There are well over fifty shipwrecks in Today’s Shipwrecks™ list for April 9. Most of them have never been found. I have left out lots of wrecks that I have information on, but, as usual, I am short of time. I will post more later. If you are seeing this in a post other than on Shipwrecks.com, you can read more at http://shipwrecks.com/shipwrecks-of-april-9/. Dive safe — Lee

 Today’s Shipwrecks™
for April 9
compiled and edited by Dr. E. Lee Spence

1805: On April 9, 1805, a French armed schooner of 7 guns was driven ashore on the island of San Domingo and sunk by the British schooner Gracieuse, 12 guns, commanded by Midshipman John Bernhard Smith. It seems the French had approached to within a musket-shot of HMS Graciuse and opened fire with their muskets and guns. The French made two attempts at boarding but both were repelled by the British. The schooner then made for the land firing her stern-chasers. Graciuse followed, firing grape and canister, until the schooner ran ashore on Point Vizoa. When Smith approached in a boat with intention of hauling the schooner off he found that, because of so many shot holes “between wind and water,” the schooner had completely filled. The following morning Smith’s men took off a beautiful, long, brass 12-pounder and destroyed the vessel. Graciuse’s victim was the French goélette Département du Nord.

1863: The steamer Barrosa (or Berosa), Captain W.F. Adair, was abandoned in the Gulf Stream, latitude 29°50′ North, longitude 79°50′ West, after it started taking on water and all pumping and bailing failed. Captain Adair, Mr. J.W. Elder, one of the owners, Mr. S. Crib, mate, and Messrs. Williamson, Dye and Clear, engineers, with one of the firemen, arrived in Charleston, on April 10, 1863, from the Edisto, by the Savannah Railroad, under an escort from Lt. Col. Miller’s Battalion, by whom they were taken in custody on their reaching Governor Aiken’s place on Pon Pon (Edisto). The Barrosa had sailed from St. Mary’s, Georgia, on April 8, 1863.

1916: The Danish freighter Caledonia was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 23 nautical miles south southeast of the Le Titan Lighthouse, Île du Levant, Var, France (42°34’N 6°44’E) by the German submarine U-39. Her crew survived.

1916: The British freighter Eastern City was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 18 nautical miles north by west of Ouessant (Ushant), Finistère, France by the German submarine U-66. Her crew survived.

1916: The British cargo ship Glenalmond was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 27 nautical miles north of Ushant by the German submarine U-66. Her crew survived.

1916: The Russian sailing vessel Gryoz was sunk in the Black Sea by the German submarine UB-7. Her crew survived.

1916: The Norwegian coaster Sjolyst was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, 25 nautical miles north of Ushant, by the German submarine U-66. Her crew survived.

1916: During the night of April 9, 1916, he British ocean liner/transport steamer Avon struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary 2.5 nautical miles southeast by south of the Tongue Lightship (latitude 51°29′ north, longitude 1°26’30”E) with the loss of two lives. She was built in 1894 by Wigham Richardson & Sons Ltd., Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, was 1,574 gross tons, 287′ in length, 36.5′ in breadth, and 17′ depth of hold. She had twin screws and was powered by a pair of quadruple expansion steam engines, with 4 boilers. She was owned by the Carron Line at Grangemouth. The wreck lays in 45 to 60′ of water.

1917: The British coaster Cairnie dragged her anchors, collided with another vessel and sank. Her crew were rescued.

1917: The French cargo ship Esterel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Port-Vendres, (latitude 42°39′ north, longitude 3°30’E) by the German submarine U-52.

1917: The Norwegian barque Fremad I was sunk in the North Sea 200 nautical miles off Lindesnes, Vest-Agder (latitude 58°47′ north, longitude 0°52′ east) by the German submarine U-59. Her crew survived.

1917: The Russian cargo ship Ganslei was sunk in Kola Bay (latitude 69°19′ north, longitude 33°31’E) by the German submarine U-75.

1917: The British cargo ship Kittiwake was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 25 nautical miles northwest of the Dutch Maas Lightship (latitude 52°15′ north, longitude 3°18′ east) by the German submarine UB-30 with the loss of seven crew.

1917: The British naval trawler Ortho struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Lowestoft, Suffolk (latitude 52°23′ north, longitude 1°52’30” east) with the loss of a crew member.

1917: The French sailing vessel Saint Maudez was sunk in the English Channel 10 nautical miles north northwest of Fécamp, Seine-Maritime by the German submarine UB-39.

1917: The Greek cargo ship Themistoclis was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 100 nautical miles off Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Finistère, France by the German submarine UC-71.1917: The Norwegian cargo ship Valhall was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 30 nautical miles north of the Pierres Noires, Finistère by the German submarine UC-71. Her crew survived.

1918: The British naval trawler Annie Smith was lost.

1918: The Portuguese cargo ship Aveiro was sunk in the Mediterranean (latitude 36°24′ north, longitude 18°06′ east) by the German submarine UB-53. Her crew was saved.

1918: The British naval trawler Lord Hardinge collided with another vessel and sank in the Irish Sea off the Daunt Lightship.

1918: The French cargo ship President Leroy-Iallier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) north west of Ushant, Finistère (latitude 48°50′ north, longitude 5°13′ west) by the German submarine UB-109 with the loss of 26 of her crew.

1918: The Liberian auxiliary sailing vessel President Howard was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Monrovia by German submarine U-154.

1918: The Norwegian cargo ship Vasconia struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Alexandria, Egypt with the loss of seven of her crew.

1939: The Danish cargo ship Asnæs collided with the German vessel Butt in the Kiel Canal, Germany and was beached. A Lloyd’s Open Form contract for her salvage was annulled by the company appointed to salvage her due to the situation the ship was in. She was formally abandoned by her owners leaving the canal authorities to arrange salvage on a special contract.

1940: The Norwegian A-class submarine A-2 was attacked by the Germa R boats R-22 and R-23 in Oslofjord off Tønsberg and was damaged beyond repair.

1941: The Norwegian tanker Buesten was bombed and sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Berry Head, Devon by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of 28 crew.

1941: The British cargo ship Craftsman was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (latitude 0°32′ north, longitude 23°37′ west) by the German ship Kormoran, with the loss of six of her 49 crew. The survivors were taken as prisoners of war.

1941: The British Royal Navy examination ship D’Arcy Cooper was bombed and sunk at Harwich, Essex by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of three crew.

1941: The British freighter Dudley Rose was bombed and sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Berry Head by Luftwaffe aircraft. All crew were rescued.

1941: The British tanker Duffield was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (latitude 31°13′ north, longitude 23°40’W by the German submarine U-107, with the loss of 25 of her 53 crew.

1941: The British cargo ship Harpathian was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (latitude 32°22′ north, longitude 22°53′ west) by the German submarine U-107, with the loss of four of her 43 crew.

1941: The Royal National Lifeboat  John Pyemont was bombed and sunk at Tynemouth, Northumberland by Luftwaffe aircraft.

1941: The British tanker Lunula struck a mine and was damaged at Thameshaven, Essex. She was declared a constructive total loss.

1941: The British auxiliary minesweeper HMT Marmion was bombed and sunk at Harwich by Luftwaffe aircraft. Refloated on 10 May and beached, subsequently scrapped at Tilbury.

1941: The Dutch cargo ship Prins Willem II, which was lagging behind the Convoy HX-117, was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (latitude 59°50′ north, longitude 24°25′ west) by the German submarine U-98 with the loss of three of her 25 crew. Survivors were rescued by the Swedish ship Klipparen and British ship Tuscan Star.

1942: The American tanker Atlas was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Lookout, North Carolina (latitude 34°27′ north, longitude 76°16′ west) by the German submarine U-552 with the loss of two of her 34 crew. Survivors were rescued by a United States Coast Guard cutter.

1942: The Norwegian cargo ship Benwood collided with American ship Robert C. Tuttle in the Atlantic Ocean north east of Molasses Reef, Florida. She grounded on Alligator Reef, but slid off and sank on 14 April.

1942: The American cargo ship Esparta was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (latitude 30°46′ north, longitude 81°11′ west) by the German submarine U-123 with the loss of one of her 40 crew. Survivors were rescued by USS Tyrer.

1942: The Norwegian cargo ship Fanefield, while part of Convoy UR-17, was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland, by the German submarine U-252, with the loss of all 24 people on board.

1942: The British aircraft carrier Hermes was sunk in the Indian Ocean east of Ceylon by Japanese aircraft with the loss of 307 crew.

1942: The British, Flower-class corvette, HMS Hollyhock, was bombed and sunk in the Indian Ocean east of Ceylon by Japanese aircraft.

1942: The American cargo ship Malchace was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 25 nautical miles (46 km) off Cape Lookout, North Carolina (latitude 34°28′ north, longitude 75°56′ west) by the German submarine U-160 with the loss of one of her 29 crew. Survivors were rescued by the Brazillian vessel Faja de Oro.

1942: The Bagaduce-class fleet tug Napa was scuttled off Corregidor Island, Philippines.

1942: The Norwegian cargo ship Norviken was bombed and near missed in the Indian Ocean by aircraft from Japanese carrier Akagi with the loss of four of her 46 crew. She was abandoned and came ashore the next day at Timkovie, Ceylon, later catching fire and breaking in two.

1942: The Australian V-class destroyer Vampire was sunk in the Indian Ocean east of Ceylon by Japanese aircraft with the loss of nine crew.

1943: The French cargo ship Bamanko was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Dakar, Senegal (latitude 14°57′ north, longitude 17°15′ west) by the German submarine U-515 with the loss of six crew.

1943: The Japanese Fubuki-class destroyer Isonami was torpedoed and sunk in the Banda Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) south east of Wangi-wangi Island, Indonesia (latitude 5°26′ south, longitude 123°04′ east) by USS Tautog, with the loss of seven of her 219 crew.

1943: The Japanese cargo ship Penang Maru was torpedoed and sunk in the Banda Sea by USS Tautog.

1943: The Japanese cargo ship Shanghai Maru was torpedoed and sunk in the Isla Verde Passage by USS Grayling.

1943: The German Type VIIC submarine U-733 collided with another U-boat and sank at Gotenhafen, West Prussia. She was raised, repaired and returned to service.

1944: The Japanese cargo ship Bisaku Maru was torpedoed and sunk in the Pacific Ocean off the Mariana Islands by the American submarine Seahorse.

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