The list of shipwrecks in May 1939 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during May 1939.

1 May

List of shipwrecks: 1 May 1939
Ship State Description
Bengt Sture  Sweden The cargo ship ran aground at Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, United Kingdom. She was later refloated undamaged.[1]

4 May

List of shipwrecks: 4 May 1939
Ship State Description
Bardaland  Sweden The cargo ship ran aground off Danzig, Germany owing to failure of her steering gear.[2] She was refloated later that day.[3]
Malacca Maru  Japan The cargo ship was driven ashore near Wood Island and broke in two.[4]

5 May

List of shipwrecks: 5 May 1939
Ship State Description
Mayon  United States The cargo ship ran aground south of the Apo Lighthouse, Negros Island, Philippines.[3] She was refloated on 22 May and sailed to Manila, Philippines for repairs.[5]

6 May

List of shipwrecks: 6 May 1939
Ship State Description
Seisho Maru  Japan The cargo ship ran aground in Tokyo Bay.[6] She was refloated undamaged later that day.[7]
Vathy of Samos  Greece The cargo ship ran aground at Kalloni.[6]

7 May

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1939
Ship State Description
Kalipso  Australia The coaster caught fire and sank in the Clarence River, New South Wales.[8]

9 May

List of shipwrecks: 9 May 1939
Ship State Description
Alsia  Denmark The cargo liner caught fire 20 nautical miles (37 km) south of Barberyn Island, Ceylon. The crew abandoned ship and were taken on board Canton ( United Kingdom).[9] Alsia came ashore, still burning, at Uduwata Point, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of Galle, on 11 May.[7][10] The gutted ship broke her back and was a total loss.[11]
Arantzazu Mendi  Spain The cargo ship ran aground at Kearney Point, County Down, United Kingdom.[9] She broke her back on 14 May,[12] and was consequently scrapped.[13]
Dorothy Luckenbach  United States The tanker ran aground in the Crocket Channel.[14] She was refloated undamaged on 11 May.[15]
Hochelaga Canada Canada The cargo ship ran aground at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.[14] She was refloated the next day.[7]
Lindenbank  United Kingdom The cargo ship ran aground on Arena Island, Sulu Sea, Philippines. She was refloated the next day but then sank 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off the island. Her crew were rescued by USS Pope ( United States Navy).[16][17][18]
Malacca Maru  Japan The cargo ship ran aground on Wood Island whilst on a voyage from Singapore to Osaka and broke her back. She was declared a total loss.[9]
HMAS Tattoo  Royal Australian Navy The S-class destroyer was scuttled in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of New South Wales.[19]

10 May

List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1939
Ship State Description
Medée  France The cargo ship ran aground at Ouistreham, Calvados.[14]
Villa Franca  Portugal The cargo ship ran aground at Le Havre, Seine-Inférieure, France.[14] She was refloated the next day.[7]

11 May

List of shipwrecks: 11 May 1939
Ship State Description
Pikepool  United Kingdom The cargo ship ran aground in the Uruguay River 6 nautical miles (11 km) downstream of Fray Bentos, Uruguay.[15] She was refloated on 18 May.[11]

12 May

List of shipwrecks: 12 May 1939
Ship State Description
Comol Rico  United States The tanker ran aground at Port Eads, Louisiana. She was refloated the next day.[12]

13 May

List of shipwrecks: 13 May 1939
Ship State Description
Prestatyn Rose  United Kingdom The cargo ship ran aground at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. She was refloated later that day.[12]

15 May

List of shipwrecks: 15 May 1939
Ship State Description
Fjeld  Norway The cargo ship ran aground at Nantes, Loire-Inférieure, France. She was refloated later that day with severe damage.[20]
Signfred  Sweden The cargo ship ran aground at Kalmar.[20] She was refloated damaged on 17 May and sailed to Oscarshamn for repairs.[11]

16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1939
Ship State Description
Colne  United Kingdom The Thames barge collided with San Andres ( Norway) in the River Thames at Blackwall Point and was severely damaged. She was beached at Point Wharf, Greenwich.[21]

17 May

List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1939
Ship State Description
Aden  United Kingdom The dredger capsized in the North Sea (55°38′N 1°20′W / 55.633°N 1.333°W / 55.633; -1.333) whilst under tow.[22]

18 May

List of shipwrecks: 18 May 1939
Ship State Description
Benjamin F. Packard  United States The full-rigged ship was scuttled off Long Island, New York.[23]

19 May

List of shipwrecks: 19 May 1939
Ship State Description
Rosedene  United Kingdom The coaster ran aground at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Somme, France.[11] She was refloated undamaged the next day.[24]

20 May

List of shipwrecks: 20 May 1939
Ship State Description
Aquarius  United States The cargo ship caught fire whilst laid up at New Orleans, Louisiana and was severely damaged.[24]
Gunny  Sweden The cargo ship ran aground at Gisslan and was severely damaged.[24] She was refloated on 22 May and sailed to Gefle.[5]
Silver Sword  United States The cargo ship ran aground at Port Eads, Louisiana.[24] She was refloated the next day.[5]

21 May

List of shipwrecks: 21 May 1939
Ship State Description
Consul Hintz  Germany The cargo ship ran aground on Someri, Finland.[24] She was refloated the next day.[5] Consul Hintz arrived on 28 May at Helsinki for drydocking.[25]
Eha  Estonia The cargo ship ran aground on Märket, in th Baltic Sea and became waterlogged. Her crew abandoned ship.[24]
Saimaa  Finland The cargo ship ran aground on Someri.[24]

22 May

List of shipwrecks: 22 May 1939
Ship State Description
Dicky  United Kingdom The cargo ship collided in the River Thames at Rainham, Essex with Valparaiso ( Sweden) and was extensively damaged. She was beached to prevent her sinking.[5] Dicky was refloated on 24 May.[26]
Kankyo Maru  Japan Tsunchiko Maru ( Japan) collided with Kankyo Maru at Shimonoseki, damaging her severely. Tsunchiko Maru then collided with Zuiko Maru ( Japan). Kankyo Maru sank with the loss of sixteen crew.[5]

23 May

List of shipwrecks: 23 May 1939
Ship State Description
Souvenir  United States The fishing vessel foundered in Dixon Entrance, on the border between the Territory of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada, 30–35 nautical miles (56–65 km; 35–40 mi) south-southeast of Duke Island in the Alexander Archipelago, Territory of Alaska. The motor vessel Mary Ellen (Flag unknown) rescued both people on board.[27]
USS Squalus  United States Navy The Sargo-class submarine sank off the Isles of Shoals with the loss of 26 crew. She was refloated, repaired, and recommissioned as USS Sailfish ( United States Navy).

26 May

List of shipwrecks: 26 May 1939
Ship State Description
Huasco  Chile The passenger ship capsized and sank in Talcahuano Bay.[28]

27 May

List of shipwrecks: 27 May 1939
Ship State Description
France  United Kingdom The cargo ship foundered in the Caribbean Sea off Georgetown, British Guiana.[29]
Polzella  United Kingdom The cargo ship became stranded on the Payung Reef, off Batavia (Jakarta), Netherlands East Indies.[25] She was refloated on 1 June.[30]
Yewmount  United Kingdom The cargo ship ran aground at Deauville, Calvados, France. She was refloated undamaged later that day.[25]

28 May

List of shipwrecks: 28 May 1939
Ship State Description
En Min  Manchukuo Imperial Navy Dongan Incident: The On Min-class river patrol launch was severely damaged by machine gun fire by Soviet Border Troops in the Ussuri River, grounding on the Manchurian side of the river, a total loss.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48294. London. 2 May 1939. col G, p. 10.
  2. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48297. London. 5 May 1939. col G, p. 26.
  3. ^ a b "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48298. London. 6 May 1939. col G, p. 18.
  4. ^ Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham publishing. p. 539. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48312. London. 23 May 1939. col F, p. 21.
  6. ^ a b "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48299. London. 8 May 1939. col D, p. 25.
  7. ^ a b c d "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48303. London. 12 May 1939. col G, p. 28.
  8. ^ "SS Kalipso (+1939)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  9. ^ a b c "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48301. London. 10 May 1939. col F, p. 25.
  10. ^ Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 446. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
  11. ^ a b c d "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48310. London. 20 May 1939. col F, p. 23.
  12. ^ a b c "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48305. London. 15 May 1939. col F, p. 22.
  13. ^ "WWI Standard Built Ships L - W". Mariners. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48302. London. 11 May 1939. col G, p. 24.
  15. ^ a b "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48304. London. 13 May 1939. col G, p. 25.
  16. ^ "SS Lindenbank (+1939)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Loss Of British Steamer". The Times. No. 48302. London. 11 May 1939. col B, p. 13.
  18. ^ Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 483. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
  19. ^ "HMAS Tattoo (+1939)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48306. London. 16 May 1939. col B, p. 24.
  21. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48307. London. 17 May 1939. col E, p. 26.
  22. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48308. London. 18 May 1939. col E, p. 28.
  23. ^ "Benjamin F. Packard (+1939)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48311. London. 22 May 1939. col F, p. 20.
  25. ^ a b c "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48317. London. 29 May 1939. col E, p. 17.
  26. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48314. London. 25 May 1939. col F, p. 28.
  27. ^ alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (S)
  28. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48316. London. 27 May 1939. col D, p. 23.
  29. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. No. 48316. London. 27 May 1939. col G, p. 11.
  30. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 48321. London. 2 June 1939. col E, p. 26.
  31. ^ "Soviet Naval Battles -Manchuria during WW2 (updated 2022)". SovietEmpire. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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