The list of shipwrecks in 1959 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1959 .
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by with reliable sources .
January [ ]
1 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 1 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Valder
United States
The motor vessel sank in the North Pacific Ocean off Craig , Alaska .[1]
9 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 9 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The fisheries protection vessel foundered off Caithness with the loss of three of her twenty crew.[2]
14 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 14 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship struck a jetty at Livorno , Italy and was holed. She subsequently sank, but all 32 crew and both passengers were rescued.[3]
18 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 18 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The Liberty ship was abandoned in the Mediterranean Sea . She subsequently came ashore near , Tunisia , and broke in two.[4]
23 January [ ]
25 January [ ]
27 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 27 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Italy
The coaster sank in a storm off Antipaxos , Greece. All eight crew killed.[5]
Italy
The coaster foundered 40 nautical miles (74 km) south of Malta. Five of her eleven crew were killed, six were rescued by the Admiralty tug ( United Kingdom ).[6]
30 January [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 30 January 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Hans Hedtoft
Denmark
The cargo liner sank on her maiden voyage off Cape Farewell, Greenland with the loss of all 95 passengers and crew.
February [ ]
2 February [ ]
5 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 5 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The passenger ship ran aground north of Copenhagen . Three hundred passengers transferred ashore by tugs.[8]
7 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 7 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Belgium
The ferry ran aground at Ostend , later refloated undamaged.[9]
Singapore
The tug collided with ( Japan ) in Singapore Harbour , capsized and sank with the loss of five of her nine crew.[10]
13 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 13 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Canada
The tug struck a rock off Vancouver Island and sank with the loss of all five crew.[11]
17 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 17 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship ran aground off Yokosuka , Japan. All 42 crew rescued.[12]
19 February [ ]
20 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 20 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Llandaff
United Kingdom
The 12,501 grt freighter ran aground at Esbjerg . She was refloated 7 March 1959 and scrapped in September 1959.
22 February [ ]
25 February [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 25 February 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship sank off Yokosuka, Japan.[12]
March [ ]
3 March [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 3 March 1959
Ship
Country
Description
USS Cassia County
United States Navy
The decommissioned tank landing ship was sunk as a target.
Sweden
The cargo ship ran aground at Duncansby Head , Caithness , United Kingdom. All 40 crew rescued.[15]
14 March [ ]
17 March [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 17 March 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Italy
The coastal tanker ran aground near Mazagan , Morocco. All crew rescued by American military helicopters from Sidi Slimane Air Base .[17]
21 March [ ]
23 March [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 23 March 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Soviet Union
The cargo ship collided with ( West Germany ) off Spiekeroog , Netherlands and sank. One of her 41 crew was killed, the 40 survivors were rescued by Bischofstein and landed at Bremerhaven , West Germany.[19]
26 March [ ]
30 March [ ]
April [ ]
12 April [ ]
13 April [ ]
15 April [ ]
19 April [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 19 April 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship struck the wreck of ( Soviet Union ) in the Weser Estuary and sank. All 42 crew rescued by the German pilot ship Weser ( West Germany ).[26]
26 April [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 26 April 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Libya
The cargo ship ran aground at the entrance to Accra , Ghana. She was holed and sank.[27]
29 April [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 29 April 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Canada
The cargo ship collided with a bridge over the Beauharnois Canal at Valleyfield, Quebec and then ran aground. Refloated after fifteen hours.[28]
May [ ]
5 May [ ]
8 May [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 8 May 1959
Ship
Country
Description
West Germany
The tug collided with the tanker ( Netherlands ), which she was towing, and sank at Hamburg with the loss of one crewmember.[30]
United Arab Republic
The passenger boat sank in the River Nile near Barrage Gardens, 16 miles (26 km) south of Cairo . At least eleven people were killed, with 175 rescued and an unknown number missing.[31]
9 May [ ]
11 May [ ]
13 May [ ]
21 May [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 21 May 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster ran aground off Cap de la Hague , France.[33] [34]
31 May [ ]
Unknown date [ ]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The cargo ship sank east of Malta. All crew rescued by ( Sweden ).[36]
United States Navy
The LCS(L)-class landing craft was sunk as a target with bombs and rockets sometime in May.[37] [38]
Argentina
The coaster sank off Argentina with the loss of fifteen of her eighteen crew.[39]
June [ ]
9 June [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 9 June 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Margaret Rose
India
The coaster capsized and sank off Dwarka , India .
15 June [ ]
18 June [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 18 June 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The cargo ship sank off the coast of Sweden. All seventeen crew survived unharmed.[41]
July [ ]
1 July [ ]
3 July [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 3 July 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Italy
The tanker collided with a swing bridge and a yacht at Sète , France. She was holed and her cargo of avgas and petrol was set alight by a lighted gas cooker on board the yacht Bambula ( United Kingdom ), which caught fire and sank. The fire also spread to three other ships, and (both France ) and ( Morocco ). USS Fort Mandan ( United States Navy ) assisted firemen from Montpellier and Sète in fighting the fires. One of the four crew of Bambula and two of the crew of Ombrina were killed, with a further two crew from the latter ship seriously injured.[43]
Colombia
The cargo ship caught fire, exploded and sank in the Caribbean with the loss of up to five crew. ( West Germany ) rescued 38 survivors and landed them at Cristóbal , Panama Canal Zone .[44]
6 July [ ]
12 July [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 12 July 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster was in the English Channel when she was struck by ( Greece ) and sliced in two. Both halves sank. Three of her ten crew were lost, with the survivors being rescued by Mount Athos and landed at Dover , Kent .[46]
17 July [ ]
18 July [ ]
28 July [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 28 July 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The tanker caught fire whilst laid up at Barry , Glamorgan . She was consequently scrapped.[40]
29 July [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 29 July 1959
Ship
Country
Description
HMS Upstart
Royal Navy
The U-class submarine was sunk as a target off the Isle of Wight .
River Witham
United Kingdom
The schooner capsized and sank off the Inner Dowsing Light Vessel.
August [ ]
1 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 1 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Queen Kathleen
Canada
The fishing vessel was wrecked on rocks in the Aleutian Islands west of Unimak Pass . The vessel Western Pioneer ( United States ) rescued her entire crew of eight.[49]
5 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 5 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Porfico No. 1
United States
The 9-gross register ton , 31.1-foot (9.5 m) motor vessel was destroyed by fire at Ninilchik , Alaska .[23]
11 August [ ]
18 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 18 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Elinor D
United States
The 9-gross register ton , 29-foot (8.8 m) fishing vessel was destroyed at Ketchikan , Alaska , by a fire that began when she suffered an explosion as her owner turned the ignition key to start her gasoline engine .[52]
21 August [ ]
23 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 23 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Spain
The coaster collided with ( Panama ) in the English Channel off Dungeness , Kent and sank with the loss of one of her 22 crew.[55]
United Kingdom
The trawler was in collision with ( United Kingdom ) and sank 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Flamborough Head , Yorkshire with the loss of five of her 21 crew. The sixteen survivors were rescued by Dalhanna .[56]
24 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 24 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The Liberty ship ran aground at Gdynia , Poland. She was later refloated but was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.[57]
26 August [ ]
30 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 30 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The passenger ship ran aground in the River Avon . Refloated the next day.[62]
31 August [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 31 August 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Comet
United States
The 41-gross register ton , 56-foot (17.1 m) motor cargo vessel was wrecked near Kodiak , Alaska .[24]
Unknown date [ ]
September [ ]
4 September [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 4 September 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The cargo ship sank off Le Havre , France. Refloated on 6 September.[64]
8 September [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 8 September 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Putco-2
United States
The 90-gross register ton , 70.1-foot (21.4 m) barge was wrecked near Dutch Harbor , Alaska .[23]
10 September [ ]
14 September [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 14 September 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The schooner sank off , Beaumaris . All six people on board rescued.[66]
27 September [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 27 September 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Australia
Typhoon Vera : The passenger ship was driven aground at Yokkaichi , Japan.[67]
Netherlands
Typhoon Vera: The passenger ship was driven aground near Nagoya , Japan.[68]
Unknown date [ ]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in September 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Soviet Navy
The submarine ran aground in the Tatar Strait with the loss of several lives. She was later refloated.[69]
October [ ]
4 October [ ]
18 October [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 18 October 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Turkey
The ship was boarded by crew from ( Royal Navy ) off Cyprus and ammunition was discovered on board. Three crew were arrested, but the vessel was scuttled.[71]
22 October [ ]
28 October [ ]
Unknown date [ ]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster was driven ashore and wrecked. Her crew were rescued by the HolyHead Lifeboat.[72]
November [ ]
13 November [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 13 November 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster ran aground at the southern tip of Öland , Sweden.[73]
16 November [ ]
23 November [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 23 November 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The tanker ran aground at Oslo , Norway and was holed.[75]
Turkey
The cargo ship was in collision with ( Soviet Union ) and sank in the North Sea. All crew rescued by Kharkov .[75] [76] Kharkov was arrested on arrival at Bremen , West Germany .[76]
United Kingdom
The coaster caught fire at Ghent , Belgium. One crewmember was killed.[75]
24 November [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 24 November 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Holmglen
New Zealand
The cargo ship sank off Timaru with the loss of 15 lives.
27 October [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 27 October 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The coaster was driven ashore in , Anglesey and broke in two, a total loss.[40]
30 November [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 30 November 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The ocean liner was driven ashore at Gibraltar in a gale. Refloated the next day.[77] [78]
Unknown date [ ]
December [ ]
1 December [ ]
6 December [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 6 December 1959
Ship
Country
Description
George Robb
United Kingdom
The fishing vessel ran aground at Duncansby Head , Scotland , with the loss of all 12 crew.[79]
7 December [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 7 December 1959
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The motor vessel ran aground below Dunbeath Castle , Scotland. All crew rescued by lifeboat.[80]
8 December [ ]
9 December [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 9 December 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Elfrida
Norway
The steamer sank off Stavanger with the loss of 20 lives.
13 December [ ]
14 December [ ]
16 December [ ]
20 December [ ]
List of shipwrecks: 20 December 1959
Ship
Country
Description
Belgium
The steamer ran aground 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the Harmaja Lighthouse, Helsinki . Refloated 5 January 1960, subsequently scrapped.[81]
30 December [ ]
Unknown date [ ]
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See also [ ]