List of missing ships

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

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.

SS Waratah and its 211 crew and passengers were last heard from on 27 July 1909. Its wreck has yet to be found.

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.

Africa

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
HMS Blenheim	1807	Off the coast of Madagascar[2]
SS Waratah	1909	somewhere between Durban and Cape Town[3]

North America

Canada

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
L'Acadien II	2008	Somewhere off Cape Breton[4] (missing wreck)
Andrea Gail	1991	Somewhere off Sable Island[5]
SS Arctic	1854	Somewhere off Cape Race, Newfoundland[6] (missing wreck)
Jutland	1920	Approximately 160 kilometers southeast of Halifax[7]
SS Leafield	1913	Lake Superior, probably about 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Port Arthur, Ontario.[8]

Panama

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
Surcouf	1942	North of Cristóbal, Colón

United States of America

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
SS Baychimo	1969	Ghost ship last sighted in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska.[9]
SS Bannockburn	1902	Lost on Lake Superior 21 November 1902
SS Chicora	1895	Lake freighter that sank on 21 January 1895 in Lake Michigan.[10]
SS D.M. Clemson	1908	Lake freighter vanished in a violent Lake Superior storm on 1 December 1908.[11]
SS Hippocampus	1868	Lake freighter that capsized in Lake Michigan a few miles from Benton Harbor, Michigan.[12]
SS Iosco	1905	Somewhere near the Huron Islands.[13]
SS James Gayley	1912	Sank in a collision on Lake Superior on 7 August 1912, northwest of Caribou Island.
SS Marine Sulphur Queen	1963	Somewhere in Florida Strait around 25°45′N 86°00′W.[14] (missing wreck)
SS Plymouth	1913	Near Gull Island and Poverty Island in Green Bay.[15]

Undetermined Area

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Albany	1854	Somewhere in Caribbean Sea[16]
Cerisoles	1918	Minesweeper built for French Navy, lost in heavy weather in Lake Superior along with Inkerman in November 1918.[12]
USS Cyclops	1918	Somewhere between Barbados and Baltimore, Maryland[17]
Danube	1892	Somewhere between Guadeloupe and New York City[18]
Le Griffon	1679	Lost between Green Bay and the Niagara River.[19]
HMS Heureux	1800	Somewhere between the Caribbean and Halifax[20]
Inkerman	1918	Minesweeper built for French Navy, lost in heavy weather in Lake Superior along with Cerisoles in November 1918.[12]
USS Insurgent	1800	Somewhere in Caribbean Sea[21]
Java	1869	Disappeared en route to Yokohama[22]
USS Lynx	1820	Somewhere between St. Mary's, Georgia and Kingston, Jamaica[23]
Maratonga	2015	Somewhere between Norfolk, Virginia and Portugal[24]
SS Marquette & Bessemer No. 2	1909	American or Canadian waters of Lake Erie
USS Nereus	1941	Somewhere around the Virgin Islands.[25]
USS Pickering	1800	Somewhere between Newcastle, Delaware and Guadeloupe[26]
USS Proteus	1941	Somewhere in Caribbean Sea[27]
SS R.G. Coburn	1871	Lake freighter lost in heavy weather in Lake Huron in October 1871.[12]
USS Saratoga	1781	Somewhere in Caribbean Sea[28]

Asia

India

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
SS Vaitarna	1888	Somewhere off the coast of Saurashtra in Arabian Sea[29]
MV Kairali	1979	Some miles away from Margao[30]

Indonesia

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
U-196	1944	Somewhere south of Java near Sunda Strait[31]
USS Capelin	1943	Somewhere near Sulawesi[32]
HMS Lady Nelson	1825	Unconfirmed destruction at Aluta Island or Baba Island[33]

Japan

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Kete	1945	Somewhere off Ryukyu Islands[32]
USS Runner	1943	Somewhere off Japan[34]
USS Swordfish	1945	Somewhere off Ryukyu Islands[35]

Philippines

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Grayling	1943	Somewhere off Manila or in Lingayen Gulf[36]

Undetermined Area

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Porpoise	1854	Somewhere off the coast of China or Taiwan[37]
USS Snook	1945	Somewhere between South China Sea and Luzon Strait[38]

Europe

Greece

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
HMS Sickle	1944	Probably sunk in Antikythera Channel[39]
UB-3	1915	Lost in the Aegean Sea west of Izmir[40]

United Kingdom

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
SS Lord Spencer	1895	Somewhere between San Francisco and New York City.[41]
U-47	1941	Somewhere near the Rockall Banks around 60°N 19°W[42]

Undetermined Area

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
U-22	1940	Somewhere in Skagerrak Strait[43]
U-54	1940	Somewhere in North Sea[44]
U-122	1940	Somewhere between North Sea and Bay of Biscay[45]
U-240	1944	Somewhere in North Sea west of Norway[46]
U-337	1943	Somewhere around 63°N 12°W[47]
U-376	1943	Somewhere in Bay of Biscay[48]
U-398	1945	Somewhere in North Sea[49]
U-519	1943	Somewhere in Bay of Biscay[50]
Cymric	1943	Last seen 24 February 1943 off Dublin en route to Lisbon vanished with crew of 11[51]
U-703	1944	Somewhere in Norwegian Sea[52]
Eurydice	1970	Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea
Gibraltar	1867	Reportedly sunk in English Channel[53] (missing wreck)
HMS Seahorse	1940	Somewhere in Heligoland Bight[54] (missing wreck)
HMS Snapper	1941	Somewhere in Bay of Biscay[55]
ORP Orzeł	1940	Somewhere in North Sea[56]

Oceania

Australia

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
Albion	?	Somewhere between Table Cape and Circular Head[57]
Amelia J.	1920	Somewhere around the Furneaux Group[58]
Amy Louise	1909	Somewhere between Pernambuco, Brazil and Sydney[59]
Argo	1814	Somewhere off the coast[57]
Awahou	1952	Somewhere between Sydney and Lord Howe Island[60]
Awarau	1891	Somewhere off Macquarie Island[61]
Celestia	1887	Somewhere between Russell, New Zealand and Hobart[57]
Chris	1903	Somewhere between Hobart and Adventure Bay[57]
SS Christina Fraser	1933	Somewhere between Gabo Island, last sighting, and Geelong[62][63]
City of Hobart	1873	Somewhere between Hobart and Blackman's Bay[57]
Despatch	1826	Somewhere off Cape Pillar[57]
Douglas Mawson	1923	Somewhere between Cairns and Thursday Island[33]
Elizabeth Radcliff	1850	[57]
Fleetwing	1876	[57]
Flying Duck	1876	Somewhere off Swan Island (unidentified/missing wreck)[57]
Grecian Queen	1863	Somewhere between Newcastle and Melbourne (unidentified/missing wreck)[57]
John	1806	Somewhere between King Island and Sydney[60]
John Leslie Griffiths	1880	Somewhere around King Island[64]
Jumna	1881	Somewhere between Hobart and Fremantle[57]
Lady Franklin	1838	Somewhere between Sydney and Hobart[57]
Louisa	1882	Somewhere around Fortescue Bay[57]
Morning Star	1814	Somewhere off Booby Island[65]
Maid of Australia	1834	Somewhere between Port Arthur and Port Philip[57]
Nft West	1989	Somewhere in Arafura Sea[33]
Omega	1921	Somewhere between Hobart and Lyttelton, New Zealand[57]
Peron	1948	Somewhere near Darwin[33]
Phoenix	1950	Somewhere between Truscott and Darwin[33]
Port Phillip Packet	1838	Somewhere between Launceston and Port Phillip Bay[57]
Princess Charlotte	1820	Somewhere between Hobart and Sydney[57]
Raven	1806	[57]
Reindeer	1862	Somewhere around the Kent Group[66] (missing wreck)
Resolution	1832	Somewhere between Launceston and Twofold Bay[57]
HMS Sappho	1858	somewhere in Bass Strait
Senorita	1854	Somewhere between Sydney and Hobart[57]
Southern Cross	1908	Somewhere around the Furneaux Group[58] (unconfirmed wreck)
Unity	1813	Somewhere off the coast[57]
Venus	1803	Somewhere between Sydney and southern New Zealand[57]
Viscount McDuff	After 8 August 1882	Somewhere between Sydney and Madras (unidentified/missing wreck)[57]
Vivid	1854	Somewhere between Melbourne and Circular Head, Tasmania[57]
Whale	1816	Somewhere between Sydney and the mouth of the Hawkesbury River[60]
Yarra Yarra	1838	Somewhere between Launceston and Port Phillip Bay[57]

Northern Mariana Islands

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Gudgeon	1944	Near Maug Islands,[67] or unconfirmed sinking southeast of Iwo Jima at 22°52′N 143°32′W[68] (missing wreck)

New Zealand

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
General Grant	1866	Off western shore of Auckland Island[69] (missing wreck)

Papua New Guinea

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Amberjack	1943	Probably sunk off Rabaul (missing wreck)[70]

Solomon Islands

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
USS Grampus	1943	Probably sunk in Blackett Strait (missing wreck)[71]

Undetermined area

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
Independence	1805	Somewhere between Sydney and the Antipodes Islands, south east of New Zealand
Active	1810	Tasman Sea[72]

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.

Arctic Ocean

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
U-355	1944	[73]

Atlantic Ocean

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
U-116	1942	Somewhere around 45°00′N 31°30′W[74]
U-184	1942	Somewhere east of Newfoundland near 49°N 45°W[75]
U-192	1943	Somewhere southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland around 53°06′N 45°02′W[76] (missing wreck)
U-338	1943	Somewhere around 57°N 30°W[77]
U-381	1943	Somewhere south of Greenland[78]
U-420	1943	[79]
U-529	1943	[80]
U-553	1943	[81]
U-1226	1944	[82]
Africa	1883	Somewhere between New York City and Leith[83]
America	1882	Somewhere between New York City and Hamburg[83]
Apollo	1894	Somewhere between New York City and Antwerp[83]
HMS Atalanta	1880	Somewhere between Bermuda and England[84]
SS City of Boston	1870	Somewhere between New York City and Liverpool[83]
SS City of Glasgow	1854	Somewhere between Liverpool and Philadelphia[83]
City of Limerick	1882	Somewhere between New York City and London[83]
City of London	1881	Somewhere between London and New York City[83]
Colombo	1876	Somewhere between Hull and New York City[83]
USS Cyclops	1918	Somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle[85]
USS Epervier	1815	[86]
Erin	1889	Somewhere between New York City and London[83]
Henry Edye	1881	Somewhere between Antwerp and New York City[83]
Hermann Ludwig	1878	Somewhere between New York City and Antwerp[83]
Humber	1885	Somewhere between New York City and London[83]
Huronian	1902	Smewhere between Glasgow and Saint John, New Brunswick[83]
SS Ismailia	1873	Somewhere between New York City and Glasgow[83]
FV Johannes Krüss	1967	Somewhere west of Cape Farewell, Greenland[87]
København	1928–1929	Somewhere between Buenos Aires and Australia
Ludwig	1883	Somewhere between Antwerp and Montreal[83]
Madagascar	1853	Somewhere between Port Phillip and London[88] (also listed under Indian Ocean)
Mercator	1880	Somewhere between Antwerp and New York City[83]
Merrimac	1899	Somewhere between Quebec City and Belfast[83]
Moy	1905	Somewhere between British Guiana and Liverpool[18]
MS München	1978	Somewhere around 44°N 24°W[89] (missing wreck)
SS Naronic	1893	Somewhere between Point Lynas, Wales and New York City[83]
Neustria	1908	Somewhere between New York City and Marseille[83]
Neva	1887	Somewhere between Banyuwangi and Lisbon[18] (also listed under Indian Ocean)
Pacific	1856	Somewhere between Liverpool and New York City[83]
Pauillac	1900	Somewhere between Glasgow and Saint John, New Brunswick[83]
SS President	1841	Somewhere between New York City and Liverpool[83]
De Ruyter	1894	Somewhere between Antwerp and New York City[83]
Shannon	1872	Somewhere between Montreal and Liverpool[83]
Shannon	1885	Somewhere between London and Calcutta[18] (also listed under Indian Ocean)
Spray	1909	Somewhere between Vineyard Haven, United States and Venezuela[90]
Tempest	1857	Somewhere between New York City and Glasgow[83]
Titania	1882	Somewhere between New York City and Newcastle[83]
Trojan	1874	Somewhere between Glasgow and Halifax[83]
United Kingdom	1869	Somewhere between New York City and Glasgow[83]
Vorsetzen	1885	Somewhere between Halifax and Antwerp[83]

Indian Ocean

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
Burmah	1859/60	Somewhere between London and New Zealand (last seen near 97E 48S)
HMS Stonehenge	1944	Somewhere in Bay of Bengal or Andaman Sea[91]
MV Kairali	1979	Somewhere 500 km off Margoa, India[92]

Tasman Sea

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
SS Canastota	1921	Somewhere between Sydney and Wellington[93]

Pacific Ocean

Ship	Date	Possible or Last Known Location
Amelia	1816	Somewhere between Sydney and Java[94]
SY Aurora	1918	Somewhere between Newcastle, Australia and Iquique, Chile[95]
Endeavour	1914	Somewhere between Macquarie Island and Hobart[61]
HMCS Integrity	1805	Somewhere between Sydney, Australia and Valparaíso, Chile[96]
Kakanui	1891	Somewhere between Macquarie Island and New Zealand[61]
USS Kete	1945	Somewhere between Colnett Strait (Tokara Kaikyo) and Midway Island[97]
Lyman D. Foster	1919	Somewhere between Nuku'alofa and San Francisco[98][99]

See also

• List of missing aircraft
• Lists of shipwrecks
• List of unrecovered and unusable flight recorders
• List of ghost ships