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10 Famous Ships That Sank in History

Before the invention of the airplane, globalization was led almost single-handedly by sea transport. Thus the ship was inarguably the most important piece of engineering, connecting continents. 

However, transport was not the only function of ships. They were also crucial tools in the many wars throughout history.

Like any other vehicle, ships experience accidents that ultimately lead to the loss of life and property. Whether during a war, bad weather, or even rare collisions in the sea, ship accidents almost always end up with the vessel at the bottom of the water body. 

This article will highlight some of the most famous ships to sink in history. It will identify the causes, the loss of life that they resulted in, and the stories behind the ships.

1. RMS Titanic

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps the most famous boat to sink in history! The Titanic was a British ocean liner that in its day was the largest ship afloat. It was 882.5 feet (269 m) long and 92.5 feet (28.2 m) wide with a capacity of 2,435 people (passengers and crew).

On the morning of April 15th, 1912, the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean at about 2:20 a.m. This was after it struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912.

The wreck of the Titan was found in 1985 by a team of American and French explorers. The wreck is still on the sea bed at a depth of 12,415 feet (3,784 m) about 400 miles (640 km) south of Newfoundland, Canada.

There were about 2,224 passengers and crew on the ship, and over 1,500 died. Learn facts about the sinking of the Titanic here!

A James Cameron-directed movie from 1997 focused on The Titanic and its demise. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet starred in the movie. Get some facts about the Titanic movie here!

2. Lusitania

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner ship that was launched in 1906. An ocean liner is a passenger ship.

The Lusitania was a luxury liner built with the utmost attention to comfort and care for its passengers. It offered a lot of cutting-edge amenities, like a swimming pool, a gym, and a library.

Lusitania was fast and held the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing in 1908, crossing from New York to Liverpool in 5 days. It met its demise on May 7th, 1915 on its 202nd trans-Atlantic crossing.

The ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and sunk within 18 minutes of impact. 1,198 people died from the incident. The attack, which killed 128 Americans, led to America reconsidering its stance and joining World War I against Germany.

Discover which countries were involved in World War I here!

The wreckage is in the Atlantic Ocean, at a depth of 11,000 feet (3,353 meters. Divers and researchers have time and time again explored its wreckage though there are no efforts to recover it.

3. Mary Rose

Peter Kersten, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Built-in 1510, the Mary Rose was a warship for the English Royal Navy. It was named after the Virgin Mary and was the flagship of King Henry VIII’s fleet.

The Mary Rose was a major player in several wars including the Anglo-Scottish wars and the French Wars of Religion. However, it succumbed during the Battle of the Solent against French fleets.

The ship inevitably sunk most likely due to damage from the battle. The wreckage was found in 1971. It was raised later in 1982. The wreckage is currently on display at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, England.

4. Yamato

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the many casualties of World War II, the Yamato was a Japanese battleship. It was built and launched in 1940 for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

The Yamato was commissioned into the IJN a few days after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 16, 1941. It was a major player in World War II being involved in several major battles.

Read about the long-lasting effect of World War II on Japan here!

Including the Battle of the Philippine Sea (1944) and the Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944).

However, the Yamato’s luck would eventually run out on April 7th, 1945. The battleship was ambushed by an American carrier-based aircraft off the Okinawa coast.

After being hit by several bombs and torpedoes, the Yamato sank, leading to the death of 2,400 crew members.

In 2005, the Yamato’s wreckage was discovered around 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of Kyushu, Japan. The wreckage remains there to date and no efforts have been made to recover it.

5. HMS Hood

, Via Wikimedia Commons

Named after British Royal Navy Admiral Samuel Hood, the HMS Hood is also a casualty of the Second World War. It was a battleship cruiser that was used by the British Royal Navy from 1918 until its untimely demise in 1941.

The HMS Hood is a legend as far battleships are concerned having seen action in both World Wars. However, it did not play a significant role in World War I and was used as a training ship and in “minor” battles.

In WWII however, it was assigned to the home fleet, the Royal Navy’s main battle force in European waters. On 24th May 1941, the Hood engaged 2 ships, a German battleship called the Bismarck and a heavy cruiser, Prinz Eugen in the Battle of the Denmark Strait.

It was overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the two and sank due to inflicted damage. 1418 crew members of the HMS Hood died and only three survived. Its wreckage would not be found until 2001, about 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) below sea level in the Denmark Strait.

6. Bismarck

, , via Wikimedia Commons

The proverb “What goes around comes around” sums up perfectly the fate of Bismarck. It was a German battleship that served under Germany’s navy, the Kriegsmarine.

After attacking the HMS Hood on 24th May, it fled but the determined Brits would not let up. On May 26, 1941, British forces caught up with it in the North Atlantic Ocean and exacted revenge for their lost comrades.

In the assault, the Bismarck suffered significant damage and sank. Only 114 of the crew of approximately 2,200 men survived.

Read about the long-lasting effect of World War II on Germany here!

7. MV Dona Paz

, , via Wikimedia Commons

The MV Do?a Paz was a Japanese-built and Philippine-registered passenger ferry. It was built in 1963 by Onomichi Zosen of Japan and named ‘Himeyuri Maru.’

It was originally a cargo ship but was later converted into a passenger ferry in 1975. It was then to Sulpicio Lines, a Philippine shipping company.

On December 20th, 1987, the Dona Paz would meet its demise while sailing from Tacloban City to Manila.

At around 11:30 pm, the Dona Paz collided with the MT Vector catching fire and subsequently sinking. 4,386 people died in the incident (from both vessels) with only 26 people surviving.

24 passengers from the Dona Paz and 2 crew members from the Vector. The wreckage is located about 18 miles (29 km) off the coast of Mindoro, Philippines.

8. SS Edmund Fitzgerald

, , via Wikimedia Commons

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American freighter ship named after the former president of Northwestern Mutual, Edmund Fitzgerald. It operated in the Great Lakes of North America and mostly transported taconite, an iron ore.

The iron ore was mined from the many mines near Minnesota and Duluth and transported to ironworks in Detroit, Michigan; Toledo, and Ohio among others. When launched in June 1958, she was the largest ship in the Great Lakes freighter.

She was a workhorse with ‘character’, thanks to a “DJ Captain” who played music in the intercoms and broadcasted facts about the ship while in transit.

However, on November 10th, 1975, the Fitzgerald would sink after getting caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior.

All 19 men who made up the crew of the ship were killed. The wreck was found on November 14th, 1975.

9. Queen Anne’s Revenge

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Queen Anne’s Revenge, yes that’s the ship’s name, was a pirate ship owned by famous English pirate Edward Teach, also called Blackbeard. It was formerly a French slave ship and Blackbeard gained control after capturing it.

Discover more famous pirates here! 

As far as the name is concerned, it is unclear what the inspiration behind it was. However, some historians believe Teach named it after Queen Anne, who was the reigning monarch of England at the time.

While engaged in battle with British forces in 1718, Blackbeard was killed and his ship was sunk near Beaufort, North Carolina. The casualties from the ship sinking are unknown as there is information on how big Blackbeard’s crew was.

The ship’s wreckage was found in 1996 and since then it has been explored and excavated by archeologists. Its wreckage is also protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

10. The Spanish Armada

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Spanish Armada is a legendary naval fleet whose captivating story has had historians intrigued for centuries. In May 1588 a formidable fleet of 130 Spanish warships set sail to challenge England’s naval supremacy.

As the fierce battle waged on, stormy weather wreaked havoc upon the Spanish fleet, causing its ultimate demise. The exact date of the Armada’s sinking and the number of casualties remains uncertain to this day.

However, estimates show that most ships were wrecked in the storms, with some sinking and killing over 5000 Spanish soldiers.

In 1985, three ships that were part of the Spanish fleet ships that sank were found. These include La Lavia, La Santa Maria de Vision, and La Juliana, a 32-gun warship built near Barcelona in 1570.

In conclusion, the sinking of famous ships serves as a powerful reminder of the severity and danger associated with such incidents. These tragic events have left indelible marks on history, symbolizing the vulnerability of even the grandest vessels.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reports that the total losses of large ships have been decreasing steadily since the 1990s, showcasing the efficacy of global efforts to enhance maritime safety.