List of shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean

This is a list of shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Map of the Indian Ocean

Arabian Sea
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
SS Aden 9 June 1897 A P&O steamship that was wrecked on Socotra island, off the coast of Yemen.
SS Berwyn 6 September 1920 A cargo ship that was wrecked near the Khuriya Muriya Islands.
HMS Cadiz 4 December 1971 A Battle-class destroyer that was sunk by INS Nirghat south of Karachi.
MOL Comfort 2013 A container ship that broke apart in bad weather on 17 June 2013. The stern section took on water and sank on 26 June; the bow was taken under tow, but caught fire and sank on 11 July. 14°26′N 66°26′E, 19°56′N 65°25′E
MS Georges Philippar 19 May 1932 An ocean liner that caught fire and sank near Mukalla, Yemen. 14°20′N 50°25′E
SS John Barry 28 August 1944 A Liberty ship that was torpedoed by U-859 off the coast of Oman. 15.10°N 55.18°E / 15.10; 55.18 (SS John Barry)
INS Khukri 9 December 1971 A Blackwood-class frigate that was torpedoed by PNS Hangor off Diu, India. 20°16′38″N 70°59′37″E
SS Santa Paula 3 June 1943 A freighter that was torpedoed by I-27 150 miles (240 km) south of Masirah Island, Oman. 17°05′04″N 58°05′00″E

Bay of Bengal
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
SS Automedon 11 November 1940 A passenger and cargo steamer that was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis northwest of Sumatra.
HMS Hermes 9 April 1942 The world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, which sunk after receiving 40 direct hits 70 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter/bombers off the coast of Sri Lanka. 7°35′N 82°5′E
SS Indus 10 September 1914 A steamship that was captured and scuttled by SMS Emden. 11°00′N 83°45′E
SS Selma City 7 April 1942 Attacked by Japanese bombers in the Bay of Bengal, about 25 miles (40 km) offshore from Vizagapatam (now Vishakhapatnam), India. 17°11′N 83°20′E
HMAS Vampire 9 April 1942 A V-class destroyer that was sunk by Japanese aircraft off the coast of Sri Lanka. 7°35′N 82°5′E

Central Indian Ocean
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
Arnhem 12 February 1662 An East Indiaman that ran aground on the Saint Brandon Rocks.
SS Chivalry 22 February 1944 A cargo ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine. 0°50′S 68°0′E
SS City of Johannesburg 23 October 1942 A merchant steamer that was torpedoed by U-504 off East London, South Africa. 33°20′S 29°30′E
SS Clan Macarthur 12 August 1943 A Cameron-class cargo steamship that was torpedoed by U-181 off Madagascar. 23°S 53.11°E / -23; 53.11 (SS Clan Macarthur)
SS Commissaire Ramel 9 September 1940 A passenger ship that was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis. 28°25′S 74°23′E
HMS Cornwall 5 April 1942 A County-class heavy cruiser that was sunk by Japanese dive bombers in the Easter Sunday Raid. 1°54′N 77°54′E
HMS Dorsetshire 5 April 1942 A County-class heavy cruiser that was sunk by Japanese dive bombers in the Easter Sunday Raid. 1°54′N 77°45′E
SS Empire Chaucer 17 October 1942 A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-504 about 450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi) south of Cape Town, South Africa. 38°12′S 20°04′E
MV Empire Day 7 August 1944 A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-198 about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) east of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 7°06′S 42°00′E
SS Fort Lee 2 November 1944 A T2 tanker that was torpedoed by U-181. 27°35′S 83°11′E
SS Frontier 27 September 1957 A cargo ship that ran aground east of East London, Eastern Cape, Africa.
I-27 12 February 1944 A Japanese submarine that was sunk by HMS Paladin and HMS Petard. 01°25′N 72°22′E
SS James B. Stephens 8 March 1943 A Liberty ship that was torpedoed by U-160 about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Durban, South Africa. 28°53′S 33°18′E
SS Khedive Ismail 12 February 1944 A steamship that was torpedoed by I-27, with 1,297 deaths. 01°25′N 72°22′E
SS Koning der Nederlanden 5 October 1881 An ocean liner that sprang a leak and sank east of the Seychelles. 5°14′S 64°7′E
Magicienne 24 August 1810 A Magicienne-class frigate that ran aground off Mauritius in the Battle of Grand Port.
SS Marietta E 4 March 1943 A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-160. 31.49°S 31.11°E / -31.49; 31.11 (SS Marietta E)
USS Pecos 1 March 1942 A tanker that was sunk by Japanese aircraft. 14°27′S 106°11′E
Pinguin 8 May 1941 An auxiliary cruiser that was sunk by HMS Cornwall. 3°30′0″N 57°48′0″E
Ramb I 27 February 1941 An auxiliary cruiser that was sunk by HMNZS Leander in the Action of 27 February 1941. 1°0′N 68°30′E
HMS Sirius 23 August 1810 A frigate that ran aground off Mauritius in the Battle of Grand Port.
Texanita 21 August 1972 An oil tanker that collided with Oswego-Guardian off Stilbaai, South Africa. 34.80°S 21.40°E / -34.80; 21.40 (Oswego-Guardian/Texanita collision)
SS Tjisalak 26 March 1944 A cargo ship that was torpedoed by I-8. 2°30′S 78°40′E
RIMS Warren Hastings 14 January 1897 A troop ship that hit a rock and was wrecked off the coast of Réunion.

Christmas Island
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
MV Eidsvold 20 January 1942 A motor vessel that was torpedoed by I-159 at Flying Fish Cove.
SIEV-221 15 December 2010 A boat that was carrying asylum seekers from Iraq and Iran when it hit the rocks at Flying Fish Cove. 10°25′1″S 105°40′24″E
MV Tycoon 8 January 2012 A cargo ship that was wrecked at Flying Fish Cove.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
SS Buresk 9 November 1914 A collier that was scuttled while under attack from HMAS Sydney in the Battle of Cocos.
SMS Emden 9 November 1914 A light cruiser that was run aground while under attack from HMAS Sydney in the Battle of Cocos.

Great Australian Bight
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
Mahomed Shah April 1853 A barque that caught fire on 18 April and sank several days later. All on board were rescued. 40°10′00″S 119°10′00″E
SS Selje 29 March 1929 A cargo ship that collided with the steamship Kaituna 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Cape Otway.

Mozambique Channel
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
Admiral Gambier 20 June 1817 An East Indiaman that was wrecked on a coral reef.
MV Empire City 6 August 1944 A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-198 off Mocímboa da Praia, Mozambique. 11°33′S 41°25′E
SS Express 30 June 1942 A Type C3-E cargo ship that was torpedoed by I-10. 23°30′S 37°30′E

Persian Gulf
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
Iran Ajr 26 September 1987 A landing craft that served as a minelayer during the Iran–Iraq War, and was captured and scuttled by American forces.
U-533 16 October 1943 A Type IXC/40 U-boat that was sunk by British aircraft off the coast of Fujairah. 25°28′N 56°50′E

Red Sea
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
Aida 15 September 1957 An Egyptian supply ship, sunk off the coast of Big Brother Island. 26°19′N 34°50′E
Al-Baraqua II 6 April 2006 Capsized passenger ferry.
MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 3 February 2006 Capsized passenger ferry. 27.033°N 34.883°E / 27.033; 34.883 (MS al-Salam Boccaccio)
SS Carnatic 15 September 1869 Ran aground on a coral reef on 12 September, broke in half and sank three days later. 31 people drowned.[1] 27°34′N 33°55′E
Chrisoula K 31 August 1981 Greek freighter that ran aground on a reef.[2] 27°34′53″N 33°55′55″E
SS Dunraven 25 April 1876 Hit a reef in the Gulf of Suez, close to the Sinai peninsula. 27.4215°N 34.0730°E / 27.4215; 34.0730 (SS Dunraven)
Giannis D 19 April 1983 Sank with its cargo of timber at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas, north of Hurghada.
Kimon M 12 December 1978 Sank on at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas, north of Hurghada, when she ran into the reef of Abu Nuhas.[3] 27°34′48″N 33°56′00″E
Numidia 20 July 1901 Sank at Big Brother Island. 26°19′N 34°50′E
El Mina 1969 Former Russian navy ship, bombed by the Israelis and sank near Hurghada.[4] 27°13′55″N 33°51′34″E
SS Rosalie Moller October 1941 Bombed 2 days after the supply ship Thistlegorm – anchored some 20 miles (32 km) away next to the Sinai peninsula – was sunk. She rests north of Hurghada, north of the reefs of Abu Nuhas, in some 50 meters of water.[5] 27°39′03″N 33°46′17″E
Salem Express 17 December 1991 Ran into a shallow reef and sank 57 miles (about 91 km) south of Hurghada, after the captain took a shortcut on his trip from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Safaga in Egypt. 26°38′22.02″N 34°3′39.9″E
SS Thistlegorm 6 October 1941 Sunk by German bombers near Sharm el-Sheikh.[6] 27°48′51″N 33°55′12″E
SS Umbria 9 June 1940 Scuttled by Italian crew near Port Sudan 19°38′19″N 37°19′38″E
Zingara 22 August 1984 Commonly referred to as the Kormoran, sailed from Aqaba with a cargo of Phosphate Rock and hit the Laguna Reef in the Strait of Tiran.

Strait of Malacca
Ship Sunk date Notes Coordinates
MS Empress of Australia 23 August 1992 A cruise ship that sank in a collision with the Taiwanese fishing vessel Terfu 51.
SS Galileo Galilei 21 May 1999 A cruise ship that sank off the coast of Perak following a fire. 4°37′1″N 99°54′6″E
USS Grenadier 22 April 1943 A Tambor-class submarine that was bombed by Japanese aircraft and scuttled the next day. 6°30′N 97°40′E
Haguro 16 May 1945 A Myōkō-class cruiser that was sunk by British forces in the Battle of the Malacca Strait.
I-166 17 July 1944 A KD5 Type submarine that was sunk by HMS Telemachus (P321) off One Fathom Bank. 2°48′N 101°03′E
Kuma 11 January 1944 A Kuma-class cruiser that was sunk by HMS Tally-Ho (P317). 5°26′N 99°52′E
Myōkō 8 June 1946 A Myōkō-class cruiser that was scuttled near Port Klang. 3°5′N 100°40′E
Reginaldo Giuliani 14 February 1944 A Liuzzi-class submarine that was seized by Germany and renamed UIT-23, and was torpedoed by HMS Tally-Ho northwest of Pangkor Island. 04°27′N 100°11′E
Sovereign of the Seas 6 August 1859 A clipper that was wrecked on the Pyramid Shoal.
Takao 19 October 1946 A Takao-class heavy cruiser that was surrendered to the British and sunk as a target. 03°05′05″N 100°41′00″E
U-181 12 February 1946 A Type IXD2 U-boat that was scuttled near Port Klang. 3°05′50″N 100°42′50″E
U-859 23 September 1944 A Type IXD2 U-boat that was sunk by HMS Trenchant. 5.767°N 100.067°E / 5.767; 100.067 (German submarine U-859)
U-862 13 February 1946 A Type IXD2 U-boat that was scuttled near Port Klang. 3°05′N 100°38′E
HMS Vestal 26 July 1945 An Algerine-class minesweeper that suffered a kamikaze attack and was scuttled. 07°05′N 97°50′E

References
The wreck of SMS Emden
  1. "DiveSiteDirectory for Carnatic". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  2. "DiveSiteDirectory for Chrisoula K". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. 31 August 1981. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. "DiveSiteDirectory for Kimon M". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. 12 December 1978. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  4. "DiveSiteDirectory for El Mina". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  5. "DiveSiteDirectory for Rosalie Moller". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  6. "DiveSiteDirectory for Thistlegorm". Divesitedirectory.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
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