List of shipwrecks of Oceania
This is a list of shipwrecks located in the region of Oceania.
Australia
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk
During World War II, Chuuk Lagoon (then known as Truk) was the logistical hub of Japan's operations in the South Pacific theatre. In February 1944, in preparation for the forthcoming Battle of Eniwetok, the United States Navy launched an attack on the atoll. Over the course of two days, a series of airstrikes devastated the Japanese fleet, in an offensive codenamed Operation Hailstone. A total of 50 ships were sunk, although many key Japanese warships had been relocated the week before, and thus escaped destruction.
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aikoku Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 17 February 1944 | An armed merchantman that was sunk during Operation Hailstone. The remains of 400 men were recovered from the wreck and cremated in 1984. | 07°22′N 151°56′E / 7.367°N 151.933°E |
Fujikawa Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 17 February 1944 | An armed aircraft transport that was sunk during Operation Hailstone | |
Fumizuki | Imperial Japanese Navy | 18 February 1944 | A Japanese Mutsuki-class destroyer that was sunk during Operation Hailstone. | 07°24′N 151°44′E / 7.400°N 151.733°E |
Heian Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 17 February 1944 | A Japanese submarine tender that was sunk during Operation Hailstone. | |
Sankisan Maru | Empire of Japan | A Japanese freighter that was sunk during Operation Hailstone. | ||
Shinkoko Maru | Empire of Japan | A Japanese oil tanker that was sunk during Operation Hailstone. | ||
I-169 | Imperial Japanese Navy | 4 April 1944 | A Japanese Kaidai-class submarine that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and sank northwest of Dublon, when it flooded while diving to avoid an air-raid. | |
Tachikaze | Imperial Japanese Navy | 18 February 1944 | A Japanese Minekaze-class destroyer that ran aground at Kuop Atoll on 4 February 1944, and remained stranded until it was sunk in Operation Hailstone. | 07°03′N 151°56′E / 7.050°N 151.933°E |
Umikaze | Imperial Japanese Navy | 1 February 1944 | A Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyer that was torpedoed by USS Guardfish south of Chuuk. | 07°10′N 151°43′E / 7.167°N 151.717°E |
Palau
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amatsu Maru | Empire of Japan | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese tanker that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Bichu Maru | Empire of Japan | 30 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Chuyo Maru | Empire of Japan | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Gozan Maru | Empire of Japan | 30 March 1944 | A Japanese troopship that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Irō | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese Notoro-class oil tanker that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. She was the sister ship of Sata. | |
Kamikaze Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese troopship that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Kibi Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Nagisan Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
USS Perry | United States Navy | 13 September 1944 | A Clemson-class destroyer that was sunk by a mine off Anguar. | 6°53′N 134°10′E / 6.883°N 134.167°E |
Raizan Maru | Empire of Japan | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Ryuko Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Samidare | Imperial Japanese Navy | 25 August 1944 | A Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyer that was torpedoed by USS Batfish after running aground on Velasco Reef. | 8°10′N 134°38′E / 8.167°N 134.633°E |
Sata | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese Notoro-class oil tanker that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. She was a sister ship of the Irō. | |
Teshio Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese freighter (army cargo vessel) that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Urakami Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | 31 March 1944 | A Japanese repair ship that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | |
Wakatake | Imperial Japanese Navy | 30 March 1944 | A Japanese Wakatake-class destroyer that was sunk during Operation Desecrate One. | 7°50′N 134°20′E / 7.833°N 134.333°E |
Yap
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
SMS Planet | German Empire | 7 October 1914 | A survey ship that was scuttled to prevent capture. |
Indonesia
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
MV Senopati Nusantara | Indonesia | 30 December 2006 | A passenger ferry that sank off Mandalika Island. | |
MV Levina 1 | Indonesia | 25 February 2007 | A passenger ferry that sank several hours from Jakarta. |
Kiribati
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
SS Norwich City | United Kingdom | 29 November 1929 | A British freighter that ran aground at Nikumaroro. | 4°39′39″S 174°32′40″W / 4.66083°S 174.54444°W |
Canton | United States | A whaling ship that ran aground at Kanton Island. | ||
Golden Sunset | United Kingdom | 1866 | A British barque that ran aground at Enderbury Island.[1] | |
President Taylor | United States | 14 February 1942 | After carrying two companies of infantry and two battalions of coast artillery, about 1,100 men, for the Canton (Kanton) Island garrison, and possibly due to loss of an anchor while landing troops and equipment by means of shallow draft craft from outside the lagoon, the ship became firmly grounded on the coral reef. The hull was eventually scrapped by 6 April 1955. |
Marshall Islands
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
USS Anderson | United States Navy | 1 July 1946 | A Sims-class destroyer that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
USS Apogon | United States Navy | 25 July 1946 | A Balao-class submarine that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test, Operation Crossroads. | |
USS Arkansas | United States Navy | 25 July 1946 | A Wyoming-class battleship that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
USS Barrow | United States Navy | 11 May 1948 | A Gilliam-class attack transport that sustained heavy damage in atomic bomb tests and was scuttled off Kwajalein. | |
USS Carlisle | United States Navy | 1 July 1946 | A Gilliam-class attack transport that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
USS Gilliam | United States Navy | 1 July 1946 | A Gilliam-class attack transport that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
SS Kembu Maru | Empire of Japan | 4 December 1943 | A Japanese freighter that was sunk by US aircraft at Kwajalein Atoll. | 09°19′N 167°25′E / 9.317°N 167.417°E |
USS Lamson | United States Navy | 2 July 1946 | A Mahan-class destroyer that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
USS LST-545 | United States Navy | 12 May 1948 | An LST-542-class tank landing ship that was sunk at Enewetak Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
USS LST-661 | United States Navy | 25 July 1948 | An LST-542-class tank landing ship that was sunk at Enewetak Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | |
Nagato | Imperial Japanese Navy | 30 July 1946 | A Japanese Nagato-class battleship that sustained heavy damage in an atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll, and capsized and sank five days later. | |
USS Pennsylvania | United States Navy | 10 February 1948 | A Pennsylvania-class super-dreadnought battleship, that was sunk off Kwajalein after atomic bomb tests. | |
USS Pilotfish | United States Navy | 25 July 1946 | A Balao-class submarine that sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | 30°26′N 140°53′E / 30.433°N 140.883°E |
Prinz Eugen | United States Navy | 22 December 1946 | A German Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser that was damaged at Bikini Atoll by atomic bomb tests, and later towed to Kwajalein where it capsized and sunk. | 8°45′9.85″N 167°40′59.16″E / 8.7527361°N 167.6831000°E |
Sakawa | United States Navy | 2 July 1946 | A Japanese Agano-class cruiser that sustained heavy damage in an atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll, and sank the following day. | 11°35′N 165°23′E / 11.583°N 165.383°E |
USS Saratoga | United States Navy | 25 July 1946 | A Lexington-class aircraft carrier that was sunk at Bikini Atoll in an atomic bomb test. | 11°34′53.33″N 165°29′54.78″E / 11.5814806°N 165.4985500°E |
Toreshima Maru | Imperial Japanese Navy | December 1943 | A Japanese supply ship sunk at Maloelap Atoll off Taroa Island by US Navy. |
New Zealand
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anjou | France | 5 February 1905 | A barque that struck rocks off the Auckland Islands. | 50°46′37″S 165°53′15″E / 50.777075°S 165.887516°E |
TSS Arahura | New Zealand | 24 January 1952 | A passenger and cargo steamer that was sunk for target practice in Cook Strait. | |
Boyd | United Kingdom | October 1809 | A brigantine that was attacked by Maori warriors at Whangaroa. The ship was destroyed by fire during the resulting Boyd massacre. | |
HMS Buffalo | Royal Navy | 28 July 1840 | A storeship that was wrecked in a storm in Mercury Bay, with two lives lost. | 36°49′36.20″S 175°42′20.00″E / 36.8267222°S 175.7055556°E |
HMNZS Canterbury | Royal New Zealand Navy | 3 November 2007 | A Leander-class frigate that was scuttled as a dive wreck in the Bay of Islands. | 35°11′38″S 174°17′40″E / 35.1938°S 174.2944°E |
Derry Castle | United Kingdom | 20 March 1887 | A barque that ran aground on Enderby Island. | 50°29′04″S 166°18′10″E / 50.484323°S 166.302761°E |
Dundonald | United Kingdom | 7 March 1907 | A barque that was wrecked in a storm off Disappointment Island, where the survivors remained for seven months until rescued. | 50°36′29″S 165°57′17″E / 50.607938°S 165.954817°E |
SS Elingamite | Australia | 5 November 1902 | A steamship that struck West Island (one of the Three Kings Islands) and sank within 20 minutes. | 34°11′10″S 172°01′54″E / 34.186047°S 172.031590°E |
Endeavour II | Canada | 22 February 1971 | A three-masted auxiliary barque driven onto the bar of Parengarenga Harbour, a few miles south of North Cape. There were no fatalities amongst the crew of thirteen men and one woman.[2] | 34°31′18″S 173°00′37″E / 34.521762°S 173.010206°E |
General Grant | United States | 14 May 1866 | A barque that drifted into a cave on the western shore of the Auckland Islands and sank. | |
MV Holmglen | New Zealand | 24 November 1959 | A coastal trading vessel that was lost off Timaru. | 44°31′20″S 171°41′22″E / 44.5223°S 171.6894°E |
Hydrabad | United Kingdom | 24 June 1878 | A cargo and passenger sailing ship that was beached on North Island in a storm. | |
MV Kaitawa | New Zealand | 24 May 1966 | A collier that capsized near Cape Reinga. | |
MS Mikhail Lermontov | Soviet Union | 16 February 1986 | A Soviet passenger liner that ran aground in the Marlborough Sounds. | 41°02′32″S 174°13′10″E / 41.042087°S 174.219496°E |
RMS Niagara | United Kingdom | 19 June 1940 | An ocean liner that struck a mine and sank off Bream Head while carrying a secret consignment of gold from the Bank of England. | 35°51′50″S 174°56′38″E / 35.86389°S 174.94389°E |
HMS Orpheus | Royal Navy | 7 February 1863 | A Jason-class corvette that ran aground on the Manukau Heads, with 189 lives lost. | 37°04.1′S 174°28.3′E / 37.0683°S 174.4717°E |
SS Penguin | New Zealand | 12 February 1909 | A ferry that foundered off Cape Terawhiti. | |
SS Port Kembla | New Zealand | 18 September 1917 | A cargo ship that was sunk by a mine off Farewell Spit. | |
HMNZS Puriri | Royal New Zealand Navy | 14 May 1941 | A coastal cargo boat that was converted into a minesweeper, and hit a mine off Bream Head 25 days after being commissioned. | 35°46′15″S 174°43′00″E / 35.77083°S 174.71667°E |
Queen Bee | United Kingdom | 7 August 1877 | A barque that ran aground on Farewell Spit.[3] | 40°30′00″S 172°52′00″E / 40.50000°S 172.86667°E |
Rainbow Warrior | Netherlands | 2 December 1987 | A fishing trawler that was purchased by Greenpeace in 1978 for use as a fundraising and protest ship. She was sabotaged and sunk by the French secret service at Auckland on 10 July 1985, and although later refloated, was found to be beyond repair and finally scuttled in Matauri Bay. | 34°58′29″S 173°56′06″E / 34.9748°S 173.9349°E |
MV Rena | Liberia | 5 October 2011 | A container ship that ran aground on Astrolabe Reef, resulting in New Zealand's worst oil spill. The wreck broke apart and sank in January 2012. | 37°32′25″S 176°25′45″E / 37.54028°S 176.42917°E |
HMS Sandfly | Royal Navy | 1868 | A passenger paddle steamer used as a gunboat during the New Zealand land wars. In 1865 she reverted to civilian use and became the Tasmanian Maid, before being wrecked off New Plymouth. | |
Sydney Packet | Australia | 17 July 1837 | A schooner that was wrecked in a storm off Moeraki, Otago. | |
SS Tararua | New Zealand | 29 April 1881 | A passenger steamer that struck a reef off Waipapa Point and sank the next day, claiming over 100 victims. | 46°40′07″S 168°51′44″E / 46.6686°S 168.8622°E |
HMS Torch | Royal Navy | 17 November 1924 | An Alert-class sloop that ran aground in the Chatham Islands. | |
HMNZS Tui | Royal New Zealand Navy | February 1999 | An oceanographic survey and research ship that was scuttled as a dive wreck. | 35°35′00″S 174°32′22″E / 35.5832°S 174.5394°E |
SS Victory | 3 July 1861 | A steamship that ran aground off Otago Peninsula. | 45°50′33″S 170°43′56″E / 45.8425°S 170.7321°E | |
Wahine | New Zealand | 10 April 1968 | A passenger ferry that ran aground and capsized, with 51 lives lost. | |
HMNZS Waikato | Royal New Zealand Navy | 18 December 2000 | A Leander-class frigate that was scuttled off Tutukata as an artificial reef. | 35°39′10″S 174°32′40″E / 35.6528°S 174.5445°E |
SS Wairarapa | New Zealand | 25 October 1894 | A luxury steamer that hit a reef off Great Barrier Island. | 36°04′03″S 175°21′07″E / 36.0674°S 175.3519°E |
HMNZS Wellington | Royal New Zealand Navy | 13 November 2005 | A Leander-class frigate that was scuttled off the coast of Wellington. | 41°21.18′S 174°46.80′E / 41.35300°S 174.78000°E |
Papua New Guinea
Polynesia
Samoa
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
SMS Adler | Kaiserliche Marine | 16 March 1889 | A gunboat that was wrecked in the 1889 Apia cyclone. | 13°49′36″S 171°45′53″W / 13.8266°S 171.7647°W |
SMS Eber | Kaiserliche Marine | 16 March 1889 | A warship that was wrecked in the 1889 Apia cyclone. | 13°49′53″S 171°45′07″W / 13.83139°S 171.75194°W |
USS Trenton | United States Navy | 16 March 1889 | A warship that was wrecked in the 1889 Apia cyclone. |
Pitcairn Islands
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Wave | 5 March 1858 | A 1500-ton clipper ship that was wrecked on Oeno Island. | ||
Cornwallis | 23 January 1875 | A ship that was wrecked on Pitcairn Island. | ||
Khandeish | 25 September 1875 | A ship that was wrecked on Oeno Island. | ||
Acadia | 5 June 1881 | A mail ship that was wrecked on Ducie Island. | ||
Oregon | 23 August 1883 | A ship that was wrecked on Oeno Island. | ||
Bowdon | April 1893 | A ship that was wrecked on Oeno Island. |
Tahiti
Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lady of St Kilda | A schooner that was wrecked sometime shortly after 1843. |
Solomon Islands
Ironbottom Sound
Ironbottom Sound is the name given to the stretch of water between Guadalcanal and Florida Island, because of the dozens of ships and planes that sank there during the Guadalcanal Campaign in 1942-43.
References
- ↑ "Enderbury Island, Phoenix Group, Republic of Kiribati". Janeresture.com. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ↑ Taylor, Roger (2008-02-01). Voyages of a Simple Sailor. Waltham Cross: The FitzRoy Press. ISBN 0955803500.
- ↑ 'Wreck of the Queen Bee, from London', pg 2, Nelson Evening Mail, 8 August 1877
External links
- WRECKSITE Worldwide free database of + 65,000 wrecks with history, maritime charts and GPS positions