For the loss of the Liberty ship An-Mer-Mar on this date, see List of shipwrecks in 1946 § 27 December.
List of shipwrecks: 1 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The cable laying ship struck a mine and sank in the Gulf of Finland, 15 nautical miles (28 km) of Ormus Island, Estonia. Sixteen of the 44 crew were killed.[1]
2 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Belgium
The cargo ship broke in two and sank after being beached in the River Scheldt following a collision with Jan Steen (Netherlands) on 1 January.
United Kingdom
The cargo ship arrived at Lagos, Nigeria on fire and was beached in Badagry Creek. Refloated on 6 January, repaired and returned to service.[2]
3 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 3 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship collided with Imba No. 401 (Soviet Union) whilst on a voyage from Kolding, Denmark to Gdynia, Poland.[3]
The passenger ship ran aground on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. She was refloated 18 days later and repaired, and she returned to service in November 1948.
20 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Australia
The hopper ship foundered in the Pacific Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) north north west of Carnarvon, Western Australia whilst under tow from Singapore to Australia by Empire Downland (Australia).[2]
The submarine tender ran aground at Cape Melville, Australia.[10] Refloated on 23 January.[11]
23 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship was driven ashore in a storm at Tel Aviv, Palestine. She was refloated on 3 March but declared a constructive total loss. She was repaired, sold and re-entered service in 1948 as Bangor Bay.[2]
25 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship sank in Drammensfjord whilst on a voyage from to Oslo, Norway.[3]
26 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 January 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The cargo ship (ex Sverre Nergaard) sank off of Bornholm while on a voyage from Gdansk, Poland to Helsingborg, Sweden with the loss of 5 officers and 13 crew.[12][13][14]
The cargo ship ran aground off the mouth of the Humber.[18]
8 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 8 February 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
Cargo ship carrying coal from Port Talbot, Wales to Waterford, Ireland. Foundered in the waters off County Waterford during the notoriously cold winter of 1946–47. 15 of the 16 crew died (most of them Poles); many are buried at Ardmore Cathedral, Ireland.[19][20][21][22]
18 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 February 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United States Army
The Army transport, formerly Colonial Navigation Company's Belfast (1909), wrecked off Ocean Park, Washington while under tow to Puget Sound.[23][24]
The ferry ran aground at , Isle of Arran, Argyllshire. Refloated with the aid of the tug Vanguard (United Kingdom).[26]
Greece
The cargo ship was driven ashore at Cullercoats, Northumberland, United Kingdom.[26]
Greece
The cargo ship ran aground at Whitley Bay, Northumberland, United Kingdom. All 35 crew rescued.[26]
March[]
3 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 3 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Italy
Struck a mine and sank 20 nautical miles (37 km) south of Capo Promontore.[where?][27]
Novadoc
Canada
Carrying a cargo of gypsum and a crew of 24, the 2,250-gross register toncargo ship sent a distress signal reporting herself taking on water in the Atlantic Ocean 22 nautical miles (41 km; 25 mi) east of Portland, Maine, during a gale. She probably sank in over 400 feet (120 m) of water. An extensive search failed to find any trace of her or her crew.[28]
Oakey L. Alexander
United States
Carrying a cargo of coal, the 5,284-gross register toncargo ship broke in half in the Atlantic Ocean during a gale. Her bow section disappeared. Her stern section sank in up to 20 feet (6.1 m) of water just off Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Her entire crew survived.[29]
4 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship ran aground on the Kish Bank, Irish Sea whilst on a voyage from Dublin, Ireland to Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom.[3]
6 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship struck a mine in the Weser, West Germany and sank. She was on a voyage from Stavanger, Norway to Hamburg.[3]
8 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 8 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Greece
The Liberty ship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom and broke in two. All 34 crew rescued by the WalmerLifeboat.[30]
The T2 tanker broke in two in the Pacific Ocean 800 nautical miles (1,500 km) north west of Honolulu, Hawaii. Ten crew on the bow section were rescued by (United States). Twenty-two crew on the stern section were rescued by USS Eldorado (United States Navy). The bow section was shelled and sunk, the stern section was towed to Hawaii. Fort Dearborn was on a voyage from San Francisco, California to Shanghai, China.[32]
13 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 13 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The Liberty ship exploded at Genoa Italy and was beached. She was later refloated but declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.[33]
Empire Jonquil
United Kingdom
Sank at Hull Docks, declared a constructive total loss but later repaired and returned to service.
The schooner ran aground in St Austell Bay. Seven crew rescued by the Foweylifeboat. Refloated in June and declared a constructive total loss but rebuilt as a coaster and returned to service.
The cargo ship collided with Clio (Norway) west of and sank with the loss of ten crew. She was on a voyage from Bergen, Norway to Geneva, Switzerland.[3]
30 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship struck a mine off the Dutch coast (53°35′N4°35′E / 53.583°N 4.583°E / 53.583; 4.583) whilst on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium to Oslo, Norway. Declared a constructive total loss and scrapped at Stavanger, Norway.[3]
Unknown March[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown March 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Hrvatska
Yugoslavia
The Victory ship struck a mine in the Adriatic Sea near Dubrovnik and was beached to prevent sinking. Raised, repaired, and returned to service in 1949.[37]
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Kamitsu-class transport, irreparably damaged when sunk during World War II, was scuttled off Singapore sometime in March.[38]
The cargo ship ran aground off Beachy Head, Sussex, United Kingdom.[43]
16 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 April 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Grandcamp
France
Texas City disaster: The Liberty ship caught fire at Texas City, Texas, United States. She was obliterated by the explosion of her cargo of explosives. Around 580 people were killed.
Great Isaac
United States
While towing the Liberty ship (United States), the 1,117-gross register tontug sank in 90 feet (27 m) of water off Barnegat Light, New Jersey, after colliding with the cargo shipBandeirante (Norway) in dense fog. Bandeirante rescued her entire crew of 27.[45][46]
United States
Wilson B. Keene
Texas City disaster: The Liberty ship was sunk by the explosion of Grandcamp (France) at Texas City, Texas.
The Liberty ship was driven ashore at Sker Point, Glamorgan and broke in three. All 39 crew were lost, as well as all eight crew of the Mumbles lifeboat Edward, Prince of Wales ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution).
Ran aground at Prussia Cove after parting tow on final voyage from Portsmouth to the breakers yard on the Clyde.[47] Towed to Marazion in 1950 and dismantled.[48][49]
28 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 April 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
Collided with Norwalk Victory (United States) and sank in the River Scheldt between Doel and .[50] Raised on 2 July and beached. Repaired between 1949 and 1951, sold and returned to service.[27]
Under tow to the breaker's yard, the decommissioned Admiralty modified W-classdestroyer parted her tow line in a gale and was wrecked on the northeast coast of England off the mouth of the River Tyne.
Unknown date[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The cargo ship departed from the Tees on 2 April bound for Gibraltar. No further trace.[51]
May[]
2 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 May 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship ran aground near Port Mouton, Nova Scotia, Canada. All 30 crew were rescued by the fishing vessel Ray Richard (Canada).[52]
The whaler ran aground off Gorleston, Norfolk.[55]
17 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1947
Ship
Country
Description
USS Oklahoma
United States Navy
The decommissioned Nevada-classbattleship sank under tow 540 nautical miles (1,000 km) off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, while on her way to San Francisco, California, for scrapping.
The decommissioned Lapwing-class minesweeper was sunk as a target by the submarineUSS Piper (United States Navy).
24 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 May 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The tanker collided with (Sweden) off the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom causing an explosion in No.2 tank and subsequent fire. Two hours later, an explosion blew off her bow forward of No.3 tank and that section sank. Newhall Hills was towed to Sheerness.[56]
Oceanic II
Belgium
The trawler was in collision with (United States) and was cut in two. She sank with the loss of three of her five crew.[56]
25 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The schooner foundered in the Caribbean with the loss of two of her five crew.[57]
31 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 31 May 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Berlin
Germany
The former cruiser was scuttled in the Skagerrak to dispose of chemical weapons.[58]
The cargo ship struck a rock and sank of Isle Royale, Lake Superior with the loss of twelve of her 33 crew. The survivors were rescued by (United States Navy).[59]
The cargo ship collided with (Denmark) in the English Channel off Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom and sank with the loss of one of her 24 crew. The survivors were rescued by (United Kingdom).[62]
The steamer was wrecked near Cape Dorset near the southern tip of Canada's Baffin Island.
22 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 July 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Lützow
Kriegsmarine
World War II: The captured Deutschland-classcruiser was sunk by the Soviet Union in the Baltic Sea off Świnoujście, Poland, during weapons testing.[66]
The cargo ship was sunk at Haifa, Palestine by limpet mines which had been placed on her hull whilst at Famagusta, Cyprus. Refloated on 8 August, subsequently repaired and returned to service.[2]
28 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 July 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The Liberty ship caught fire at Brest, France whilst unloading a cargo of ammonium nitrate. Later towed out of port and scuttled.[3]
She was scuttled with an obsolete cargo of ammunition, 100 nautical miles (190 km) northwest of Malin Head.[70]
11 August[]
List of shipwrecks: 11 August 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Gravina Point
United States
The 59-gross register ton, 71.6-foot (21.8 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at Cordova, Territory of Alaska.[71]
16 August[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 August 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Graf Zeppelin
Kriegsmarine
World War II: The captured, incomplete Graf Zeppelin-classaircraft carrier was sunk by the Soviet Union in the Baltic Sea off Świnoujście, Poland, during weapons testing.[66]
The Bathurst-classcorvette sank near along the Great Barrier Reef off the northern coast of Queensland, Australia, after striking a mine. Four of her crew were killed and 29 were injured.
15 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 September 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship ran aground off Egersund whilst on a voyage from Fredrikstad to Harstad, Norway.[3]
16 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 September 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship sank off the coast of Norway whilst on a voyage from to Åkrehamn.[3]
The Allen M. Sumner-classdestroyer struck a mine and was damagedin the Adriatic Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Trieste, Italy. Three of her crew were killed.[40]
October[]
2 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship sank off Halmstad, Sweden, with the loss of all five crew. She was on a voyage for Halmstad to Oslo, Norway, and may have struck a mine.[3]
4 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship collided in the Øresund with the DFDS ship (Denmark) and sank. Raised on 22 January 1948 and repaired at Copenhagen, Denmark. Returned to service as Bandak.[3]
The decommissioned Gilliam-classattack transport was sunk in an explosives test in the Pacific Ocean off the Farallon Islands.
7 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship struck a mine off Scarborough, Yorkshire and broke her back. She was beached sinking by the bows. One crewmember was killed.[76]
Norway
The cargo ship ran aground off the coast of Iceland whilst on a voyage from Sandur, Faroe Islands to Reykjavík, Iceland.[3]
11 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 11 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Gulfstream
Canada
The ferry was wrecked off Powell River, British Columbia.[77]
15 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The Isles-class trawler was driven ashore at Kvalbeinsrumen, Jæren, Norway whilst on a voyage from Bergen to Risør for conversion to a merchant ship. Later refloated and returned to Bergen.[3]
16 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Auk
United States
The 28-gross register ton, 60.2-foot (18.3 m) tug was wrecked at the mouth of the Ugashik River on the south-central coast of the Territory of Alaska.[65]
The cargo ship, which had been refloated two days earlier having sunk on 24 February 1943, sank in the Mediterranean Sea whilst under tow 20 nautical miles (37 km) north of Derna, Libya.[78]
21 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 October 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship capsized and sank at Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua whilst being loaded with a cargo of timber bound for Maracaibo, Venezuela.[3]
Struck a mine and sank off Terschelling, the Netherlands.
20 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 November 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The Liberty ship ran aground at Skudeneshavn whilst on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium to Narvik, Norway. Broke into three on 15 January 1948, with two sections sinking. The remaining section was scrapped in situ during the summer of 1948.[3][81]
U-234
United States Navy
U-234
The Type Xsubmarine was sunk as a torpedo target in the Atlantic Ocean off the United States East Coast by the submarine USS Greenfish (United States Navy).[82]
The schooner Francis P. Duke was lost at sea and the wreckage drifted ashore on the north side of Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland. The schooner had been driven ashore by the southeast gale. All died including Captain William Miller, Ignatius Miller, Donavan Bryan, Arthur Stewart Keefe, Maxwell Payne, Augustus Pickett, Alfred Mullins.[91]
The cargo ship sank off the Dutch coast with the loss of all 26 crew after hitting a mine. She was on a voyage from Rotterdam, Netherland to Oslo, Norway.[3]
26 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 December 1947
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The cargo liner ran aground on , Philippines and was wrecked.[93]
Norway
The cargo ship ran aground whilst going to the aid of Kina (Denmark). She was refloated and rescued five crew from Kina.[93]
The 228-foot (69 m), 1,349-gross register ton four-mastedlumberschooner was abandoned at the on the west side of the Mystic River in Noank, Connecticut, sometime during the 1940s, gradually rotted away, and settled on the river bottom in 10 feet (3.0 m) of water.[95]
^"Danish Ship Mined in Gulf of Finland". The Times. No. 50651. London. 6 January 1947. col D, p. 3.
^ abcdefMitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^The Nautical Magazine. Glasgow: Brown, Son and Ferguson. 169–170: 8. 1953. A mystery to the Swedish authorities was the loss of the 1030-ton S.S. Sten Sture which with 5 officers and a crew of 13 disappeared after leaving Gdansk for Helsingborg on January 26, 1947.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^Maritime Administration. "Arrow". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
^Colton, T. (29 January 2015). "Bath Iron Works, Bath ME". ShipbuildingHistory. T. Colton. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
^Chesneau, Roger, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships, 1922–1946, New York: Mayflower Books, 1980, ISBN0-8317-0303-2, p. 413.
^Gray, Randal, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1947–1982, Part II: The Warsaw Pact and Non-Aligned Nations, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1983, ISBN0-87021-919-7, p. 327.
^Žuvić, Marijan (20 April 2016). "Jugolinija: the myth and the truth". Transactions on Maritime Science. Maritimeheritage. 5 (1): 69–81. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
^ abcArkin, William M.; Handler, Joshua (June 1989). "Naval Accidents 1945 – 1988"(PDF). Greenpeace / Institute for Policy Studies. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
^Hudson, Mike; Atkins, Philip (September 2007). "Locos lost at sea. The all-time definitive record". The Railway Magazine (IPC Media Ltd) 153 (1277): pp.14–19. ISSN 0033-8923
^"The Queen Elizabeth". The Times. No. 50735. London. 15 April 1947. col D, p. 4.
^ ab"Liner Freed By 15 Tugs". The Times. No. 50736. London. 16 April 1947. col D, p. 6.
^"6,000-ton Ship Aground". The Times. No. 50736. London. 16 April 1947. col D, p. 6.
^ abShirokorad, Alexander (2004). Флот, который уничтожил Хрущёв (Flot, kotoryi unichtozhil Khruschev (in Russian). Moscow: AST publishers. ISBN5-9602-0027-9., pp. 108–112.
^"Steamer Hits Mine". The Times. No. 50886. London. 8 October 1947. col E, p. 2.
^Macpherson, Ken & Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. p. 212. ISBN1-55125-072-1.