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 as of now.
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.
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 locationHMS Blenheim1807 Off the coast of MadagascarSS Waratah1909Somewhere between Durban and Cape Town"The Loss of the Waratah. The Times 23 February 1911 p.24
North America Canada Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Reprisal1777Somewhere off NewfoundlandSS Arctic1854Somewhere off Cape Race, Newfoundland (missing wreck)SS Leafield1913Lake Superior, probably about southeast of Port Arthur, OntarioJutland1920Approximately 160 kilometers southeast of HalifaxAndrea Gail1991Somewhere off Sable IslandL'Acadien II2008 Somewhere off Cape Breton (missing wreck)
Greenland Ship Date Possible or last known locationHans Hedtoft1959About 35 nautical miles (65 km) south of Cape Farewell
Panama Ship Date Possible or last known locationSurcouf1942North of Cristóbal, Colón
United States of America Ship Date Possible or last known locationLe Griffon1679Considered to be the first european-type ship to sail on the great lakes. Built by New France explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Most likely lost somewhere on Lake Michigan (then known as Lac des Illinois) on the return trip of her maiden voyage in 1679SS Hippocampus1868Lake freighter that capsized in Lake Michigan a few miles from Benton Harbor, MichiganPS Alpena1880Lost on Lake Michigan 15 October 1880 SS W. H. Gilcher1892 Somewhere in the Manitou PassageSS Chicora1895 Lake freighter that sank on 21 January 1895 in Lake MichiganSS Lord Spencer1895Somewhere between San Francisco and New York CitySS Bannockburn1902Lost on Lake Superior 21 November 1902 SS Iosco1905Somewhere near the Huron IslandsSS D. M. Clemson1908Lake freighter vanished in a violent Lake Superior storm on 1 December 1908.SS James Gayley1912Sank in a collision on Lake Superior on 7 August 1912, northwest of Caribou IslandSS Plymouth1913Near Gull Island and Poverty Island in Green BaySS Andaste1929Lost southwest of Holland, Michigan SS Marine Sulphur Queen1963Somewhere in Florida Strait around Marine Sulphur Queen Coast Guard Report Summary of Findings (missing wreck)SS Baychimo1969Ghost ship last sighted in the Beaufort Sea off AlaskaBounty2012100 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Undetermined Area Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Albany1854Somewhere in Caribbean SeaCerisoles1918Minesweeper built for French Navy, lost in heavy weather in Lake Superior along with Inkerman in November 1918USS Cyclops1918Somewhere between Barbados and Baltimore, MarylandDanube1892Somewhere between Guadeloupe and New York CityLe Griffon1679Lost between Green Bay and the Niagara RiverHMS Heureux1800Somewhere between the Caribbean and HalifaxGrocott, Terence. Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras, Caxton Editions, Great Britain: 2002. Inkerman1918Minesweeper built for French Navy, lost in heavy weather in Lake Superior along with Cerisoles in November 1918USS Insurgent1800Somewhere in Caribbean SeaJava1869 Disappeared en route to YokohamaUSS Lynx1820Somewhere between St. Mary's, Georgia and Kingston, JamaicaMaratonga2015Somewhere between Norfolk, Virginia and PortugalSS Marquette & Bessemer No. 21909American or Canadian waters of Lake ErieUSS Nereus1941Somewhere around the Virgin IslandsUSS Pickering1800Somewhere between Newcastle, Delaware and GuadeloupeUSS Proteus1941Somewhere in Caribbean SeaSS R.G. Coburn1871Lake freighter lost in heavy weather in Lake Huron in October 1871USS Saratoga1781Somewhere in Caribbean SeaGovernor Parr1925Somewhere in Caribbean SeaSanta María1492Somewhere off Haiti
South America
Suriname Ship Date Possible or last known locationLeusden1738Somewhere off Maroni River
Falkland Islands Ship Date Possible or last known locationARA General Belgrano1982Somewhere around 55°24′S 61°32′W (missing wreck)
Asia India Ship Date Possible or last known locationSS Vaitarna1888Somewhere off the coast of Saurashtra in Arabian SeaMV Kairali1979Some miles away from MargaoHMS Namur1749Somewhere off Cuddalore
Indonesia Ship Date Possible or last known locationU-1961944Somewhere south of Java near Sunda StraitUSS Capelin1943Somewhere near SulawesiBauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. .HMS Lady Nelson1825Unconfirmed destruction at Aluta Island or Baba Island
Japan Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Kete1945Somewhere off Ryukyu IslandsUSS Runner1943Somewhere off JapanIJN Shinano1944Somewhere around USS Swordfish1945Somewhere off Ryukyu Islands
Philippines Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Grayling1943Somewhere off Manila or in Lingayen Gulf
Undetermined Area Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Porpoise1854Somewhere off the coast of China or TaiwanUSS Snook1945Somewhere between South China Sea and Luzon Strait
Europe Greece Ship Date Possible or last known locationHMS Sickle1944Probably sunk in Antikythera ChannelUB-31915Lost in the Aegean Sea west of IzmirSS Californian1915Somewhere off Cape Matapan
United Kingdom Ship Date Possible or last known locationU-471941Somewhere near the Rockall Banks around HMS York1703About 16 nautical miles (19 km) east of HarwichRoyal Merchant1641Somewhere off Land's EndJohn of Sandwich1566Somewhere off Alderney
Undetermined Area Ship Date Possible or last known locationU-221940Somewhere in Skagerrak StraitU-541940Somewhere in North SeaU-1221940Somewhere between North Sea and Bay of BiscayU-2401944Somewhere in North Sea west of NorwayU-3371943Somewhere around U-3761943Somewhere in Bay of BiscayU-3981945Somewhere in North SeaU-5191943Somewhere in Bay of BiscayCymric1943Last seen 24 February 1943 off Dublin en route to Lisbon vanished with crew of 11U-7031944Somewhere in Norwegian SeaEurydice1970Somewhere in the Mediterranean SeaGibraltar1867Reportedly sunk in English ChannelSemmes, Raphael, The Cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter, Carleton, 1864, Digitized by Digital Scanning Incorporated, 2001, (missing wreck)HMS Seahorse1940Somewhere in Heligoland Bight (missing wreck)HMS Snapper1941Somewhere in Bay of BiscayORP Orzeł1940Somewhere in North SeaCinco Chagas1594Somewhere off Pico IslandRevenge1591Somewhere off Terceira (missing wreck)Hanneke Vrome1468Somewhere off RaseborgAnna Catharina1735Somewhere in the Scheldt estuary
Oceania Australia Ship Date Possible or last known locationAagtekerk1726Somewhere around the Houtman Abrolhos islandsAlbion? Somewhere between Table Cape and Circular Headhttp://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/tas-main.html Shipwrecks of TasmaniaAmelia J.1920Somewhere around the Furneaux Grouphttp://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/furneaux-main.html Furneaux Group ShipwrecksAmy Louise1909Somewhere between Pernambuco, Brazil and SydneyArgo1814Somewhere off the coastAwahou1952Somewhere between Sydney and Lord Howe IslandAwarau1891Somewhere off Macquarie Islandhttp://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/macquarie-main.html Macquarie Island ShipwrecksCelestia1887Somewhere between Russell, New Zealand and HobartChris1903Somewhere between Hobart and Adventure BaySS Christina Fraser1933Somewhere between Gabo Island, last sighting, and GeelongCity of Hobart1873Somewhere between Hobart and Blackman's BayDespatch1826Somewhere off Cape PillarDouglas Mawson1923Somewhere between Cairns and Thursday IslandElizabeth Radcliff1850Fleetwing1876Flying Duck1876Somewhere off Swan Island (unidentified/missing wreck)Grecian Queen1863Somewhere between Newcastle and Melbourne (unidentified/missing wreck)John1806Somewhere between King Island and SydneyJohn Leslie Griffiths1880Somewhere around King IslandJumna1881Somewhere between Hobart and FremantleLady Franklin1838Somewhere between Sydney and HobartLouisa1882Somewhere around Fortescue BayMaid of Australia1834Somewhere between Port Arthur and Port PhilipMalcolm1898Somewhere between Wollongong and Sydney.Morning Star1814Somewhere off Booby IslandAustralian Shipwrecks – vol 1 1622–1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, p50Nft West1989Somewhere in Arafura SeaOmega1921Somewhere between Hobart and Lyttelton, New ZealandPeron1948Somewhere near DarwinPhoenix1950Somewhere between Truscott and DarwinPort Phillip Packet1838Somewhere between Launceston and Port Phillip BayPrincess Charlotte1820Somewhere between Hobart and SydneyRaven 1806Reindeer1862Somewhere around the Kent Grouphttp://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/kent-main.html Kent Group Shipwrecks (missing wreck)Resolution1832Somewhere between Launceston and Twofold BayHMS Sappho1858somewhere in Bass StraitSenorita1854Somewhere between Sydney and HobartSouthern Cross1908Somewhere around the Furneaux Group (unconfirmed wreck)Unity1813Somewhere off the coastVenus1803Somewhere between Sydney and southern New ZealandViscount McDuffAfter 8 August 1882Somewhere between Sydney and Madras (unidentified/missing wreck)Vivid1854Somewhere between Melbourne and Circular Head, TasmaniaWhale1816Somewhere between Sydney and the mouth of the Hawkesbury Riverhttp://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/nsw-main.html Shipwrecks of New South WalesYarra Yarra1838Somewhere between Launceston and Port Phillip Bay
Northern Mariana Islands Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Gudgeon1944Near Maug Islands, or unconfirmed sinking southeast of Iwo Jima at (missing wreck)
New Zealand Ship Date Possible or last known locationGeneral Grant1866Off western shore of Auckland Island (missing wreck)
Papua New Guinea Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Amberjack1943Probably sunk off Rabaul (missing wreck)
Solomon Islands Ship Date Possible or last known locationUSS Grampus1943Probably sunk in Blackett Strait (missing wreck)
Undetermined area