List of shipwrecks in 1971
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
7 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kolno | The cargo ship ran aground off Falsterbo, Sweden, withdrawn from service as a result and converted to a floating boilerhouse. | |
| West Shore | The supply vessel foundered in the North Sea one nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) off the oil rig Ocean Viking. All thirteen crew rescued.[1] |
8 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Antilles | The ocean liner ran aground off Mustique, St Vincent and the Grenadines and caught fire when her fuel tanks ruptured. All passengers and crew took to the lifeboats and were rescued by Queen Elizabeth 2 ( |
10 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vrachos | The cargo ship caught fire at Galaţi, Romania and was beached in the Sulina Canal. Consequently scrapped.[2] |
11 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Texaco Caribbean | It was struck by the 12,000-tonne Paracas ( |
12 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brandenburg | Despite the British coastal authorities placing three vertical green lights on site to warn other ships of the presence of the wreck, the 2,695-ton Brandenburg struck the wreck of Texaco Caribbean ( |
14 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pasteur | The Shelt-type coaster sank off the Alida Shoal 00°56′N 107°53′E / 0.933°N 107.883°E when on a voyage from Sibu, Sarawak to Singapore. She was well off the normal route at the time.[8] |
18 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Standard, and Oregon Standard |
The T2 tankers collided under the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California. Arizona Standard was on a voyage from Estero Bay to San Francisco. She put in to Richmond, California. She was subsequently repaired with a 56 feet (17 m) bow section from Oregon Standard. That ship was subsequently repaired at Richmond, using a 165 feet (50 m) bow section from Petrolite ( | |
| Arctic Sea | The crab-fishing vessel was reported aground on Fairmount Island (60°52′20″N 147°26′07″W / 60.8722°N 147.4353°W) on the south-central coast of Alaska.[10] |
27 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Norland | The fishing vessel ran aground and broke up on Barlow Island (58°23′30″N 134°54′00″W / 58.39167°N 134.90000°W) in Southeast Alaska about 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) northwest of Juneau, Alaska. Her entire crew of three survived and was rescued by the buoy tender USCGC Clover ( |
28 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hoveringham II | The dredger sprang a leak, capsized and sank off Puffin Island, Anglesey. Her four crew were rescued by the Holyhead Lifeboat.[12] |
31 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Margarethe | The ferry ran aground off the Kullen Lighthouse, Sweden. All on board rescued by Kärmen ( |
Unknown date
February
3 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Decora | The fishing vessel sank after striking Colorado Reef (56°38′20″N 132°56′10″W / 56.63889°N 132.93611°W) in Wrangell Narrows in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. The cutter USCGC Cape Henlopen ( |
6 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Byzantium | The ship caught fire at Gibraltar, with its bridge deck and accommodation gutted. Repairs were deemed uneconomic and the ship was scrapped later in the year.[16] |
10 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aguedal | The cargo ship ran aground 15 nautical miles (28 km) off the coast of Libya.[17] |
11 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aragon | The Liberty ship Collided with the tanker Hydrophane ( |
13 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Velta | The cargo ship sprang a leak and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 200 nautical miles (370 km) south east of the Azores (32°07′N 23°26′W / 32.117°N 23.433°W). She was on a voyage from Macapá, Brazil to Bilbao, Spain.[19] |
17 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ferncastle | The 52,510 GRT oil tanker sustained an explosion, broke in two, and sank at 35°43′N 13°15′W / 35.717°N 13.250°W, about 350 nautical miles (650 km) west of Cadiz. She was in ballast, en route from Wilhelmshaven to Forçados, Nigeria. Seven crew members were lost.[20] The 499 GRT cargo ship Navipesa Dos ( |
18 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Achillet | The cargo ship sprang a leak and was abandoned 300 nautical miles (560 km) southwest of Walvis Bay, South West Africa. She was on a voyage from Sfax, Morocco to Madras, India. She foundered on 25 February at 19°00′S 10°19′E / 19.000°S 10.317°E.[22] |
22 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Endeavour II | The three-masted auxiliary barque was driven ashore in Parengarenga Harbour, a few miles south of North Cape. She was en route to New Zealand from Australia, and after being becalmed encountered a gale on rounding North Cape and failed to make Houhora Harbour. The crew of 13 men and one woman landed safely, there were no fatalities. She was the first square-rigged sailing vessel wrecked on the New Zealand coast for more than 50 years. Endeavour II had taken part in the 1970 bi-centenary re-enactment of James Cook's landing at Botany Bay, Sydney on 29 April 1970.[23] | |
| Ocean Castle | The fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska near the Barren Islands (58°57′N 152°15′W / 58.950°N 152.250°W) off the south-central coast of Alaska after colliding with the tanker Hawaiian Standard (flag unknown). Hawaiian Standard rescued her crew of four.[24] |
26 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wafra | The tanker ran aground at Cape Agulhas, South Africa.[25] |
27 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Niki | A light ship and five light buoys were added above the site of the wreck of Texaco Caribbean ( | |
| Esso Antwerp | The ship collided with Panachaikon ( |
28 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maureen Greer | The crab-fishing vessel sank at the entrance to Uganik Bay (57°50′N 153°32′W / 57.833°N 153.533°W) on the coast of Kodiak Island in Alaska. Her crew of three survived.[28] |
March
1 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Borella | The stripped, out of service 165.3-foot (50.4 m) 524-ton trawler was scuttled by the South African Navy in Simonstown Bay, or False Bay.[29][30] | |
| USS Reuben James | The decommissioned Buckley-class destroyer escort was sunk as a target. |
2 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity Navigator | The tanker ran aground off Berry Head, Devon, United Kingdom.[31] |
3 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Henna | The bulk carrier, a converted T2 tanker, sprang a leak and foundered in the Indian Ocean (34°57′S 72°08′E / 34.950°S 72.133°E). Her crew were rescued by Gladstone Star ( |
4 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Angela | Carrying a cargo of powdered cement, the 420-foot (130 m), 8,512-gross register ton barge broke her towline during a storm and was wrecked on Old Cock Ledge, a reef off Westport, Massachusetts. She sank in waters up to 35 feet (11 m) deep, becoming partially submerged.[34] | |
| USS Gregory | The decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer was deliberately run aground on San Clemente Island off Southern California for use as a target. |
12 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wafra | The tanker was towed out to sea and sunk by bombing from South African Air Force aircraft.[35] |
28 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Texaco Oklahoma | The tanker broke in two on 27 March and foundered on 28 March, 100 miles (160 km) due east of Sandbridge off Virginia with the loss of 33 of her 44 crew.[36][37] |
30 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Panther | The tanker ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, off the coast of Kent, United Kingdom.[38] She was refloated on 4 April.[7] |
31 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Christos | The cargo ship ran aground on Kandeliusa Island, Kos, Greece. She was refloated on 1 April but developed leaks and sank later the same day. |
April
1 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Christos | Aground on Kandeliusa Island, Kos, Greece, since 31 March, the cargo ship was refloated but developed leaks and sank at 36°32′N 26°57′E / 36.533°N 26.950°E. |
12 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adak | The motor vessel sank near Eliza Harbor (57°09′N 134°17′W / 57.150°N 134.283°W) on the coast of Admiralty Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska.[10] |
15 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lynda K | The fishing vessel was lost in the Gulf of Alaska somewhere between Homer and Seward, Alaska.[39] |
19 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fortuna | The Liberty ship developed cracks in her deck. She was on a voyage from Seattle, Washington to Kodiak, Alaska. She put back to Seattle, where she was declared a constructive total loss and was consequently scrapped.[40] |
20 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cohansey | The T2 tanker collided with Marimunda ( |
21 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stork | The Troubles: The survey launch, attached to the survey ship HMS Hecate ( |
26 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ostrich | Bangladesh Liberation War: The ship was sunk by Pakistan Air Force F-86 Sabre aircraft.[43] |
27 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kiejak | The fishing vessel flooded, ran aground, and was lost in Dry Bay (59°08′N 138°25′W / 59.133°N 138.417°W) on the south-central coast of Alaska. Her crew of four survived.[44] |
28 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Whitehurst | The Buckley-class destroyer escort was sunk as a torpedo target in the Pacific Ocean off the United States West Coast by the submarine USS Trigger ( |
30 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific | Carrying a cargo of heavy construction equipment, the motor vessel sank in Portage Bay on the coast of Alaska. Reports of the sinking do not indicate in which of several Alaskan bodies of water named "Portage Bay" the sinking took place.[24] |
May
2 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tongass | The fishing vessel ran aground and sank at the south end of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. Another fishing vessel rescued all six members of her crew.[46] |
15 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Herulv | The tanker was involved in a collision off the coast of Kent, United Kingdom and was holed.[47] |
17 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ellinis | The ocean liner ran aground off Calshot, Hampshire, United Kingdom. She was refloated undamaged after two hours.[47] |
20 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marjorie H | The 40-gross register ton, 50-foot (15.2 m) halibut-fishing vessel struck a snag and sank off the Kenai Peninsula on the south-central coast of Alaska, 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) west of Resurrection Bay. Her crew of five abandoned ship in a life raft and were rescued by another fishing vessel on 22 May.[28] |
31 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gyro Jumbo | The fishing vessel sank during a storm with the loss of one life in the Copper River Delta on the south-central coast of Alaska.[48] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ROKS PB 7 | The PB 3-class patrol craft was wrecked.[49][50] | |
| Viking L&R | The converted yacht foundered in Montego Bay, Jamaica. |
June
1 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Bugara | The Balao-class submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean off Cape Flattery, Washington while under tow. |
2 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Agulleit | The 23-ton, 54-foot (16.5 m) motor vessel was destroyed by ice at Emmonak, Alaska.[10] |
28 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Husky II | The pilot boat was destroyed by fire about 1,000 yards (910 m) off Bethel, Alaska.[51] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RPS Batanes | The LSM-1-class medium landing ship ran aground. She was decommissioned in 1971 as a result and was scrapped in 1972.[52] |
July
1 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clyde Venture | The coastal tanker sank in the Rothesay Dock, Clydebank due to the actions of vandals.[53] | |
| HMS Artemis | The Amphion-class submarine foundered at her moorings at Gosport, Hampshire. Subsequently raised and sold for scrap. |
3 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harlequin | The motor vessel sank at Seward, Alaska.[51] |
4 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Koyo Maru | The coaster collided with another ship and sank off Japan.[54] | |
| Naniward Abone | The cargo ship collided with Ocean Prime ( | |
| Rakusui Maru | The coaster collided with another ship and sank off Waikayama with the loss of eight of her nine crew.[54] |
5 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Glory | The cargo ship sprang a leak and foundered in the Bay of Bengal. All crew rescued by Chilka ( |
13 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Mule | The fishing vessel sank in bad weather in Cook Inlet near Kalgin Island on the south-central coast of Alaska. Two skiffs from a United States Air Force helicopter squadron from Elmendorf Air Force Base rescued all eight people and a spaniel who had been aboard Iron Mule.[55] |
15 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Selamat | The coaster was driven ashore on Kalampunian Island, Malaysia and was abandoned by her crew. She was on a voyage from Sandakan to Kuching. She was a total loss.[56] |
17 July
August
5 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bat Tiran | The cargo ship suffered an explosion and fire in Greek waters and was beached, a total loss. Palestinians claimed responsibility for the explosion. Later taken to Kartal, Turkey and scrapped. 1 crewman killed.[57][58] | |
| Mania | Caught fire off Bari, Italy and abandoned. Beached at Split, Yugoslavia on 8 August. Scrapped in November 1971.[59] |
7 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stag | The crab-fishing vessel sank in bad weather off Land's End (59°37′N 151°27′W / 59.617°N 151.450°W) on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska. A pleasure craft rescued her entire crew of three.[60] |
10 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sugi | The decommissioned escort ship — formerly theTacoma-class patrol frigate USS Coronado ( |
16 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Abbas | Bangladesh Liberation War: The cargo ship was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines at Chittagong.[43] | |
| Hormux | Bangladesh Liberation War: The cargo ship was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines at Chittagong.[43] | |
| No. 6 | Bangladesh Liberation War: The barge was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines at Chittagong.[43] |
17 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Red Sea | Typhoon Rose: The cargo ship was driven ashore at Lanatu Island, Hong Kong. Refloated but scrapped the following month.[61] | |
| USS Regulus | Typhoon Rose: The Denebola-class stores ship was driven ashore at Kau-i-chau, Hong Kong. Subsequently declared a constructive total loss. |
19 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Billy | Typhoon Rose: The cargo ship was driven aground at Hong Kong. Declared a constructive total loss and sold for scrap.[59] | |
| HAM 308[62] | The dredger collided with Polycastle ( |
30 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bertha Denz | The trawler was in collision with Achatina ( |
September
3 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Viking King | The 87-foot (27 m) crab fishing vessel sank with the loss of two lives when she was swamped off Akun Island near Unalaska, Alaska. Her two survivors reached shore by clinging to an overturned life raft.[66] |
4 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Manuel | The coaster was cut in two by Zagora ( |
5 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eleni | The cargo ship collided with Princess Ragnhild ( |
18 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chubby | The fishing vessel was found adrift near Eldred Rock in Lynn Canal in Southeast Alaska. The only person who had been aboard disappeared without trace.[69] | |
| Jacaranda | The cargo ship was wrecked south west of the mouth of the Kabongaba River, South Africa.[70] |
21 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Precious Pearl | The ship caught fire and sank in the South China Sea.[71][72] |
22 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shapta Dinga | Bangladesh Liberation War: The cargo ship was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines at Chalna.[73] |
24 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Teviotbank | The Bank Line cargo ship was damaged by East Bengal guerrillas at Chalna, East Pakistan.[74] |
25 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clara J | The motor vessel was destroyed by fire in Hoodoo Bay (60°03′30″N 148°00′30″W / 60.05833°N 148.00833°W) in Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska.[69] |
29 September
October
13 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Western Offshore No. II | The barge was hit by a blow-out during oil drilling operation 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Tumbes, Peru. She was declared a constructive total loss.[76] |
14 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| London Valour | The bulk carrier had run aground and broken her back at Genoa in April 1970, but Smit Tak International had refloated the after portion on 12 October 1971 and was towing it to be scuttled on the Balearic Abyssal Plain. About 90 miles (78 nmi; 140 km) out from Genoa the hulk sank in the early hours of 14 October.[77] |
15 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Jon | The 25-ton motor vessel sank in Kamishak Bay on the south-central coast of Alaska.[78] | |
| Precious Pearl | The cargo ship caught fire 150 nautical miles (280 km) east of Hong Kong (22°00′N 116°54′E / 22.000°N 116.900°E). She was taken in tow the next day by the tug Elbe ( |
16 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Softuk | The motor vessel was found abandoned in Orca Inlet in Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska. One person aboard her was lost.[60] |
18 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Panaghia | The coaster sprang a leak 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south of Cape Gata, Cyprus ande was abandoned the next day. She was taken in tow by Pelas ( |
22 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Loch Seaforth | The mailboat ran aground off Skye. All 26 passengers rescued, ship later refloated.[81] |
30 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nam Sanh | The coaster was stranded and wrecked at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, during a typhoon.[82] |
November
4 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mahtab Javed II | Bangladesh Liberation War: The tanker was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines near Chittagong.[83][84] |
5 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lynda | The fishing vessel was wrecked near Cape Mordvinof (54°56′45″N 164°26′00″W / 54.94583°N 164.43333°W) on the northwest coast of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands.[39] |
8 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Saratoga | The fishing vessel was wrecked on rocks near the mouth of Little Tonki Bay (56°20′N 152°04′W / 56.333°N 152.067°W) on Afognak Island in the Kodiak Archipelago in the Gulf of Alaska. All seven men on board reached a rock, where a United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued them.[60] |
9 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heythrop | The OBO carrier exploded and caught fire 150 nautical miles (280 km) East London, South Africa. All on board were rescued by Showa Venture ( | |
| Maori | The cargo ship sank 250 nautical miles (460 km) off the coast of Spain. There was only one survivor of her 39 crew.[85] |
14 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Samuel B. Roberts | The decommissioned Gearing-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean 195 nautical miles (361 km) north of Puerto Rico at 21°42.8′N 65°55.1′W / 21.7133°N 65.9183°W. |
17 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elcano | The tanker sank off the Cape Verde Islands following an onboard explosion with the loss of four of her 35 crew.[87] | |
| Louise II | The seiner ran aground on rocks and broke up in bad weather on Clam Island (55°58′48″N 133°15′30″W / 55.98000°N 133.25833°W) in Southeast Alaska between Craig and Klawock, Alaska. Her crew of three survived.[39] |
22 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astron | After suffering an explosion, the 107-gross register ton, 74.8-foot (22.8 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in the Bering Sea six nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) north of Akutan Island in the Aleutian Islands. Her crew of four abandoned ship in a seven-foot (2.1 m) rubber life raft and was rescued on 25 November by the fishing trawler Chidori Maru No 51 ( | |
| Chrysovalandou | Bangladesh Liberation War: The cargo ship was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines in the Pussur River.[73] |
23 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mastro Stelius | Bangladesh Liberation War: The cargo ship was sunk by Mukti Bahini frogmen with limpet mines in the Pussur River.[73] |
24 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Trader | The Victory ship was damaged by an underwater explosion at Chalna, Bangladesh. She was consequently scrapped.[88] |
25 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Barataria | The 68-foot (20.7 m) tug sank in 136 feet (41 m) of water during a storm in Long Island Sound north-northeast of Southold, Long Island, New York. Two of her four crew members lost their lives. Her sinking was attributed to improper modifications that had been made to her.[89] |
30 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Juliana | The tanker ran aground off Niigata, Japan and broke in two.[90] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Roberts | The decommissioned Cannon-class destroyer escort was sunk as a target. |


