Korean War: The Bangpakong-class frigate was wrecked on the east coast of Korea and scuttled after running aground after being shelled by North Korean shore batteries.[3][4]
The cargo ship caught fire in the North Sea and was abandoned 100 nautical miles (190 km) north of Terschelling, Netherlands. All bar one of the twenty crew were rescued by the ocean linerWashington (United States).[8]
The Liberty ship sank off the coast of Spain. All 38 crew rescued by a French trawler.[10]
Panama
The tanker broke in two off Cape Finisterre, Spain. Stern half taken in tow by the tug (United Kingdom).[11] Bow section also remained afloat and was taken under tow. Ship declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.[12]
The T2 tanker collided with (United States) in the Gulf of Mexico. She caught fire and was abandoned. Subsequently rebuilt and returned to service.[30]
The Barnegat-classseaplane tender collided with the collierThomas Tracy off Cape Henry, Virginia, and caught fire, with the loss of 36 of her crew killed and 16 injured. She was repaired and returned to service.
17 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1951
Ship
Country
Description
French Navy
First Indochina War: The Laita-class LST was sunk by an explosion at Nha Trang, Vietnam, French Indochina. 24 crewmen and 54 troops killed. The ship was raised, repaired and returned to service as an accommodations ship.[33][34]
The Liberty ship caught fire in the Red Sea and was abandoned. Although declared a constructive total loss, she was subsequently repaired and returned to service.[37]
The 7-ton fishing vessel was lost overboard from the vessel Sea Lark (United States) and sank in the North Pacific Ocean about 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) southwest of Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska.[7]
G F 1
United States
The 7-ton fishing vessel was lost overboard from the vessel Sea Lark (United States) and sank in the North Pacific Ocean about 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) southwest of Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska.[42]
G F 6
United States
The 7-ton fishing vessel was lost overboard from the vessel Sea Lark (United States) and sank in the North Pacific Ocean about 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) southwest of Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska.[42]
At 05:40 a.m. the 4,436 GRTUnion Steamship Company passenger ferry Wahine (meaning 'wife') ran hard aground on the Masela Island Reef off Cape Palsu in the Arafura Sea, being held as far aft as the engine room. In response to a distress call, all aboard were rescued by the Standard Vacuum Oil's tanker Stanvac Karachi and returned to Darwin. From there the men were flown in relays to their destination. Salvage attempts were unsuccessful and the vessel was abandoned as a total loss.[51]
16 August[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 August 1951
Ship
Country
Description
Martha
United States
The 40-gross register ton, 60.3-foot (18.4 m) motor vessel was destroyed by fire at Nelson Lagoon, Territory of Alaska.[35]
The oil tanker suffered two explosions and a fire in the small hours of the morning while loading at Pulau Bukom, Singapore. Three officers,[53] 19 crew and five shore-based staff were killed.[54] On 14 September she was drydocked for refitting[55] and in due course she returned to service.
22 August[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 August 1951
Ship
Country
Description
USS Wisconsin
United States Navy
The Iowa-class battleship ran aground in the Hudson River at New York. Later refloated undamaged.[56]
September[]
1 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 1 September 1951
Ship
Country
Description
HMS Bagshot
Royal Navy
The Hunt-class minesweeper struck a mine and sank off Corfu, Greece.
The coaster ran aground at Reedness, Yorkshire. She rolled over on 4 October, salvage was abandoned in 1952 and the ship was scrapped in 1954.
6 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 October 1951
Ship
Country
Description
Greece
The passenger ship was wrecked whilst on a voyage from Piraeus to Crete. All on board, over 500 people, survived.[61]
7 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 October 1951
Ship
Country
Description
Elsie III
United States
The 9-gross register ton, 32.6-foot (9.9 m) fishing vessel sank in "Rocky Bay" in Southeast Alaska. The wreck report does not specify in which of several bodies of water with that name the sinking took place.[62]
The freight barge caught fire on the Buffalo River in New York after the tugDauntless #12 pushed it into the path of the steamerPenobscot and Penobscot collided with Morania #130. The fire killed eleven people and burned for several days.
The coaster struck a rock 50 nautical miles (93 km) off Black Head, Devon damaging her steering gear. She was driven ashore at . All seventeen crew rescued by the Coveracklifeboat.[68]
The cargo ship foundered in the Bay of Biscay. All 34 crew rescued by the Bibby Line ocean liner (United Kingdom).[70]
6 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 November 1951
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The Liberty ship caught fire and was abandoned 350 nautical miles (650 km) west of Cape Flattery, Washington. Although taken in tow, she sank on 18 November 40 nautical miles (74 km) north west of Cape Flattery.[71]
The decommissioned battleship sank in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores on her way to a scrapyard with the loss of her entire caretaker crew of eight men.
The cargo ship struck the wreck of (United Kingdom) and sank in Haifa Bay, Israel.
17 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 17 December 1951
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The cargo ship ran aground at , France, and was severely damaged.[76]
20 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 December 1951
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The cargo liner caught fire in the Columbia River at East Astoria, Oregon, United States with the loss of eleven of the 114 people on board. The severely damaged ship was later repaired and converted to a cargo ship.[77][78]
21 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 December 1951
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The Liberty ship collided with (United Kingdom) in the Scheldt and ran aground.[79]
Sweden
The cargo ship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom.[80] Refloated the next day.[81]
United Kingdom
The Liberty ship ran aground at Famagusta, Cyprus.[82] with the loss of five of her 31 crew. The ship broke in two and was declared a total loss.[83][84]
25 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 December 1951
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The Liberty ship was driven ashore near Civitavecchia, Italy. She was later refloated but declared a constructive total loss. Subsequently repaired and returned to service as Elisa Campanella for Italian owners.[85]
^ abMitchell, 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.
^"Steamer Sunk off Irish Coast". The Times. No. 51916. London. 3 February 1951. col D, p. 4.
^Gardiner, Robert, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1947–1982 Part I: The Western Powers, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1983, ISBN0870219189, p. 80.