The tanker ran aground on Scharhörn, in the mouth of the Elbe, West Germany[7]Gerd Mærsk, loaded with crude oil, leaked on the Scharhörn reef during a heavy snowstorm at hurricane force, while on a voyage to Hamburg. During the rescue operation, it was decided to pump part of the cargo overboard to keep the ship from breaking apart, releasing about 7000-8000 tons of crude oil.
In the meantime, the oil slick covered an area of 1600 square kilometers and reached the islands of Amrum, Föhr, Sylt, Rømø and Fanø despite considerable attempts to combat it. As far away as Esbjerg, the spills drew widespread bird deaths.[8]
The cargo ship exploded and sank when her cargo of calcium carbide reacted with seawater and formed acetylene after the ship was badly damaged in a storm at Genoa, Italy the previous day.[23][26]
The fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Ionian Sea with the loss of eleven of her fifteen crew. Stratheden (United Kingdom) sent one of her lifeboats to the aid of Iason, but it capsized and all eight on board were drowned. Four survivors from Iason were rescued by Stratheden.[32]
The cargo ship collided with Storaya Pyaltylotka (Soviet Union) off Setubal, Portugal and sank. Storaya Pyaltylotka was badly damaged, entering the Tagus still taking on water. All 33 crew from Urola were rescued.[36]
Ran aground off Muros, Spain and subsequently sank. Raised on 17 June, but declared a constructive total loss. Repaired and sold, served a further ten years before being scrapped.[40]
The cargo ship was in collision with Tai Shan (Norway) in the Scheldt at Fort Paarel, Belgium. Belgion capsized and sank with the loss of five of her 27 crew.[43]
The coaster ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom. All ten crew rescued by the Ramsgate lifeboat. They were later returned to the ship which refloated on the next tide. Urmajo was towed into Ramsgate by the tug Ocean Cock (United Kingdom).[50]
The cargo ship developed a heavy list in the North Sea off Norfolk. Ten crew were rescued by the collierRichmond Queen (United Kingdom) and transferred to the Wells lifeboat. Richmond Queen and two other ships stood by as it was not possible to rescue all crew on board.[50]
The troopship ran aground on a sankbank off the coast of Fife. She was being towed from Southampton, Hampshire to Inverkeithing, Fife for scrapping. She was refloated four weeks later and completed her voyage.[52]
The ferry collided with a fishing vessel and ran aground at Fleetwood, Lancashire. The fishing vessel was cut in two and sank with the loss of one of her three crew. Mona's Isle was later refloated.[59]
The merchant vessel was found awash and adrift in the Pacific Ocean, with no one on board, more than 600 nautical miles (1,100 km; 690 mi) from her scheduled route, partially submerged and listing heavily. She had left Suva, Fiji, on 3 October and was expected to arrive at Funafuti in the Ellice islands on 5 October, but searches in the region after she was overdue had found no trace of her. Joyita was later salvaged and repaired.
The coaster sank three nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) off the Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall, United Kingdom. All seventeen crew rescued by the Cadgwith lifeboat.[97]
^"News In Brief". The Times. No. 53176. London. 26 February 1955. col E, p. 4.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 439. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Telegrams In Brief". The Times. No. 53200D. London. 30 March 1955. col D, p. 7.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 453. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Troopship Refloated". The Times. No. 53203. London. 25 April 1955. col A, p. 11.
^"Ship Sinks In Channel Of Scheldt". The Times. No. 53205. London. 27 April 1955. col C, p. 11.
^"Beachy Head Wreck". The Times. No. 53206. London. 28 April 1955. col B, p. 6.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 459. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^ ab"10 Saved From Ship On Goodwins". The Times. No. 53224. London. 19 May 1955. col C, p. 6.
^"Cargo Ship Upside Down". The Times. No. 53228. London. 24 May 1955. col D, p. 16.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. pp. 441–42. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Collier Aground Off Norfolk". The Times. No. 53234. London. 31 May 1955. col F, p. 6.
^"Minesweeper Holed In Engine Room". The Times. No. 53234. London. 31 May 1955. col F, p. 6.
^"A collision on the Thames". The Sphere. Vol. CCXXI, no. 2888. London. 18 June 1955. p. 32. Retrieved 11 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"30 Drowned in Wreck". The Times. No. 53273. London. 15 July 1955. col B, p. 8.
^"19 Missing After Sea Collision". The Times. No. 53272. London. 14 July 1955. col F, p. 8.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. pp. 93–94. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Crew From Holed Ship Rescued". The Times. No. 53274. London. 15 July 1955. col F, p. 8.
^"Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 53283. London. 27 July 1955. col G, p. 7.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 246. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Ship Hits Reef Off Malta". The Times. No. 53286. London. 30 July 1955. col D, p. 6.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 29. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 53318. London. 6 September 2011. col G, p. 7.
^"Ships In Collision". The Times. No. 53380. London. 17 November 1955. col C, p. 10.
^"Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 53382. London. 19 November 1955. col G, p. 5.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 383. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^"Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 53389. London. 28 October 1955. col G, p. 6.
^Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (Second ed.). London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. pp. 197–98. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
^Gray, Randal, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1947–1982, Part II: The Warsaw Pact and Non-Aligned Nations, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1983, ISBN0-87021-919-7, p. 328.
