List of shipwrecks of France

This is a list of shipwrecks located in or off the coast of France.

The shipwreck of Boyne off the Îles Molène, Brittany, 1875

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Aquitaine

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
U-180	Kriegsmarine	23 August 1944	A Type IXD1 U-boat sunk off Soorts-Hossegor.	44.000°N 2.000°W / 44.000; -2.000 (German submarine U-180)

Brittany

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Ajax	Denmark	25 December 1917	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-104 south of Audierne.	47°53′N 4°32′W
HMS Amazon	Royal Navy	14 January 1797	A frigate that ran aground at Audierne.
HMS Amfitrite	Royal Navy	4 March 1807	A frigate wrecked off Ushant.
Amoco Cadiz	Liberia	16 March 1978	A supertanker that ran aground at Portsall, causing an oil spill.	48.6°N 4.7°W / 48.6; -4.7 (Amoco Cadiz)
HMS Arethusa	Royal Navy	19 March 1779	A Royal Navy frigate, wrecked off Ushant after sustaining considerable damage in a battle with the French ship Aigrette.	48°27′4″N 5°4′4″W
Asgard II	Ireland	11 September 2008	A brigantine that sank off Belle Île.	47°18′03″N 3°33′02″W
HMCS Athabaskan	Royal Canadian Navy	29 April 1944	A Tribal-class destroyer that was torpedoed by T24 off Plouguerneau.	48°43′N 4°32′W
Auguste	French Navy	29 January 1795	A ship of the line caught in a tempest off Brest.
Böhlen	East Germany	14 October 1976	An oil tanker that sank after going aground off the Île de Sein	48°10′30″N 5°10′48″W
HMS Charybdis	Royal Navy	23 October 1943	A Dido-class cruiser that was sunk by German torpedo boats off the north coast of Brittany.	48°59′N 3°39′W
Droits de l'Homme	France	1797	A ship of the line sunk after going aground off Plozévet.
Empire Conyngham	United Kingdom	20 June 1949	A cargo ship that was scuttled off Brest.	47°52′N 8°51′W
Erika	Malta	12 December 1999	An oil tanker that sank in the Bay of Biscay, causing an oil spill.	47°9′N 4°15′W
HMS Firm	Royal Navy	29 June 1811	A gun-brig wrecked off Cancalle Bay.
France	French Navy	26 August 1922	A Courbet-class battleship that struck a rock in Quiberon Bay.	47°27′6″N 3°2′0″W
USS Gypsum Queen	United States Navy	28 April 1919	A tugboat that struck a rock off Brest.
Hilda	United Kingdom	18 December 1905	A steamship that hit the Pierre de Portes rocks in thick fog and sank off Saint-Malo.	48°40.49′N 2°5.72′W
London	United Kingdom	11 January 1864	Sunk in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.
HMS Magnificent	Royal Navy	25 March 1804	A Ramillies-class ship of the line that struck a reef off Brest.
HMS Monkey	Royal Navy	25 December 1810	A gun-brig wrecked on Belle Île while participating in the blockade of Lorient.
Neptune	French Navy	28 December 1794	A ship of the line wrecked off Brest during the Croisière du Grand Hiver.
HMS Repulse	Royal Navy	10 March 1800	An Intrepid-class ship of the line abandoned in the Glénan islands.
Royal Louis	French Navy	24 December 1794	A ship of the line that ran aground off Brest.
Saint-Esprit	French Navy	30 January 1795	A Saint-Esprit-class ship of the line wrecked off Brest during Croisière du Grand Hiver.
Séduisant	French Navy	16 December 1796	A Séduisant-class ship of the line wrecked off Brest.
Superbe	French Navy	30 January 1795	A Téméraire-class ship of the line wrecked off Brest during the Croisière du Grand Hiver.
U-103	Imperial German Navy	12 May 1918	A German submarine that was rammed by RMS Olympic off Brest.	49°16′N 4°51′W
U-171	Kriegsmarine	9 October 1942	A Type IXC U-boat that was sunk near Lorient.	47°39′N 03°34′W
U-441	Kriegsmarine	8 June 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk off Ushant.	48°27′N 05°47′W
U-526	Kriegsmarine	14 April 1943	A Type IXC/40 U-boat that was sunk by naval mines near Lorient.	47°30′N 03°45′W
U-767	Kriegsmarine	18 June 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk by British destroyers north of Tréguier.	49°03′N 03°13′W
U-821	Kriegsmarine	10 June 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk by aircraft off Ushant.	48°31′N 05°11′W
UC-36	Imperial German Navy	21 May 1917	A German Type UC II U-boat that was rammed by French steamer Molière off Ushant.	48°42′N 05°14′W

Channel Islands

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
HMS Affray	Royal Navy	16 April 1951	An Amphion-class submarine lost near Hurds Deep.	49°30′N 3°34′W
Baden	Royal Navy	16 August 1921	A Bayern-class dreadnought sunk as a target in Hurd Deep.	49°49′42″N 2°23′21″W
HMS Dragon	Royal Navy	15 March 1712	A frigate that served in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and was wrecked near Guernsey.
HMS Lady Olive	Royal Navy	19 February 1917	A Q ship that was sunk by UC-18 west of Jersey.	49°15′N 02°34′W
Stella	United Kingdom	30 March 1899	A passenger ferry that hit a granite reef off the Casquets.
UC-18	Imperial German Navy	19 February 1917	A German minelaying submarine sunk by Q ship Lady Olive west of Jersey.	49°15′N 02°34′W

Corsica

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
HMS Fleche	Royal Navy	12 November 1795	A corvette that ran aground and capsized in the bay of Saint-Florent.
HMS Saracen	Royal Navy	14 August 1943	An S-class submarine that was attacked by Italian corvettes and scuttled off Bastia.	42°45′N 9°30′E

Languedoc-Roussillon

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Wreck of Rochelongue			A shipwreck found west of Cap d'Agde dating to the Iron Age, around 600 BC.

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Abukir	United Kingdom	28 May 1940	A steamship that was torpedoed by S-34 northeast of Calais, while evacuating soldiers and civilians from Ostend.	51.20°N 2.16°E / 51.20; 2.16 (SS Abukir)
HMS Assistance	Royal Navy	29 March 1802	A fourth-rate ship that hit a sandbank off Dunkirk.
Elizabeth		28 December 1810	A cargo ship wrecked on the Dunkirk brake, with at least 380 deaths.
HMS Grenade	Royal Navy	29 May 1940	A G-class destroyer that was sunk by German Stuka dive bomber aircraft during the Battle of Dunkirk.	51°24′28″N 2°49′10″E
HMS Havant	Royal Navy	1 June 1940	A H-class destroyer that was scuttled after taking damage in the Battle of Dunkirk.	51°08′00″N 2°15′49″E
HMS Hermes	Royal Navy	31 October 1914	A Highflyer-class cruiser torpedoed by German submarine U-27.	51°06′18″N 1°50′18″E
Huntley	United Kingdom	21 November 1915	A German hospital ship seized by the Royal Navy, and torpedoed by UB-10 off Boulogne.
HMS Keith	Royal Navy	1 June 1940	A B-class destroyer sunk at Dunkirk by enemy aircraft.	51°04′46″N 02°26′47″E
L'Adroit	French Navy	25 May 1940	A L'Adroit-class destroyer that was bombed by German aircraft off Dunkirk.	51°03′N 2°23′E
HMS Laforey	Royal Navy	23 March 1917	A Laforey-class destroyer that hit a naval mine off Cap Gris Nez.
U-109	Imperial German Navy	26 January 1918	A German submarine sunk in the English Channel.	50°53′N 1°31′E
UC-26	Imperial German Navy	8 May 1917	A German minelaying submarine rammed by HMS Milne off Calais.	51°03′N 01°40′E
UC-61	Imperial German Navy	26 July 1917	A German minelaying submarine stranded and scuttled off Boulogne.	50°53′N 01°33′E
UC-79	Imperial German Navy	1918	A German minelaying submarine sunk by a mine off Cap Gris Nez.

Normandy

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
CSS Alabama	Confederate States Navy	11 June 1864	A screw sloop-of-war sunk off Cherbourg-Octeville during the American Civil War.	49°45′09″N 1°41′42″W
Amsterdam	Royal Navy	7 August 1944	A hospital ship that was sunk by a naval mine while taking casualties from Juno Beach.
HMS Berkeley	Royal Navy	19 July 1942	A Hunt-class destroyer that was damaged by German bomber aircraft and scuttled off Dieppe.	49°59′N 01°02′E
HMS Britomart	Royal Navy	27 August 1944	A Halcyon-class minesweeper that was, along with HMS Hussar, accidentally sunk by Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon aircraft off Le Havre.
HMS Capel	Royal Navy	26 December 1944	A Captain-class frigate that was torpedoed by U-486 off Cherbourg.	49°50′N 1°41′W
HMS Centurion	Royal Navy	7 June 1944	A King George V-class battleship sunk as a breakwater off Avranches.
USS Corry	United States Navy	6 June 1944	A Gleaves-class destroyer sunk off Îles Saint-Marcouf during the invasion of Normandy.	49°30′50″N 1°11′30″W
HMS D3	Royal Navy	12 March 1918	A D-class submarine that was mistakenly bombed by a French airship off Fecamp.
HMS Daffodil	Royal Navy	18 March 1945	A train ferry that was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as an amphibious warfare ship, and was sunk by a naval mine off Dieppe.	50°02′N 01°04′E
Derrycunihy	United Kingdom	24 June 1944	A troopship that was sunk by a naval mine off Sword Beach.
HMS Derwent	Royal Navy	2 May 1917	A River-class destroyer sunk off Le Havre by a naval mine laid by German submarine UC-26.	49°30′48″N 0°1′48″W
ORP Dragon	Polish Navy	7 July 1944	A Danae-class cruiser that was transferred to the Polish Navy and then scuttled near Courseulles.
HMS Durban	Royal Navy	9 June 1944	A Danae-class light cruiser that was scuttled as a breakwater off Ouistreham.	49°20′44″N 00°16′08″W
USS Eastern Shore	United States Navy	4 August 1944	A cargo ship sunk to form part of a Mulberry harbour.
HMS Eden	Royal Navy	18 June 1916	A River-class destroyer that collided with SS France off Fécamp.
Empire Broadsword	Royal Navy	July 1944	An infantry landing ship sunk by a naval mine off Normandy.	49°25′N 0°54′W
Empire Javelin	Royal Navy	28 December 1944	An infantry landing ship that was sunk in the English Channel.	50°5′N 1°0′W
Galeka	Royal Navy	28 October 1916	A hospital ship that struck a naval mine while entering Le Havre.	49°34′N 0°5′E
USS Glennon	United States Navy	10 June 1944	A Gleaves-class destroyer that hit a naval mine and was sunk by shore batteries in the Baie de la Seine.
HMS Hussar	Royal Navy	27 August 1944	A minesweeper sunk by friendly fire off Le Havre, along with HMS Britomart.
HMS Isis	Royal Navy	20 July 1944	An I-class destroyer sunk off the coast of Normandy.
Komet	Kriegsmarine	14 October 1942	A German auxiliary cruiser sunk by British motor torpedo boats near La Hague.	49°44′0″N 1°32′0″W
La Combattante	Free French Naval Forces	23 February 1945	A Hunt-class destroyer that was used by the Free French Naval Forces, and sank off Normandy.
HMHS Lanfranc	Royal Navy	17 April 1917	A hospital ship torpedoed by German submarine UB-40 off Le Havre.	50°06′36″N 0°07′12″E
Léopoldville	Belgium	24 December 1944	A former Belgian passenger liner converted to a transport ship, torpedoed 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) from the coast of Cherbourg-Octeville.	49°45′N 1°34′W
USS Miantonomah	United States Navy	25 September 1944	A cargo ship and minelayer sunk by a naval mine off Le Havre.	49°26′29″N 0°11′31″E
USS Partridge	United States Navy	11 June 1944	A Lapwing-class minesweeper sunk by German E-boats off Vierville-sur-Mer.	49°30′N 00°50′W
USS PC-1261	United States Navy	6 June 1944	A PC-461-class submarine chaser, and the first ship sunk during the invasion of Normandy.	49°30′N 01°10′W
Pennsylvanian	United States	16 July 1944	A cargo ship scuttled to form part of a Mulberry harbour.	49°22′29″N 0°53′31″W
HMS Pylades	Royal Navy	8 July 1944	A Catherine-class minesweeper sunk off Juno Beach.	49°25′36″N 00°15′04″W
HMS Quorn	Royal Navy	3 August 1944	A Hunt-class destroyer sunk off the coast of Normandy.
USS Rich	United States Navy	8 June 1944	A Buckley-class destroyer escort that hit three naval mines off Îles Saint-Marcouf.	49°31′N 1°10.6′W
HMHS Salta	Royal Navy	10 April 1917	A hospital ship that hit a mine laid by UC-26 off Le Havre.	49°32′8″N 0°2′18″W
HMS Shannon	Royal Navy	10 December 1803	A frigate wrecked off Tatihou.
Soleil Royal	French Navy	3 June 1692	A ship of the line beached at Cherbourg and destroyed by fireships.
USS Susan B. Anthony	United States Navy	7 June 1944	A transport ship sunk by a mine off Normandy; all 2,689 people aboard were rescued.	49°29′24″N 0°42′48″W
HNoMS Svenner	Royal Norwegian Navy	6 June 1944	An S-class destroyer that served in the Royal Norwegian Navy, and was sunk off Sword Beach.	49°27′N 0°15′W
USS Tide	United States Navy	7 June 1944	An Auk-class minesweeper sunk by a naval mine off Îles Saint-Marcouf.	49°36′59″N 1°4′59″W
Train Ferry No. 2	Royal Navy	13 June 1940	A train ferry that was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as an amphibious warfare ship, and was sunk by German gunfire off Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer.[1]	49°56′N 00°56′E
U-151	Royal Navy	7 June 1921	A German submarine sunk as a target at Cherbourg.
UC-78	Imperial German Navy	9 May 1918	A German minelaying submarine rammed by off Cherbourg.	49°49′N 01°40′W
HMAT Warilda	Royal Australian Navy	3 August 1918	An Australian hospital ship torpedoed by the U-boat UC-49 off Le Havre.
West Cheswald	United States Navy	11 June 1944	A cargo ship scuttled off Utah Beach as a breakwater.
West Grama	United States Navy	8 June 1944	A cargo ship scuttled off Omaha Beach as a breakwater.
West Honaker	United States Navy	8 June 1944	A cargo ship scuttled off Utah Beach as a breakwater.
West Nohno	United States Navy	11 June 1944	A cargo ship scuttled off Utah Beach as a breakwater.
White Ship		25 November 1120	A 12th century vessel that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur.

Pays de la Loire

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
HMS Alcmene	Royal Navy	29 April 1809	An Alcmene-class frigate wrecked off Nantes.
USS Buchanan	United States Navy	29 March 1942	A Wickes-class destroyer that was deliberately blown up in the St Nazaire Raid.	47°16′34″N 2°11′49″W
Héros	French Navy	21 September 1759	A ship of the line wrecked off Le Croisic.
RMS Lancastria	United Kingdom	17 June 1940	A Cunard Liner sunk in the Loire River estuary during World War II.	47°10′26″N 2°19′15″W
Sachsenwald	Kriegsmarine	6 August 1944	A German weather ship that was sunk by a British convoy off Île d'Yeu.
Saint-Philibert	France	14 June 1931	A cruise ship that sank off the Île de Noirmoutier, resulting in the death of nearly 500 passengers.
U-51	Kriegsmarine	20 August 1940	A Type VIIB U-boat torpedoed by HMS Cachalot off Saint-Nazaire.	47°06′N 04°51′W
U-268	Kriegsmarine	19 February 1943	A Type VIIC U-boat sunk by depth charges off Nantes.	47°03′N 05°56′W
U-736	Kriegsmarine	6 August 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat sunk by HMS Loch Killin off Saint-Nazaire.	47°19′N 4°16′W

Poitou-Charentes

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
HMS Atalante	Royal Navy	12 February 1807	A brig-sloop wrecked off Île de Ré.
U-107	Kriegsmarine	18 August 1944	A Type IXB U-boat sunk by depth charges off La Rochelle.	46°46′N 03°49′W
U-263	Kriegsmarine	20 January 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk during a deep dive trial off La Rochelle.	46°06′N 01°36′W
U-667	Kriegsmarine	25 August 1944	A Type VIIC U-boat that struck a mine off Oléron.	46°00′N 01°30′W

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Espingole	French Navy	4 February 1903	A Durandal-class destroyer that struck a rock near Cavalaire-sur-Mer.	43°09′20″N 06°36′30″E
Héros	French Navy	18 December 1793	A ship of the line that was scuttled by fire at Toulon.
L'Indomptable	Vichy French Navy	27 November 1942	A Le Fantasque-class destroyer that was scuttled at Toulon to avoid capture (see Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon).
Madrague de Giens shipwreck		75–60 BCE	A Roman merchantman sunk off the coast of La Madrague de Giens, east of Toulon.	43°2′N 06°6′E
Magenta	French Navy	31 October 1875	An ironclad warship that exploded in the military harbour of Toulon.
U-303	Kriegsmarine	21 May 1943	A Type VIIC U-boat that was torpedoed by HMS Sickle off Toulon.	42°50′N 06°00′E