The luxerious flagship of the French Messageries Maritimes Ship Line set off on its maidan voyage from France to China and Japan. Though there were several bomb threats against the ship, the threat to the ship’s safety turned out to be internal, in the wiring that ran through all of the well appointed cabins, full of flammable carpeting, curtains, and furniture. It would only take an electrical short to cause the ship to turn from a floating palace into a deadly inferno.

Sources:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/160602759?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193088150?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143174464?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/83711182?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180713860?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246336299?searchTerm=Georges%20Philippar%20ship

https://www.derbysulzers.com/shipgeorges.html

https://pacificeagles.net/shanghai-incident-1932/

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/18/issue.html

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/28/105866988.html?pageNumber=7

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1933/01/20/105898661.html?pageNumber=37

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/17/100740569.html?pageNumber=6

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/20/100743566.html?pageNumber=2

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/21/100744416.html?pageNumber=31

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/17/100740486.html?pageNumber=1

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/19/100742477.html?pageNumber=2

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/18/issue.html

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/05/22/100744492.html?pageNumber=5

The Birkenhead sank beneath the feet of men who knew it was doomed, but stayed anyway, inspiring a nation and artists alike. There were no more boats to launch, the shore was miles away and most of them did not know how to swim, but still, they waited as the small boat full of women and children pulled away to safety.  It gave a name to the act of allowing women and children to leave a sinking ship first, it would be known as the Birkenhead Drill

Ship Name: HMS Birkenhead

Launched: 1845

Nationality: English

Ship Type: Wooden Steamship, Twin Paddlewheel

Tonnage: 1400

Sank: 1852

Place Sank: Danger Point South Africa

Reason For Sinking: Struck Rock

Lives Lost: 444

Sources:

https://passengers.history.sa.gov.au/node/921310

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Women-Children-First/

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/birkenhead-sinking

http://www.suffolkregimentmuseum.co.uk/museum-object/the-birkenhead/

https://www.britannica.com/event/Cape-Frontier-Wars

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol124bd.html

https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/author-details-horror/

https://books.google.com/books?id=LTMOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA89#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://capeinfo.com/more/myths-legends-a-old-folks-stories/the-wreck-of-hm-steamer-qbirkenheadq-26-feb-1852

https://archive.org/details/annualregistero03unkngoog/page/472/mode/2up

The Metropolis was an aging Civil War era steamer turned passenger ship by the time she left Philadelphia and headed towards Brazil. She would never make it past the Outer Banks of North Carolina and would leave many questions in her wake. The largest was where should the blame fall?

Ship Name: Metropolis

Year Built: 1861

Nation of Origin: United States

Tonnage: 878

Ship Type: Steam Engine Screw Propellor Wood Steamer

Sank: 1878

Location Sank: Outer Banks North Carolina

Reason For Sinking: Sprung Leak in a Storm, Grounded on Beach Intentionally

Lives Lost: 85

Sources:  https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/st-strps.htm

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1878/02/11/80675217.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20871831/u-s-s-metropolis-shipwreck-corolla-nc/

https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2020/10/14/beach-wreckage-revives-the-mystery-of-the-metropolis/

https://www.carolinadesigns.com/obx-guide/history/shipwrecks/metropolis/

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1878/02/02/80673468.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2016/01/31/wreck-metropolis-1878

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1987/winter/us-life-saving-service-2.html#M5

http://www.ncgenweb.us/currituck/obits/metro.html

When de Morga set sail in his flag ship, a hastily converted merchant vessel, to fight the Dutch, his head was full of hopes for future glory. The Dutch commander Van Noort was just as hopeful that his voyage around the world would bring him wealth and fame. For both men their encounter would be disastrous, but they would both live to tell the tale. That both of these men would change the story somewhat to suit their own interests was of little surprise to anyone.

Ship: The San Diego

Nationality: Spanish

Year Built: Unknown, late 1500s

Year Sank: 1600

Reason for Sinking: Sank in battle with the Dutch

Tonnage: About 300 tons

Lives Lost: Exact number unknown, from 200-400 lives depending on source.

Sources: The Manila Acapulco Galleons: The Treasure Ships of the Pacific by Shirley Fish, published 2011 by Author House UK.

https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2019/05/the-sinking-of-the-san-diego-the-spanish-galleon-that-carried-japanese-mercenaries-to-stop-a-dutch-invasion/

https://www.batangashistory.date/2018/03/sandiego.html

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42633470?read-now=1&seq=10#metadata_info_tab_contents

https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/our-collections/maritime-and-underwater-cultural-heritage/treasures-of-san-diego/

https://www.academia.edu/43692291/THE_SAN_DIEGO_AND_PANDANAN_WRECKS_Two_underwater_archaeological_sites

https://www.franckgoddio.org/projects/ancient-trade-routes/san-diego/

https://www.ieasm.institute/philippines.php?lang=en

https://www.yodisphere.com/2021/02/San-Diego-Shipwreck-Japanese-Sword.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-30-mn-41619-story.html

Ship: The San Diego

Nationality: Spanish

Year Built: Unknown, late 1500s

Year Sank: 1600

Reason for Sinking: Sank in battle with the Dutch

Tonnage: About 300 tons

Lives Lost: Exact number unknown, from 200-400 lives depending on source.

Cannon Sound Attribution: https://freesound.org/people/daveincamas/sounds/368270/

The Netherby left England for Queensland full of immigrants hopeful for their future in Australia. Their passage to Australia would be a stormy start however, and their prospects would be even worse when the ship wrecked on King Island. Over 400 people were now forced to make the best of being stranded with little food and no shelter.

Ship Name: Netherby

Nationality: England

Built: 1858

Tonnage: 994

Ship Type: Passenger Full-Rigged Sailing Ship

Wrecked: 1866

Location Wrecked: King Island, Australia

Lives Lost: One during the voyage, none in the wreck

Sources:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87962423

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/160214718/18279843

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77132420/7599582

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72362551

http://netherby.homestead.com/CaptainsAccount.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-15/king-island-shipwreck-descendants-mark-150-years-since-rescue/7631338

https://transportationhistory.org/2017/07/14/today-in-transportation-history-1866-the-wreck-of-the-netherby/

https://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/king-islands-netherby-shipwreck-rescue-lives-on/news-story/e7ff6cfe4ce21eef0edc40751b32546a

https://www.kingisland.org.au/wp-content/uploads/netherby.pdf

When the Hong Moh wrecked on the rocks near Lammock Island with over a thousand passengers on board it would become a large scale tragedy that few could have predicted when the ship left Hong Kong. There would be plenty of blame to go around once the toll of the wreck was discovered, but there would also be incredible stories of great heroism as people risked their own lives to save even one more person.

Ship Name: Hong Moh

Launched: 1881

Nationality: British Controlled Singapore

Tonnage: 3954

Ship type: Passenger Steam Ship

Wrecked: 1921

Reason for Wreck: Hit Rocks Near Lammock Island

Lives Lost: 900-1000

Sources:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pioneer_Mail_and_Indian_Weekly_News/qbI-AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hong+moh+1921&pg=RA13-PA12&printsec=frontcover

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342855944_Cruise_Ship_Safety_Management_in_Asian_Regions_Trends_and_Future_Outlook

https://www.navy.gov.au/biography/admiral-edward-ratcliffe-garth-evans

https://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/g1921/71763.pdf

https://industrialhistoryhk.org/ss-hong-moh-disaster-sinking/

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19220209-1.2.84?ST=1&AT=search&k=hong%20moh%201921&QT=hong,moh,1921&oref=article

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19210625-1.2.13?ST=1&AT=filter&K=hong%20moh%201921&KA=hong%20moh%201921&DF=&DT=&Display=0&AO=false&NPT=&L=&CTA=&NID=&CT=&WC=&YR=1921&QT=hong,moh,1921&oref=article

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19210927-1.2.72.5?ST=1&AT=search&k=hong%20moh%201921&QT=hong,moh,1921&oref=article

The Neva was said to be carrying a Tlingit curse as it set out from Russia to once again see the shores of Sitka, Alaska. As the ship responsible for the Tlingit tribe evacuating Sitka and leaving their fort to the Russian forces, it was a ship that had a history in the waters of Alaska, though the Russians mostly prized it as one of the two ships to complete the first Russian circumnavigation of the world. This time it would never leave the waters near Sitka however.

Ship Name: Neva

Launched: 1801

Nationality: Russian

Tons: 370

Ship type: Three Masted Sailing Ship

Wrecked: 1813

Reason For Wreck: Ran Aground in the Fog

Lives Lost: 32 During Wreck, 15 During the Trip From Russia

Sources:

https://sitkahistory.com/archaeology-above-and-below-the-waves/

https://www.juneauempire.com/life/200-year-old-russian-wreck-found-on-kruzov-island-near-sitka/

https://coastview.org/articles/2020/09/26/neva-kruzof-island/

http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/science-frigate-neva-shipwreck-03225.html

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=136012

https://www.cityofsitka.com/about-sitka

https://www.nps.gov/sitk/learn/historyculture/battle1804.htm

https://www.britannica.com/place/Sitka#ref269310

https://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-science/shipwrecked-in-alaska-a-story-of-survival-200-years-ago/article/487379

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2017/03/04/archaeologists-say-theyve-found-the-campsite-used-by-survivors-of-legendary-doomed-ship-the-neva/

https://www.alaskaanthropology.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AJA_15_2017-McMahan.pdf

Cannon Sound Attribution: https://freesound.org/people/daveincamas/sounds/368270/

When the English fleet met with the Spanish fleet returning from Peru loaded with coins, no state of war existed between the two nations. What would follow would change that, and the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes would explode before finding her resting place at the bottom of the ocean. The story of the cargo of her coins was far from over though, and it would turn into a whole new international battle, though this one was fought in the courts.

Ship Name: Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes

Launched: 1786

Nationality: Spain

Sank: 1804

Reason for sinking: Exploded during the battle of Cape Santa Maria

Lives Lost: 250

Sources:

https://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/mnarqua/en/colecciones/yacimientos/ns-mercedes.html

https://www.seeker.com/black-swan-shipwreck-ordeal-comes-to-end-1765662614.html

https://coast.noaa.gov/data/Documents/OceanLawSearch/OdysseyMarineExploration_CaseSummary_PDF.pdf?redirect=301ocm

http://www.spainisculture.com/en/propuestas_culturales/tesoro_patrimonial_fragata_mercedes.html

https://english.elpais.com/arts/2020-06-22/spanish-archaeologists-recover-new-treasure-from-famed-mercedes-shipwreck.html

https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Amiens-1802

http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h34-np4b.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20171115173230/http://www.shipwreck.net/blackswan.php

https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/case-law-doc/traffickingculturalpropertycrimetype/usa/2012/case_shipwreck_mercedes.html

http://www.oceantreasures.org/pages/content/famous-wrecks/the-explosion-and-foundering-of-the-spanish-galleon-nuestra-senora-de-las-mercedes.html

http://fmercedes.fundacionmuseonaval.com/index.php/el-expolio-del-odyssey

https://elpais.com/cultura/2015/01/14/actualidad/1421265607_906473.html

Cannon Sound Effect Attribution: https://freesound.org/people/daveincamas/sounds/368270/

The Principessa Mafalda had been the flagship of the Lloyd Italiano line, but as a pre World War 1 ship in 1927 her glory days had faided. She was to take one last voyage across the Atlantic before being relegated to more coastal travel. Unfortunately it was a voyage she would never complete. Her disaster would bring the phantom of the Titanic back to the public eye with its terrible and senseless loss of life.

Ship Name: Principessa Mafalda

Launched: 1908

Tonnage: 9210

Origin: Genoa, Italy

Ship Type:Transatlantic Ocean Liner, Steam Ship

Sank: Off the Coast of Brazil

Reason For Sinking: Broken Propellor

Loss of Life: 314 Dead

Sources:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/a-maritime-disaster-an-irishman-s-diary-on-the-fate-of-the-principessa-mafalda-1.3470062

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sinking-of-ss-principessa-mafalda-was-italys-titanic-moment/news-story/fe2fd432b0fe6b4dca3b0207b1e5d50f

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/10/26/96677215.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/10/29/118881790.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/11/15/95458937.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/10/28/101509545.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/23/109855168.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/10/27/96677841.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/10/29/118881791.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

http://thegreatoceanliners.com/articles/augustus/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mafalda-hesse-1902-1944

When the Swedish ship Mars, sailed into her first battle she must have looked invincible. She was bristling with cannons and men, standing at a crossroads between hand to hand fighting and war waged through gun powder and shot. Though she would not survive the battle, she left a lasting mark not only on the men who saw her go down, but also on history.

Ship Name: Mars

Launched: 1564

Sank: May, 1564

Tons: 700

Nationality: Swedish

Ship Type: Wooden Sailing War Ship

Lives Lost: Around 1000, including enemy combatants on her when she sank

Sources:

https://books.google.com/books?id=LTYMwozmPugC&pg=PA617&lpg=PA617&dq=jakob+bagge&source=bl&ots=xOP4irvFXA&sig=ACfU3U2e6PZmFl4pJyMbX-3psUe0L8P6jA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi44bzk3t_4AhWRpIkEHVeuDBk4ChDoAXoECAIQAw#v=onepage&q=jakob%20bagge&f=false

https://xray-mag.com/content/mars-magnificent-16th-century-swedish-warship

https://www.archaeology.org/issues/317-1811/trenches/7061-trenches-sweden-mars-wreckage

http://www.illustratedcuriosity.com/history/history-postclassical-era/the-game-changing-swedish-warship-that-sank-in-its-first-battle/

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2018-11-26/ty-article-magazine/.premium/archaeologists-find-lost-swedish-man-of-war-and-sink-the-hype/0000017f-ea1b-d3be-ad7f-fa3b39fe0000

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/well-preserved-wreck-formidable-warship-mars-006586

https://phys.org/news/2018-07-archaeologists-reveal-legendary-swedish-warship.html

https://www.mars-project.org/the-project

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00253359.2019.1615775

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_gotland_oland.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_nordic_seven_years.html

Cannon Sound Effect: https://freesound.org/people/daveincamas/sounds/368270/