TIME-LINE
Merchant and Navy Ship events
1946 - 2000

1946

Under construction
3/1 1946 British steamer EMPIRE TIGACHI (MOWT). Ashore at Nidingen, Sweden - total loss.
12/1 1946

Destroyer USS Wiltsie commissioned.

Submarine HMS Auriga commissioned.

Frigate HMAS Barwon commissioned.
13/1 1946 Frigate HMCS Longueil sold for scrapping Victoria BC. Superstructure scrapped Victoria 1947 & hull sunk as a breakwater Kelsey Bay BC in 1948.
29/1 1946

Danish minesweeper ME 1016 runs aground off Jernhatten at the southeast coast of Djursland, Jutland. The ship could not be salvaged.

Racing schooner Bluenose sinks after striking a reef off Haiti; built by Smith and Rhulandat at Lunenburg, and launched March 26th, 1921, the ship was invincible in races. She was sold as a Caribbean cargo ship in 1938.
1/3 1946 British passenger ship EMPIRE WAVENEY (MOWT managed by Cunard-White Star Line). On fire at Liverpool - total loss. 1947 Scrapped Dalmuir
9/4 1946 British Coaster EMPIRE BRIDGE, MOWT managed by Springwell Shipping Co. Struck wreck of s/s FORT MASSAC while salvaging cargo and sank at 51.53N 01.32E
18/4 1946 Norwegian S/S Ramø got through the second world war undamaged after she had sailed for the Northraship for five years. During the war both Germans and Allied put out a large number of mines in Norwegian waters, and in the end of the war there were both magnetic and acoustic mines spread all along the coast. In Henningsvær harbor the Germans had put out seven magnetic mines and in November 1945 six of these were removed. On the 18th of April 1946 the ship Ramø arrives to Henningsvær to load fish for her further journey towards Greece. The captain on Ramø had gained information about the minefield, but the area was earlier trafficked by larger ships than her, so Ramø anchored up without further thoughts about the danger. Three days later when the ship still was anchored in the harbor the accident occurred. The seventh missing mine was counted for, and flames, smoke and water went sky high when the mine exploded under the stern of the ship. Ramø sank at once and fourteen of the crew died. The survivors were picked up by boats which came for assistance .
21/4 1946: British Coastwise tug EMPIRE CHRISTOPHER MOWT (naval work, Burma / Singapore). Mined and sunk off Burma at 14.09N 98.03E
29/4 1946 Minesweeper HMCS Caraquet sold to Portugal & became NRP Almirante Lacerda. Deleted 1975.
30/4 1946

Georgetown Victory, US troopship of 7,604 tons built in 1945, having sailed from Freemantle, Australia with 1200 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel on board for repatriation at Glasgow, ran aground late at night on rocks south of Killard Point, Ulster. All were taken off but she later broke in two and later was scrapped were she lay. She had been a number of miles off her proper course for Glasow and the inquiry was held in secret.

Destroyer escort USS Solar exploded at her berth at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Earle, New Jersey while unloading ammunition. 165 members of her crew and dockworkers were killed in the explosion and 65 were injured. Decommissioned 21 May 1946. Stricken 5 June 1946. Her hulk was towed 100 miles out to sea and scuttled in 700 fathoms of water on 9 June 1946.
11/5 1946 British steamer GRETA FORCE (914 grt / 1928). Mined and sunk 1,5 miles off North Bishop’s Rock, on a voyage Barry to Irlam with coal.
   
1969  
13/1 1969 An explosion ripped through the US aircraft carrier Enterprise off Hawaii, killing 28 crewmembers with a further 344 men being injured. In addition, 15 aircraft were destroyed and 17 damaged. The dreadful chain of events was started by an exhaust "cooking" off a pod of Zuni rockets which were on a wing pylon of an F-4 Phantom.
19/1 1969 The USCGC Absecon, while on ocean station duty, was directed to assist the sinking M/V Ocean Sprinter. The Absecon launched a small boat and rescued all of the merchant vessel's crew. The five Coast Guardsmen manning the small boat received the Coast Guard Medal for their actions.
10/2 1969 Greek steamer LUKIA (M. Liminship Cia.Nav, Greece). Sprang leak in Yellow Sea, abandoned and towed to Shanghai. Seized by China - no further trace
11/3 1969 Somalian steamer SHUN TAI (Chan Moo Chu, Hong Kong (Somali flag) sunk at 01.12N 103.51E in collision off Singapore with s/s WORLD CARRIER.
29/4 1969 Motor tanker MOBIL APEX (12 755/60) owned by MobilTankship Ltd., London, damaged by explosion and fire during loading at St. Croix, Virgin Island. Towed to Ponee P.R.. She was later sold and repaired.
1/5 1969 Canadian motor ship KORALLE struck a submerged object and was forced aground in Kosak River  near Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay, Canada.
25/6 1969 Steamer ANDROMACHI (Dalia Cia Nav, Panama (Greek flag). Damaged and set on fire by Israeli shelling at Suez. Scrapped 1976 at Adabiah, Suez.
18/8 1969 Liberian steamer HULDA (International Marine Development Corp, Liberia). Aground in hurricane at Gulfport, total loss.
9/9 1969 Greek motor ship IRENE stranded and wrecked near Ras Selata.
23/10 1969 Destroyer HMCS Kootenay while on exercises off the UK. suffered a gearbox explosion, 8 crew lost, (in addition one died 3 days later) 53 injured, towed to Plymouth, by HMCS Saguenay & commercial tug Elbe. Subsequently towed to Canada.
25/11 1969 The Liberian steam tanker Pacocean was on a voyage from Bahrain to Nigata with a cargo of 29,000 tons of crude oil, when she broke in two in heavy seas off the southern tip of Taiwan in lat 21.28N, long 129.32E. The two sections drifted apart, the crew taking refuge on the afterpart. Numerous vessels arrived on the scene to assist in rescuing 45 of her 48 all-Chinese crew. Three others were lost. The fore section sank later in the day, while the after part sank the following morning.
29/12 1969 Panamanian steamer HORIS (Concordia Kinabatangan Shipping Co, Panama). Capsized and sank at 03.53N 119.23E.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
1978  
3/2 1978 Italian motor vessel MARIA DORMIO sprang leak and sank about 56 miles SW of Cape Miseno, Tyrrhenian Sea. Crew saved. (Owner: Ant Scotto di Santolo, Italy)
17/3 1978 The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz runs aground on the coast of Brittany, breaks in half and spills 220,000 tons of crude oil
18/4 1978 U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to turn the Panama Canal over to Panamanian control on Dec. 31, 1999.
5/5 1978 Greek motor vessel KATERINA grounded off Kamaran Island in the Red Sea when on a voyage from Aden, refloated and towed to Palermo where she arrived 22/5 and declared as a constructive total loss. Towed to Split for demolision and arrived at Brodospas 25/9 1979. (ex: KALAVRIA-74, MARILION-73, JALAVIHAR-71. Owners: Katerina Armadora de Nav. S.A., Greece. 7.310grt, build 1955)
28/6 1978

British steamer MARGARET SMITH  sprang leak, capsized and sank at 52.42N 01.28W. (Owner: Bowen & Caine, Southampton).
19/8 1978

Soviet submarine K-116, another Echo II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine suffers a propulsion failure west of Scotland and must be towed home.
20/10 1978

The USS cutter Cuyahoga sinks after colliding with M/V Santa Cruz II near the mouth of the Potomac River. 11 Coast Guard personnel are killed.
8/11 1978

SS Glacier Queen (ex-HMCS Orangeville) sank as a hulk Cook Inlet AK. Jan 1979, raised towed to sea scuttled.
24/12 1978 Swedish motor vessel ALSTERN sunk in the North Sea.
25/12 1978

Motor tanker KOSMAS M. (12 360/57), Owned by Minos Shipping Transports Co. Lts., Greece was abandoned by her crew after fire had broken out in her engine room when she was in pos. 40,13 N, 26.25 E in the Dardanelles during a voyage from Odessa to Yugoslavia. She was anchored aff Akbas where the fire was subsequently extinguished.
   
1979  
8/1 1979

French oiltanker BETELGEUSE, (121.000 ton) exploded in Bantry Bay, Ireland during discharge. Over 50 crewmembers and terminalworkers killed.
10/1 1979

AB Oskarshamns Varv, Oskarshamn, Sweden deliver yard.no: 426 GULF EXPRESS, a roro-ship, to OT-Rederierna, Skärhamn, Sweden.
19/1 1979

FEAB, Uddevalla, Marstransverken, Sweden deliver yard.no: 138 RAGNA GORTHON, a ro-lo-ship, to Gorthons Rederi AB, Helsingborg, Sweden.
24/1 1979

Uddevallavarvet AB, Sweden deliver yard.no: 299 POLYTRAVELLER, a motor tanker, to Einar Rasmussen, Kristiansand, Norway.
1/1 1979

AB Lödöse Varv, Lödöse, Sweden deliver yard.no: 180 LINNÉ, a roro-ship, to OT-Rederierna, Skärhamn, Sweden.
16/2 1979

Greek motor vessel MARGARET (3.361 grt / 1953). Sustained damage to her main switchboard during a engine room fire at Casablanca, and as a result laid up in the outer harbour.
20/2 1979

Kalmar Varv AB, Kalmar, Sweden deliver yard.no: 445 MERZARIO ARCADIA, a roro-ship, to Ångbåts AB Kalmarsund, Göteborg, Sweden.
22/2 1979

Öresundsvarvet AB, Landskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 266 WINTER WATER, a reefership to Salénrederierna, Stockholm / Rederi AB Zenit, Göteborg, Sweden.
23/2 1979

Götaverken-Arendal, Gothenburg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 913 WINTER MOON, a reefership to Salénrederierna, Stockholm / Rederi AB Zenit, Göteborg, Sweden.
14/3 1979

Öresundsvarvet AB, Landskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 267 WINTER WAVE, a reefership to Salénrederierna, Stockholm / Rederi AB Zenit, Göteborg, Sweden.
23/3 1979

Karlskronavarvet AB, Karlskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 395 BALTIC PRESS, a roro-ship, to a Swedish Shipping company.
30/3 1979

Götaverken-Arendal, Gothenburg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 915 WINTER STAR, a reefership to Salénrederierna, Stockholm / Rederi AB Zenit, Göteborg, Sweden.
6/4 1979

Götaverken-Arendal, Gothenburg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 903 NORRLAND, a PROBO-carrier, to Rederi AB Zenit, Göteborg, Sweden.
7/4 1979

Launching of first Trident submarine, USS Ohio (SSBN-726) at Groton, CT.
Northern Pearl . Prawn trawler. Capsized and sank off Mornington Island, NT.
27/4 1979

Öresundsvarvet AB, Landskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 269 ANNA ODEN, a roro-ship to Rederi AB Oden Line, Skärhamn, Sweden.
10/5 1979

Collapse and sinking of mobile offshore drilling unit RANGER I in the Gulf of Mexico with loss of life.
15/5 1979

FEAB, Uddevalla, Marstransverken, Sweden deliver yard.no: 139 LOVISA GORTHON, a ro-lo-ship, to Gorthons Rederi AB, Helsingborg, Sweden.
29/5 1979

Götaverken-Arendal, Gothenburg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 898 BULLAREN, a roro-ship, to Rederi AB Transatlantic, Göteborg, Sweden.
8/6 1979

Uddevallavarvet AB, Sweden deliver yard.no: 303 SIBOFIR a obo-ship to Tschudi & Eitzen, Oslo, Norway.
14/6 1979

Falkenbergs Varv, Falkenberg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 175 GUTE, a roro-ship, to Rederi AB Gotland, Visby, Sweden.
AB Åsiverken, Åmål, Sweden deliver yard.no: 126 VERONICA, a motor tug, to Luleå Bogserbåts AB, Luleå, Sweden.
15/6 1979

Karlskronavarvet AB, Karlskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 396 BALTIC PRINT, a roro-ship, to a Swedish Shipping Company.
Eriksbergs M.V. AB, Gothenburg, Sweden deliver yard.no: 708 ATLAND, a product tanker, to Broströms Rederi AB / Rederi AB Ejdern, Gothenburg, Sweden.
21/6 1979

Öresundsvarvet AB, Landskrona, Sweden deliver yard.no: 264 MOORDRECHT, a bulkship to Phs. Van Ommeren, Rotterdam, Netherlands
1/7 1979

AB Oskarshamns Varv, Oskarshamn, Sweden deliver yard.no: 427 FINNEAGLE, a roro-ship, to OT-Rederierna, Skärhamn, Sweden.
6/7 1979

Uddevallavarvet AB, Sweden deliver yard.no: 300 ABBEY, a bulkcarrier to Grosvenor Leasing Co., London, U. K.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
1980  
   
1981