Carrying a cargo of 5,000 tons of cement and damaged earlier in her voyage when she struck a reef off Pennock Island in Southeast Alaska while under tow by the tugHercules (United States), the 328-foot (100.0 m) LST-type bargecapsized and sank bottom-up 0.5 nautical miles (0.9 km; 0.6 mi) south of Bar Harbor in Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska. An attempt during the 1970s to refloat her failed.[1]
6 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 January 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The Liberty ship was driven ashore on Ocean Island. She was later refloated but struck wreckage and was abandoned.[2]
8 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 8 January 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The cargo ship broke in two north east of Okinawa, Japan. 40 crew rescued by Eastern.[3] At least 8 deaths.
According to South Korea Coast Guard official confirmed report, this passenger ferry route, Yeosu Port and headed to Busan Port, capsized off 8 km (5 miles) southwest from Dadaepo area, Busan, South Korea. There were catastrophes in which 229 people were died and only seven persons were survived.[7]
United States
The cargo ship collided with another vessel off Japan. Reported to be in danger of sinking and requested assistance.[8]
The cargo ship ran aground off the , off the coast of Essex, United Kingdom.[9]
15 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 January 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The cargo ship was in collision with the ferryGold Star Mother in New York Harbor. Both ships were damaged, with Gold Star Mother taking in water by the bows and having eleven of her 1,900 passengers injured.[10]
United States
The cargo ship collided with Chickasaw (United States) in New York Harbor. American Leader was severely damaged at the bows.[10]
The cargo ship ran aground off Portishead, Somerset, United Kingdom. Later refloated and docked at Avonmouth.[11]
18 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 January 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Spain
The cargo ship was in collision with British Dragoon (United Kingdom) and sank off Cape Espichel, Portugal. Thirty-six survivors rescued by British Dragoon.
21 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 January 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship ran aground off Avonmouth. Refloated the next day.[12]
flag unknown
The coaster ran aground off Avonmouth. Refloated the next day.[12]
The herringcutter sinks in the North Sea during a severe windstorm. 16 fatalities.
United Kingdom
The Castle-class trawler from Fleetwood, Lancashire, foundered in a severe storm off Barra Head, West Scotland, with the loss of all hands. 13 fatalities.[16][17]
Princess Victoria
United Kingdom
The RORO passenger ferry sinks in the North Channel during a severe windstorm. 133 fatalities.
The cargo ship collided with the Great Nore Sands Fort, in the North Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off Sheerness, Kent, United Kingdom. One of the seven towers of the fort collapsed and the ship ran aground. Four of the fourteen crew of the fort were reported missing.[22]
2 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 March 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The schooner struck a rock and sank off . All ten crew rescued.[23]
The cargo ship collided with (Italy) 25 nautical miles (46 km) north of Margate, Kent, United Kingdom and sank. All 29 crew rescued by Arnhem (United Kingdom).[25]
United Kingdom
The cargo ship collided with (United Kingdom) and was beached on the Mucking Flats in the Thames Estuary.[25]
The Bangor-class minesweeper sank 12 nautical miles (22 km) off Alexandria with the loss of 53 of her 115 crew. The 63 survivors were rescued by (Poland).[26]
The Mercantile Marine Service Associationtraining ship, formerly a Rodney class 90 gun Ship-of-the-Line, ran aground in the Menai Strait and was subsequently declared a total loss. Her wreck was destroyed by a fire in 1956.
18 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 April 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The ferry caught fire at Harwich, Essex, United Kingdom and was burnt out and sank. Refloated and towed to Elsinore, Denmark in September 1953 for repair.[37][38]
The ferry collided with USNS Haiti Victory (United States Navy) 40 nautical miles (74 km) east of Harwich, Essex and was cut in two. The bow section sank, three lives were lost of the 396 people on board. The stern section was towed to Harwich.[40] A new bow was built and Duke of York returned to service.
The tanker was in collision in the Delaware River with (United States) and sank at Delaware City, Delaware. Both ships caught fire and were total losses.[49][50]
16 June[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 June 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cruise ship ran aground at Ålesund and was a total loss. All passengers and crew were rescued.[51]
26 June[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 June 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Mary Pat
United States
The 10-gross register ton, 27.7-foot (8.4 m) motor vessel was destroyed by fire in Bristol Bay off the coast of the Territory of Alaska.[47]
July[]
2 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 July 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The passenger ship ran aground in the Hooghly River at Budge Budge, India.[52]
7 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 July 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The cargo ship ran aground at Pusan, Korea and broke in two. The stern section was salvaged by USS Current (United States Navy).[53][54]
14 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 July 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The cargo ship collided with (United States) and sank 18 nautical miles (33 km) southwest of San Francisco, California.[55]
Chinese Civil War: : The landing ships were sunk in a harbor on the coast of Dongshan Island in China by mortar fire that detonated their cargoes of ammunition.[56]
The cargo ship was driven ashore 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north of Madras in a cyclone. A fire broke out two days later and she was subsequently declared a constructive total loss.[73]
22 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 October 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Japan
The tanker ran aground in the River Mersey, United Kingdom three times within 24 hours.[74]
The cargo ship collided with (United Kingdom) off the coast of Spain. Tonghai was taken in tow by the tug (France) but sank on 6 November. All crew were rescued by Esso Cardiff.[75]
6 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 November 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The cargo ship collided with (United States Army) and sank off Cuxhaven, West Germany.[75] Seven of her eighteen crew were killed.[76]
The cargo ship collided with (France) and sank in the English Channel 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off Dungeness, Kent, with the loss of twenty of her 25 crew.[78]
24 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 November 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The tug was in collision with Malmo (United Kingdom) and sank in the River Thames at Woolwich. All five crew rescued.[79]
The cargo ship ran aground at Coquille, Oregon. She was only partially salvaged, the remaining wreck subsequently was incorporated into a jetty.
December[]
14 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 December 1953
Ship
Country
Description
Greece
The cargo ship ran aground off Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.[81] All sixteen crew rescued. Dimitris was declared a total loss.[82]
Olympia
Greece
The ocean liner ran aground in Southampton Water, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Later refloated, repaired and returned to service.[83]
15 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 December 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster ran aground at the Minquiers, Jersey, Channel Islands and broke in two. All crew rescued by the Jersey lifeboat.[84]
24 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 December 1953
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The Thames barge exited the Medway and collided with a coaster, she then hit a second vessel before being rammed amidships by the (United Kingdom) and sank in the Thames Estuary. All seven crew were rescued by the collier which was one of the two earlier vessels with which she collided. (United Kingdom).[85]
Sweden
The tanker exploded and sank at Gothenburg, killing one of the eleven crew on board at the time.[86]
^Mitchell, 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.
^"News in Brief". The Times. No. 52760. London. 23 October 1953. col G, p. 4.
^ ab"Ships Collide at Sea". The Times. No. 52773. London. 7 November 1953. col G, p. 6.
^"Search For Missing Men Abandoned". The Times. No. 52774. London. 9 November 1953. col C, p. 6.
^"Loss of Dutch Ship". The Times. No. 52774. London. 9 November 1953. col C, p. 6.
^"Twenty Italians Drowned". The Times. No. 52781. London. 17 November 1953. col D, p. 8.
^"Tug Sunk in Thames Collision". The Times. No. 52788. London. 25 November 1953. col C, p. 5.
^"British Ship Founders". The Times. No. 52789. London. 26 November 1953. col F, p. 8.
^"Greek Ship Aground". The Times. No. 52805. London. 15 December 1953. col C, p. 6.
^"Inspection of Wrecked Ship". The Times. No. 52806. London. 16 December 1953. col D, p. 3.
^"Damaged Liner To Go into Dry Dock". The Times. No. 52805. London. 6 November 1953. col F, p. 6.
^"Crew of 11 Rescued By Lifeboat". The Times. No. 52806. London. 16 December 1953. col C, p. 3.
^"Wreck in Thames Estuary". The Times. No. 52814. London. 28 December 1953. col D, p. 4.
^"Swedish Tanker Sinks". The Times. No. 52814. London. 28 December 1953. col A, p. 6.
^"Belgian Merchant H-O"(PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 31 October 2010.[permanent dead link]