List of shipwrecks in 1972
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cydonia | The 63-gross register ton, 68-foot (20.7 m) motor vessel sank near Point Hugh (57°34′10″N 133°48′30″W / 57.56944°N 133.80833°W) in Stephens Passage in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska.[1] |
9 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dona Anita | The cargo ship foundered off British Columbia, Canada with the loss of all hands.[2] | |
| Seawise University | The university ship, formerly the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth, caught fire in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. She capsized the next day. The fire was extinguished on 13 January. She was scrapped in situ in 1974.[3] |
11 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kay | The motor vessel was destroyed by fire at Pennock Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska near Ketchikan, Alaska.[4] |
13 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bab | The 36-gross register ton, 103.7-foot (31.6 m) barge was wrecked in Cook Inlet on the south-central coast of Alaska.[5] | |
| Hydrophane | The cargo ship collided with Mozdak (flag unknown) off Odesa, Soviet Union. Both vessels sank.[6] | |
| Owenduv | The refrigerated coaster capsized and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Leixões, Portugal after her cargo shifted.She was on a voyage from "Villagarcia" to a Moroccan port.[7] |
17 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maersk Fighter | The oil rig supply vessel foundered in the North Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) west of the Vyl Lightship with the loss of nine of her nineteen crew.[8] |
18 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Delfini | The fishing trawler ran aground on the Oukacha Rocks, off Casablanca, Morocco. She was declared a total loss |
27 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Frederica | The cruise ship was diven aground in the Fowey Estuary after breaking free from her moorings in a storm.[9] |
February
1 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| V. A. Fogg | The T2 tanker sank in the Gulf of Mexico 50 nautical miles (93 km) off Galveston, Texas (28°36′N 94°49′W / 28.600°N 94.817°W) after an on-board explosion.[10] |
4 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Logger | The barge struck a submerged object (14°40′N 122°22′W / 14.667°N 122.367°W) and was beached on Jomalig Island, where the wreck was apparently abandoned.[11] |
6 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Citta di Alessandria | The cargo ship ran aground at Cape Apostolos Andreas, Cyprus. Seven crew rescued by a RAF helicopter.[12] |
7 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity I | The tug struck Lincoln Rock in Clarence Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, then sank after slipping off the rock. Her two crewmen were rescued by the buoy tender USCGC Bittersweet ( |
11 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Hopewell | The decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer was sunk as a target off San Clemente Island, California. | |
| Lindblad Explorer | Ran aground near La Plaza Point, Antarctica. She was towed to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then to Kristiansand, Norway for repairs. |
13 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clio | The ship caught fire off the coast of Angola and was abandoned. She sank on 21 February.[14][15] | |
| Ermioni | The cargo ship foundered in the Mediterranean off Cyprus. All 14 crew rescued by helicopters from HMS Bulwark ( | |
| Vishva Kusum | The cargo ship was sunk by a mine in Chittagong Roads.[17] |
17 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic Athlete | Ran aground, River Thames.[18] |
18 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Katmai | While en route from Mobile, Alabama, where she had been built, to Kodiak, Alaska, the newly constructed crab-fishing vessel disappeared in the Gulf of Mexico with the loss of all four people – the owner, his wife, their eight-year-old child, and a crewman – aboard. Her wreck was discovered lying in 8,920 feet (2,720 m) of water approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) off the United States Gulf Coast in 2012, and it was positively identified in 2013.[4] |
19 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marcello G | The Empire Cadet-class coastal tanker capsized and sank at Naples. Declared a constructive total loss but later repaired and returned to service.[19] |
21 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SS-44 | The rescue ship ran aground off Cape Korovyi whilst assisting with the refloating of the landing craft MDK-253 ( |
23 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Philippos | The coaster caught fire, exploded and was beached at Keratsini. She was refloated on 6 March but declared a constructive total loss and was consequently scrapped.[21] |
29 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Benefit | The cargo ship foundered 160 nautical miles (300 km) south of Muroto, Japan. Her captain went down with the ship, the rest of her crew were rescued by two patrol boats ( |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MDK-253 | The landing craft was driven ashore at Cape Korovyi before 21 February.[20] |
March
1 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Fisher | The crab-fishing vessel sank at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, after a runaway barge struck her.[23] | |
| Stenso | Foundered in the Bay of Biscay (45°17′N 2°46′W / 45.283°N 2.767°W).[24] |
7 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gloria Jean | During a voyage from Ketchikan to Metlakatla, Alaska, the 41-gross register ton, 50-foot (15.2 m) seiner disappeared near Walden Rocks (55°16′15″N 131°36′20″W / 55.27083°N 131.60556°W) in Nichols Passage in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska with the loss of her entire crew of three.[25] | |
| Katie H | The coaster sank in the North Sea after colliding with an unnamed fishing boat ( |
8 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lex | The fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in the Shelikof Strait between mainland Alaska and the Kodiak Archipelago near Alligator Island (58°28′30″N 152°47′10″W / 58.47500°N 152.78611°W) off the northern end of Afognak Island. The fishing vessel Rosemary ( |
13 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Escorpion | The tug caught fire at Manzanillo whilst towing the burning T2 tanker Mary Ellen Conway ( | |
| Mary Ellen Conway | The T2 tanker exploded and caught fire at Manzanillo. Consequently scrapped.[29] | |
| Torodd | The fishing vessel/cargo ship was destroyed in a fire in Langevåg, Norway. Wreck scrapped in Trondheim, Norway in May 1975.[30] |
19 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Gansevoort | The decommissioned Benson-class destroyer was sunk as a target off Florida. |
April
5 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| C-69 | Vietnam War: The blockade runner was scuttled when she was intercepted by enemy vessels near the border between Cambodia and South Vietnam. Six of her crewmen were killed. It is unclear whether the intercepting vessels were Cambodian, South Vietnamese, or both.[31] |
6 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alasco 2 | The 17-gross register ton, 43-foot (13.1 m) fishing vessel sank off David Island (57°02′N 156°30′W / 57.033°N 156.500°W) off the south coast of the Alaska Peninsula in Alaska.[32] |
7 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Avlis | Wrecked off Santorini.[33] | |
| Spruce | The motor vessel was lost in bad weather at Point Manby (55°53′15″N 132°35′45″W / 55.88750°N 132.59583°W) west of Yakutat, Alaska.[34] |
21 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patriot | After becoming disabled and drifting for six days, the fishing vessel came ashore at Gore Point (59°12′00″N 150°57′30″W / 59.20000°N 150.95833°W) on the south-central coast of Alaska and was wrecked. A United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued her entire crew of three and a dog.[35] |
22 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gilani | The Empire F type coaster capsized and sank at Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was later refloated, repaired, and returned to service.[36] |
23 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USNS Cowanesque | The Suamico-class replenishment oiler ran aground off Henza, Japan (26°24′N 127°56′E / 26.400°N 127.933°E). She was refloated and taken in to Sasebo. She was consequently scrapped.[37] |
24 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolo Martini | The cargo ship struck a submerged object off Portoscuso, Sardinia, and was holed. She was beached to prevent her from sinking. She later was refloated but was declared a constructive total loss.[38] |
May
10 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shun Wing | The cargo ship broke from her mooring and was driven into the ferry Macau ( |
11 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Royston Grange | The 7,113-ton, British cargo liner, wrecked in Punta Indio Channel, Uruguay after colliding with the oil tanker Tien Chee ( |
12 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Wilkes-Barre | The decommissioned Cleveland-class light cruiser was sunk as a target during tests of explosives. |
14 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Fred T. Berry | The decommissioned Gearing-class destroyer was scuttled as an artificial reef off Key West, Florida, at 24°27.8′N 81°33.3′W / 24.4633°N 81.5550°W. |
18 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toni Jean | The 14-gross register ton, 32.5-foot (9.9 m) fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) east of Cape Saint Elias on the southern tip of Kayak Island in Alaska. One crewman swam to shore, but the other died.[13] |
21 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | The cargo ship was driven ashore at Rio Haina, Dominica. She was refloated and consequently scrapped in 1973.[40] |
27 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Addington | The 40-gross register ton, 54-foot (16.5 m) fishing vessel sank with the loss of three lives in the Shelikof Strait near Cape Uganik (57°58′00″N 153°30′21″W / 57.9666667°N 153.5058333°W) on the coast of Alaska′s Kodiak Island.[32] |
June
2 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Traveler | The motor vessel sank in Clarence Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska.[13] |
9 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Galinda | unknown | |
| Helen B | The 105-gross register ton 72.3-foot (22.0 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in Peril Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, halfway between Saook Bay (57°26′43″N 135°11′25″W / 57.4453°N 135.1902°W) and Rodman Bay (57°28′25″N 135°21′53″W / 57.4736°N 135.3648°W).[42] |
15 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lucette | The schooner sank in the Pacific Ocean about 200 nautical miles (370 km) west of the Galapagos Islands after being holed by a pod of killer whales. All six people on board escaped in a life raft and a dinghy and drifted for 38 days before being rescued. |
18 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Icebreaker II | The speedboat was swamped and lost on the Yukon River in Alaska 23 miles (37 km) north of Ruby with the loss of one life.[43] |
25 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Debby | The 12-gross register ton, 30-foot (9.1 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at False Pass, Alaska.[44] | |
| Marcella | The 14-gross register ton, 39.8-foot (12.1 m) fishing vessel sank at Stephens Island in Southeast Alaska.[45] |
26 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Leading Lady | The 57-gross register ton, 57.8-foot (17.6 m) crab-fishing vessel sank quickly off the northeast coast of Montague Island at the entrance to Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska after striking an unidentified object. Her crew of three reached shore in a life raft.[27] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Falcon Lady |
July
1 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lefteria | The schooner was in collision with an unnamed weather ship ( |
4 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S. A. Vanguard | The Victory ship capsized and sank at off Karachi, Pakistan due to her cargo shifting.[48] |
10 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| London Statesman | Vietnam War: The cargo ship was sunk by Viet Cong sabotage at Nha Trang, South Vietnam. |
12 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oriental Falcon | The Victory ship ran aground on the Pratas Reef, in the South China Sea (23°37′N 116°53′E / 23.617°N 116.883°E). She was on a voyage from Kaohsiung, Taiwan to Hong Kong. The vessel was subsequently extensively looted and declared a total loss.[49] |
13 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS O'Brien | The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean off California. |
20 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Montclair | The 7-gross register ton, 28.6-foot (8.7 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at Kvichak (56°38′30″N 133°15′30″W / 56.64167°N 133.25833°W), Alaska.[45] |
22 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Simos | The cargo ship ran aground near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. She was on a voyage from "Ashod" to a French port. She was refloated on 22 August and put in to Setúbal, Portugal, where she was laid up. Scrapped at Bilbao, Spain in September 1973.[50] |
24 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abasin | The cargo ship struck the wreck of the Victory ship S. A. Vanguard ( |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rustringen | Sank off Margate, Kent. Later raised and scrapped.[18] | |
| Vermont | The tanker ran aground off Guayaquil and wrecked. Later scrapped in situ.[51] |
August
6 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stade | The coaster was cut in two when in collision with Ciudad di Manizales ( |
9 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amoy | The cargo ship ran aground near Cape Negrais, India and was declared a constructive total loss. She was on a voyage from Penang, Malaysia to Calcutta.[53] |
21 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Texanita | The supertanker collided with the supertanker Oswego Guardian ( |
27 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| T-319 | Vietnam War: The T-333/Project 123K-class motor torpedo boat was damaged by gunfire by the heavy cruiser USS Newport News and guided-missile destroyer USS Robison and finished off by aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (all | |
| T-349 | Vietnam War: The T-333/Project 123K-class motor torpedo boat was damaged by gunfire by the heavy cruiser USS Newport News and guided-missile destroyer USS Robison and finished off by aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (all |
September
3 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified cabin cruiser | Unknown | The cabin cruiser sank when a wave capsized it after its engine failed in the Indian Ocean off Lourenço Marques, Mozambique. Three of the four people on board drowned. The only survivor was a South African woman who swam 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) to safety on a buoy and reported that two dolphins protected her from sharks and helped her stay afloat when she tired during her swim.[56] |
4 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Taoyuno | The fishing vessel was sunk with the loss of 22 of her 23 crew when it was in collision with the bulk carrier Marylisa ( |
5 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Southland | The motor vessel was wrecked in Berners Bay near Point Bridget (58°40′45″N 134°59′20″W / 58.67917°N 134.98889°W) in Southeast Alaska.[34] |
16 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Peregrin II | The motor vessel sank in Horton Cove (59°14′10″N 135°26′15″W / 59.23611°N 135.43750°W) at Haines, Alaska.[35] |
19 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HMSAS Natal | The decommissioned Loch-class frigate was sunk as a target off the Cape of Good Hope by gunfire from the frigate SAS President Steyn ( |
27 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tradewind | The motor vessel was destroyed by fire in Sergius Narrows (57°24′20″N 135°38′00″W / 57.40556°N 135.63333°W) north of Sitka, Alaska.[13] |
October
1 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Genimar | The cargo ship sank in the English Channel off Kent after it was in collision with Larry L ( |
6 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Algorail | The bulk carrier collided with a pier at Holland, Michigan in bad weather. A 12-foot (4 m) hole was torn in the vessel's bow and the ship sank. The ship was later refloated, repaired and returned to service.[61] |
11 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| La Sirène | The submarine sank in an accident at Lorient naval base. All seven crew on board escaped.[62] |
16 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Stanton | The decommissioned Edsall-class destroyer escort was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico. |
22 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ballyginniff | The Troubles: The barge was bombed and sunk by a Provisional Irish Republican Army unit.[63] | |
| Lough Neagh | The Troubles: The barge was bombed and sunk by a Provisional Irish Republican Army unit.[63] |
24 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Frisco | The 26-gross register ton, 46.3-foot (14.1 m) fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) southeast of Kodiak, Alaska.[64] |
November
1 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lazarette | The crab-fishing vessel sank with the loss of two lives in Peril Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska.[27] | |
| Siang-Yung | The Victory ship was scuttled south of Balboa, Panama (7°44′N 79°21′W / 7.733°N 79.350°W.[65] |
13 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Metric | The coaster ran aground off Texel, Netherlands. Nine people and two dogs were rescued by Royal Netherlands Navy helicopters.[66] | |
| Wan Chun |
14 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ypoploiarchos Merlin | The vehicle carrier sank with the loss of 45 crew after a collision with the supertanker World Hero ( |
19 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dora R | The 60-foot (18.3 m) purse seine fishing vessel sank in Peril Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, 75 nautical miles (139 km; 86 mi) south of Juneau, Alaska, with the loss of two lives. Her lone survivor, her captain, was rescued from the water by a helicopter.[44] |
27 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tor Hugo | The fishing vessel sank off West Africa after suffering leaks and disastrous hull failure. |
30 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Burtonia | The coaster capsized and sank 40 nautical miles (74 km) off Lowestoft, Suffolk with the loss of four of her eight crew.[68] |
December
12 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pelias | The cargo ship sprang a leak and foundered 250 nautical miles (460 km) south of Durban, South Africa. Her crew survived.[69] Pelias was on a voyage from Maceió, Brazil to Saigon, South Vietnam.[70] | |
| Tyke IV | The 9-gross register ton, 30.2-foot (9.2 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at Hoonah, Alaska.[13] |
15 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rumba | The cargo ship was abandoned when its cargo of railway locomotives broke free of their chains, causing the ship to list when she was 200 nautical miles (370 km) south east of Cape Race. Newfoundland.[71] | |
| Lincoln Express | The cargo ship foundered off Puerto Rico. All 21 crew rescued by the United States Coast Guard.[71] | |
| Nova | The cargo ship sank after it was in collision with Teofani-Livanos ( |
18 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Namhae | The Victory ship ran aground at Pusan. She was on a voyage from Ulsan to Saigon, Vietnam. She broke her back and was declared a constructive total loss.[72][73] |
19 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Sea | The 57-gross register ton, 49.9-foot (15.2 m) motor vessel sank in Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska.[32] | |
| T-906 | Vietnam War: The Project 183R missile boat was sunk by aircraft in Ha Long, North Vietnam.[74] |
22 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Argus V | The tug capsized and sank in the English Channel 7 nautical miles (13 km) off Cap Griz Nez, France. All five crew were rescued.[75] |
24 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pacrover | The bulk carrier, a converted T2 tanker, disappeared in the North Pacific Ocean 760 nautical miles (1,410 km) south of Kodiak Island and 800 nautical miles (1,500 km; 920 mi) south of Kodiak, Alaska, with the loss of her entire crew of 30 South Korean nationals. Searchers found only four overturned lifeboats, some debris, and an oil slick.[35][76][77] | |
| Sea Star | After burning for five days following a 19 December collision with the tanker Horta Barbosa ( |
26 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sea Star | The cargo ship ran aground in a gale near the Cascais Lighthouse, Cabo Raso, Portugal and broke in two .[78] |
27 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| St. Ives | The 938 GRT bucket dredger capsized and sank northwest of Ferrol, Spain (44°21′N 08°57′W / 44.350°N 8.950°W) while under tow by Smit Pioneer ( |



