke out. Many passengers
jumped overboard and some were rescued by following boaters. The captain
headed the vessel for shore and she eventually sank off North Brother
Island, near today's LaGuardia Airport. The final death toll from the
tragedy was 1,024 souls.
History of the General
Slocum
Long Island Shipwrecks
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Lost German U-boats
German
U-boats were first used in World War I. Considering their small size and
fragility, they had great success in sinking enemy merchant ships. At the
end of the war, all the existing U-boats were surrendered and destroyed. At
the start of World War II, Germany was back in the U-boat business. Early in
that war they sank large numbers of allied and neutral merchant ships. Later
on, however, the U-boat threat was brought somewhat under control by the
allies use of increased ship production, escorted convoys, anti-U-boat
aircraft, and newly-developed radar and sonar. In World War II Germany built
1,162 U-boats, of which 785 were destroyed and the remainder surrendered or
scuttled at the end of the war. The stories of the brave U-boat crewmen are
well-known today, and the magnitude of those lost in the line of duty is
staggering. During and immediately following World War II, several U-boats
were sunk or scuttled in New England waters. And one of the few remaining
boats, the U-505, is now a fascinating walk-through display at the Museum of
Science and Industry in Chicago.
U-boat.net
Hitler's
Lost Sub (NOVA)
U-505
(Museum of Science and Industry)
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Andrea Doria
On
a foggy night in July 1956, the New York bound passenger liner Andrea
Doria was rammed broadside by the Swedish steamer Stockholm. The
collision occurred 50 miles south of Nantucket. Some 11 hours later, the Doria
sank in 235' of water. In a dramatic rescue effort, all but 52 of the 1,700
people on board were saved. Divers who have visited the Doria report
that the vessel is intact and lying on her starboard side. Check out the
links below to learn more about the Andrea Doria.
Doria Survivor's
Site
Great Ocean
Liners
NJScuba.net
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USS Squalus
On
May 23, 1939, the U.S. Navy submarine Squalus sank during a test dive
off Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The disabled sub landed upright on the
bottom, in 240' of water. Thirty-three crewmen survived the sinking and were
rescued the next day with an experimental rescue bell. The dramatic rescue
effort received extensive radio and newspaper coverage at the time.
The
Sinking and Rescue of the USS Squalus
USS
Squalus
- Naval History Center
"The Terrible Hours" Peter Maas' book on the Squalus
incident
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Whydah
The British-built slave ship Whydah
was captured by a band of pirates in the Caribbean in 1717. The leader of
the pirates, Black Sam Bellamy, took command of the Whydah as his
flagship. Bellamy's small fleet soon headed north toward New England,
raiding other ships along the way. On April 26, 1717, the Whydah was
caught in a vicious storm off Cape Cod, where she ran on a shoal and broke
up. Over the years rumors persisted that the Whydah was carrying
a treasure trove of gold and silver when she sank. The link below tells the
story of the Whydah.
Whydah
- Discovery.com
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Eastland
The
passenger steamer Eastland, with 2,500 people on board, rolled over
at a dock in downtown Chicago in 1915. The disaster claimed over 800 lives.
Many passengers were trapped inside the vessel. The Eastland Memorial
Society's Web site provides details and pictures of the event.
Eastland
Memorial Society
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Lusitania
The Cunard Line steamer Lusitania
was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland in 1915. The ship
sank in 18 minutes. Over 1,200 passengers and crew members died in the
incident. The links below will take you to several interesting Lusitania
sites.
Lost Liners -
Lusitania
Great
Ocean Liners - Lusitania (Click on Ship Histories)
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USS Maine
The
U.S. battleship Maine was destroyed by an explosion in Havana Harbor in
1898. Over 250 crewmen died in the incident. Although the cause of the
explosion was never positively determined, suspicions of sabotage ran high
and the United States soon declared war against Spain. The battle cry of the
Spanish-American war was "Remember the Maine."
U.S.
Navy's Maine page
Smithsonian Magazine "Remember the Maine
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Ghost
Fleet of Truk Lagoon
Prior to the start of World War II,
Japan established a network of naval bases in the Central Pacific. One of these was on Truk
atoll. During the war, numerous ships were routinely holed up in Truk
Lagoon. In February of 1944, Allied forces attacked Truk.
During the attack, some 50 ships were sunk in the lagoon. Today,
the mostly-intact wrecks are an attraction for divers from around the world.
Truk Lagoon
Shipwrecks
Truk
Photo Gallery
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Central America
The
side-wheel steamer Central America sank off Cape Hatteras, North
Carolina in 1857. She was carrying over 500 passengers and a fabulous cargo of gold
coins and gold bullion. In 1987, a group of American treasure hunters
located the wreck and began a long struggle to salvage the gold.
Central America - Treasure Ship
"Ship
of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea" - New York Times review
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H. L.
Hunley
The
Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley was a human-powered machine. On
February 16, 1864, the Hunley made a daring night attack on the sloop-of-war
USS Housatonic, outside of Charleston Harbor (SC). The Hunley rammed and sank
the Housatonic with a torpedo on a long pole attached to her bow. The
explosion that sank the Housatonic also sank the Hunley. The
wreck of the Hunley was raised in 2000 and is now undergoing conservation
in Charleston.
Hunley
- Official Site
Hunley
- U.S. Navy Site
Hunley -
CharlestonIllustrated.com
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S.S. Atlantic
The White Star Line steamer S.S. Atlantic struck a coastal ledge and sank near Halifax, Nova Scotia on the night of April 1, 1873. The vessel was bound from Liverpool to New York. Of the 1,000 people aboard, some 562 died despite the heroic efforts of locals to rescue the victims. The
Atlantic was a 420' iron hulled steamer that was rigged with
masts and sails.
Canadiangeographic.ca
SS Atlantic Heritage
Park
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The Great Halifax Explosion
During World War I, the busy port of Halifax, Nova Scotia was the
embarkation point for most ships carrying war materials from America to Europe. On December 6, 1917, the French munitions ship
Mont Blanc, heavily-loaded with explosives, was accidentally rammed by the Belgian relief ship
Imo at the entrance to Halifax harbor. Moments after the collision, a giant explosion obliterated the
Mont Blanc and parts of the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth. The final death toll was over
1,700 people.
Maritime
Museum of the Atlantic
The
Halifax Explosion
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Edmund Fitzgerald
The
Edmund Fitzgerald was an ore carrier on the Great Lakes. She sank in
Lake Superior on a stormy night in November of 1975. Her entire crew of 29
men were lost with the ship. The legend of the Fitzgerald lives on in the
words of Gordon Lightfoot's famous ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund
Fitzgerald."
Fitzgerald
- LakeSuperior.com
Fitzgerald
Tribute
Gordon Lightfoot's Song (Audio
Clip)
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Kursk
The
Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sank in 350' of water, in the Berants
Sea, on August 12, 2000. The sinking occurred after a massive onboard
explosion. All on board (118 crewmen) died in the incident.
Kursk
- BBC reports & graphics
Kurks
- CNN reports & graphics
Inside
the Kursk
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Portland
The
passenger steamer Portland
was lost off Cape Cod in a terrible storm on November 26,1898. Over 140
ships were lost in the storm that became known as "The Portland Gale."
The Portland
Gale
NOAA's
Portland Web page
Another
NOAA page
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Monitor
In
the American Civil War, the battle between the Union ship
Monitor and the Confederate ship Virginia (also known as the Merrimac)
took place in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 1862. This was the first battle
between ironclad warships and revolutionized the concept of naval
warfare. Both ships survived the battle, but the Monitor
sank a few months later off Cape Hatteras. NC. The wreck of the Monitor
remained lost for over 100 years, but was discovered in the 1970s. A major
effort is now underway to recover parts of this historic vessel.
Monitor National Marine
Sanctuary
Monitor
Photo Gallery
Monitor
Internet Resources
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HMS Sussex
The
British warship HMS Sussex sank in the Mediterranean Sea off
Gibraltar in 1694. Over 500 crewmen and a fabulous cargo of gold coins went
down with the ship. The wreck was lost for centuries. A few years ago,
Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., of Tampa, Florida located the wreck of the
Sussex at a depth of over 2,000 feet. Odyssey has since negotiated a
lucrative salvage contract with the British government and began salvage
operations in 2003.
HMS
Sussex
- PopularMechanics.com
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