According to UN estimates, throughout history, 3 million people have gone to the bottom of the ocean along with ships. This is an impressive figure, which indicates the impressive scale of shipwrecks. Therefore, it is worth considering the most significant flooding of ships and floating objects.
Giannis D
Peshtigo and St. Andrews
The ships rest on the bottom of Lake Michigan at a depth of 60 meters. They were discovered 10 years ago by diver and maritime history buff Bernie Hellstrom. These schooners collided and sank into the depths of Michigan more than 140 years ago. The vessels were discovered using an echo sounder.
Hellstrom later returned to the site with a custom-made camera and discovered two more ships - Peshtigo and St. Andrews - within a few meters of each other. The ships collided back in 1878, but were believed to have sank in Lake Huron.
USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
The US Navy originally used the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg to transport and track missiles during World War II. It was officially decommissioned in 1983 and scuttled in May 2009 to create the foundation of an artificial coral reef. The ship sank 43 meters, leaving about 12 meters of free space between the masts and the surface of the water. The ship weighed 17,120 tons and was 168 meters long.
MS World Discoverer
To call this incident a shipwreck would be a mistake, since the ship only sank halfway. In 2000, MS World Discoverer encountered and remained stuck on an unknown coral reef in the Solomon Islands.
Several salvage companies are interested in this vessel. But upon arrival at the site, it turned out that it had been looted during the civil war in the Solomon Islands, which lasted from 1998 to 2003.
Iron Scow
This floating object is called Niagara, as it has been lying almost motionless for more than 100 years in the area of the majestic waterfall. It was operated by 2 sailors who were rescued after the crash. In 2019, a storm moved the ship 50 meters downstream. Niagara Parks executive director David Adam said it was another historic milestone for the reserve.
Fujikawa Maru
The liner lies at the bottom of the Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. The ship was built by Mitsubishi for shipowners Toyo Kaiun in 1938. Its length was 137 meters. The ship was originally a liner and was later used to transport raw silk, cotton, jute and flax.
Just a year before Pearl Harbor, in 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy captured Fujikawa and converted the ship into an aircraft carrier. It was equipped with guns taken from old warships. In September 1943, the American submarine Permit torpedoed Fujikawa. But the next year the ship returned to service and was soon torpedoed again. This time the torpedo was launched by a strike bomber attached to a group of aircraft carriers that included USS Monterey and Bunker Hill. As a result, the aircraft carrier sank in Chuuk Lagoon.
Chuuk Lagoon itself was considered a powerful defensive hub of the Japanese in Pacific Ocean during World War II, so there are many other shipwrecks in the atoll. In 1971, oceanographer Jacques Cousteau produced a television documentary about the area and the shipwrecks, which quickly became popular with divers.
Edward Bohlen
You don't have to dive to the bottom of the ocean to see the aftermath of this shipwreck. The ship is buried in the sands of the Namibian coast. But looking at it is a problem, since you need to get a special permit and rent a vehicle. Another option is aerial photography. The ship ran aground after getting lost in fog in 1909. Today it is located almost two kilometers from the surf line.
German oceanic fleet
In June 1919, following the First World War, the German fleet was destroyed by the Royal Navy near Orkney. The ships were surrendered and disarmed. This became the Germans' payment for unleashing a world conflict.
Most of the crews were removed from the ships - they were left with the minimum personnel necessary for management. Unaware that the armistice had been extended, and believing that Germany and the Allied powers were about to return to war, the commander of the German fleet, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, ordered all ships to be scuttled.
HMS Vixen
Built in England in 1864, the ship was launched 3 years later. HMS Vixen was a giant gunboat whose hull was entirely covered in teak wood. This material is still popular today. The ship became the slowest iron ship in the Royal Navy, as tests showed.
Vixen had a "twin" called Viper. Both gunboats were towed to Bermuda in 1888 for use as defense ships. By 1896, all equipment and engines had been removed, and Vixen blocked the narrow channel at Daniel Bay - it prevented torpedo attacks and interfered with the Allied fleet.
Today the bow of HMS Vixen is half submerged. It is protected, which means you must obtain permission to scuba dive (although snorkeling itself is permitted) or perform other activities. Glass bottom boats often pass here.
Peter Iredale
The skeleton of the ship Peter Iredale rests on the Oregon coast. This is an eerie sight, especially at sunset. A 4-masted steel baroque sailing ship, owned by the British company Iredale & Porter, is rotting on the surf line. In 1906, the ship left the port of Santa Cruz, Mexico, bound for Portland, Oregon, to pick up wheat for shipment to Great Britain. But a storm broke out and washed the ship ashore, turning it into a tourist attraction.
Iro Maru
Chuuk Lagoon in Palau is known as a World War II ship graveyard. About 60 ships were sunk here. This is an excellent place for diving as the ships lie on the ground close to the surface.
The 143 meter long Iro Maru sank in 1944 during a US Navy operation. The ship sank to the bottom in a vertical position. To see it, you need to dive almost 40 meters. There are still live shells scattered across the decks of the Iro Maru, so divers need to be careful.
USS Kittiwake
An underwater rescue vessel was deliberately sunk as an artificial reef in the British Cayman Islands. She was launched on July 10, 1945 and decommissioned on September 30, 1994. During its 49-year service life, the 76-meter vessel accompanied submarines during sea trials and missions. During these trips, the crew practiced rescue operations.
Many events in the history of the rescue ship are still kept secret. One of the most famous happened immediately after the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. The Department of Defense and the US Coast Guard were actively searching for the black box of the spacecraft. Kittiwake also took part in the operation. It was his team that found the object so needed by military and scientists at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
James McBride
James McBride was launched on April 1, 1848, April Fool's Day. Nine years later, the ship set off on a raid on the Manitou Islands with a cargo of timber. During the return voyage to Chicago, the ship encountered a storm. After that, he was towed to the shore near Sleeping Bear Dune and abandoned to his fate. The ship's owner, John Stafford, had little to worry about because the ship brought in more profit than it cost to build it ($4,000).
Melckmeyt
The name of the ship translates as “Milkmaid”. The ship was found after a shipwreck off the coast of the tiny island of Flati. Presumably, the ship belonged to smugglers, lost its course and sank. The wreckage was discovered only in 1992. The 32-meter-long ship lies at a depth of more than 12 meters. Since its discovery, archaeologists have carefully studied the ship. They even created a virtual simulation of the flood to celebrate the 360th anniversary of the Milkmaid.
Vasa
The ship sank in 1628 in front of many people on its maiden voyage from Stockholm harbor. It was supposed to be the most modern ship ever built in Sweden, but it sank. The ship's gun deck turned out to be too heavy, as it was built by an engineer without practical experience in shipbuilding.
The cold water of Stockholm harbor did not allow the sailboat to rot. When it was raised to the surface in 1961, it turned out that the decay had barely touched the structure of the warship. Vasa was housed in a museum in Stockholm.
SS Maheno
The luxury cruise ship was originally converted into a floating hospital that saved the lives of soldiers during the First World War. SS Maheno was launched in 1915. The ship was transporting wounded people between Sydney and Melbourne. The ship was eventually shipped to Britain, where it transported patients from France to England.
In July 1935, Maheno was purchased by a businessman from Osaka, but was never delivered to the owner. The towline was torn in half during a cyclone 80 kilometers off the coast, and the ship washed ashore. Today it lies rusting on the beach, but visitors cannot visit the ship as it is extremely dangerous.
YOGN-42
The World War II fuel tanker is the main attraction at Shipwreck Beach as it is not completely covered in water. From a distance it seems that this is an ordinary boat moored near the shore. Since steel was scarce at that time, the ship was built partly from reinforced concrete. On frames from metal mesh or steel alloy reinforcement, the concrete mixture was applied in layers.
Shipwreck Beach is a dangerous place for ships. Storms often sweep through here. Narrow channels also do not contribute to safety. Therefore, on Lanai, more than a dozen ships were intentionally and unintentionally left in permanent mooring.
SS Ayrfield
SS Ayrfield is a cargo ship built back in 1911. This is one of the four abandoned ships in the bay. Homebush in Australia. Once an industrial area, Homebush Bay was polluted and then converted into a suburb. The boats were a reminder of the Bay's industrial past, but only the Airfield SS was overgrown with trees.
Panagiotis
A smuggler's ship washed up on the shores of Greece looks like an art installation. Vacationers sunbathe near the ship and take pictures of it. Before becoming a beach monument, Panagiotis was owned by smugglers who transported cigarettes and alcohol. Trying to escape from the authorities, the ship crashed into the shore of the bay in 1983.
USS Saratoga CV-3
The 270-meter-long aircraft carrier was sunk in Bikini Atoll and lies on a coral reef. A nuclear explosion sent the ship to the bottom in 1946. It will take approximately 30 hours to reach the giant from the nearby airport.
Hermes
This is the most famous ship among divers. It is relatively small, only 50 meters long, and lies at a depth of 24 meters. This makes Hermes a convenient subject for study. The ship, once part of the US Navy, is practically free of vegetation, but it is inhabited by fish.
Zenobia
This ferry was designed to tow ships at sea. The ship met its fate under the clear waters of Larnaca Bay. In 1980, on its first voyage, the ship sailed from Malmö to Syria, but never reached its destination. When the ferry approached Greece, it was discovered that the hull was depressurized. In addition, technical problems began. But they managed to cope with them and the incoming water, and the swimming continued.
Soon water began to seep in again and the captain was ordered to move the ship out of Larnaca harbor to avoid causing damage to other ships. That night the ferry sank. On board there was cargo, which today lies at the bottom along with Zenobia. The ship is clearly visible underwater, as it is located only 15 meters from the surface.
Sea Tiger
The Sea Tiger was carrying 93 illegal immigrants from China. In 1999, the ship was sunk near Waikiki Beach, turning it into an artificial reef. Sea inhabitants quickly mastered the “Sea Tiger”. Today you can see moray eels and sea turtles on it. The makeshift house for fish lies at a depth of 38 meters.
SS Dominator
The Dominator was a cargo ship that was stranded on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1961 after sailing through thick fog. Its wreckage is on the surface, which makes this ship attractive to divers. To find them, you need to go north to Cape Palos Verdes in Luanda Bay.
All described have an interesting history and, with a few exceptions, are available for study. These are original monuments to the elements of the sea, the will of chance and human carelessness.
Sunken ships can tell a lot about the era when they roamed the seas and oceans. However, each of them experienced the tragic death of those who were on board at the fateful moment. Until now, sunken ships keep their secrets under the thickness of sea waters. Today, any more or less prepared diver can try to solve the mysteries of ghost ships. However, not every diving enthusiast will be able to get inside the ship. Modern equipment and special training will help solve this problem. Therefore, today everyone who wants to touch the underwater secrets of sunken ships will be able to afford it as an interesting tourist attraction.
The warship Sirius was sent on a combat voyage in 1797. This forty-meter frigate has repeatedly participated in naval battles and in most cases won victory over the enemy. However, in an unequal battle that broke out at the end of August in 1810 between the British and French flotillas, the frigate ended up on coral reefs. The hitherto invincible Sirius, having received a hole, became vulnerable, and one after another the French ships fired their guns at the British frigate until they sent it to the bottom. The ship remains at a depth of about 25 m to this day. Of course, over such a long time, many marine inhabitants inhabited it. But to this day, off the southeastern coast of the island of Mauritius, you can see the frigate’s hull and traces last fight"Sirius" - cannons and other weapons torn by shells, lying on the bottom around the ship.
Ferry Zenobia
The death of the huge ferry "Zenobia" can be called unique not only because during its crash not a single crew member was injured, and everyone was safely rescued. The fact is that the ferry was built and launched in 1979, and during its first voyage it sank on the fourth day. The cause of the death of the ferry could not be definitively established. There have been speculations about glitches in the ferry's computer system, as well as about deliberate sinking for the purpose of obtaining insurance. Each version has the right to exist. After all, about 100 trucks and cargo worth about $200 million went to the seabed off the coast of Cyprus along with the ferry.
As a result of the slow sinking of the 172-meter ferry, many rooms survived. However, not every diver manages to get to the engine room or restaurant. Due to the fact that the left side of the ferry tilted during the sinking, it found itself at a depth of 42 meters, and the right side sank to a depth of 18 meters. It is worth noting that the water off the coast of Cyprus is amazingly transparent. Therefore, “Zenobia” is clearly visible from a height if you fly by plane to Larnaca.
132-meter "Fujikawa Maru"
The ship cemetery off the coast of Micronesia near the island of Truk was formed during the Second World War. During the military operation "Hilton" in 1944, American fighters managed to defeat the Japanese naval and air fleet. For many decades, military equipment buried on the seabed attracted almost no one, until the scientific expedition of Jacques Cousteau began studying it in the 70s. Since then, divers from all over the world have been rushing to see the sunken submarines, planes, ships and tanks of Japan from the Second World War.
Truk Lagoon, at the bottom of which there is a cemetery for Japanese military equipment, is surrounded on all sides by corals that protect equipment from ocean currents. Therefore, the buried submarines, sea vessels and aircraft were well preserved. In addition, some ships met their doom on the shallows. These include the 132-meter Fujikawa Maru, to which any diver can descend to a depth of 9 meters. In addition to the sunken grandiose military equipment, scuba diving enthusiasts may be interested in the amazing corals that have firmly established themselves here and bright tropical fish, among which there may be reef sharks.
Ship Graveyard in Orkney
Another huge ship graveyard is the site of the forced sinking of ships of the German navy during the First World War. These shipwrecks are located off the coast of northern Scotland in the harbor of Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. Forcibly detained off the coast of Britain, the German fleet was destroyed by order of its own command. The German Admiral Reiter brilliantly planned an operation to destroy 50 warships within just a few hours, so that after the surrender of Germany they would not fall to the enemy.
At the bottom of the British harbor, about 70 different ships found their final refuge, among which there are not only German ships, but also unidentified and unexamined ships. Therefore, there is a great opportunity to become a discoverer of unknown sea vessels.
Steamship "Baron Gouch"
During the First World War, the completely peaceful steamer Baron Gauch was damaged off the coast of Croatia. After launching in 1908, after some time it began to undergo repairs. During the war, the ship was first used to deliver food to the city of Kotor, and then to evacuate the civilian population from the war zone. On one of the August days of 1914, the BaronGouch was blown up by a mine. It is not so easy to explore this ship these days. Divers require special permission to dive.
Liner Andrea Doria
The Andrea Doria, which sank on its way to New York at a depth of 75 m, was the first international passenger ship built after World War II. Not far from the American coast, with zero visibility, a Swedish ship heading to Europe crashed into the side of the Doria. The captain of the sinking liner did everything possible to save passengers and crew. Four nearby ships came to the aid of the Doria. Despite the fact that there were 1,134 passengers and 572 crew members on board the ship, almost everyone was saved. Only 43 passengers died during the ship collision. “Andrea Doria” is considered the most inaccessible for divers due to its distance from the coast, low water temperature and great depth.
Titanic
Everyone knows the story of the tragic death of the Titanic. Every diver dreams of diving into the depths of the ocean to see the legendary ship with his own eyes. However, not everyone can decide to take such a desperate step. After all, the depth at which the Titanic rests is 3750 m. However, thanks to the achievements of science, even such a depth can be conquered. To dive to such impressive depths, a special underwater vehicle is used - the Mir bathyscaphe. It can accommodate only three people, including the pilot of the device. It is worth noting that the pleasure is quite expensive and not everyone can afford it.
As a result of the collision between the steamer Admiral Nakhimov and the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev in the Black Sea 33 years ago, 423 people died. The ship completely sank eight minutes after the collision; many people were unable to escape from the lower decks and drowned. Gazeta.Ru talks about why after the accident they were able to throw only one lifeboat and how adults and children tried to survive falling from the deck of a ship into a fuel oil slick in the sea.
“What are you doing? We're heading towards a collision."
33 years ago, on August 31, 1986, a massacre occurred in the Soviet Union. biggest disaster in the history of the domestic passenger fleet, which will become known as the collision in Tsemes Bay. The eight-deck steamship Admiral Nakhimov and the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev collided 13 km from the seaport of Novorossiysk.
There were 1,243 passengers and crew members on board the ship. Citizens of nine Union republics enjoyed a seven-day cruise on the Black Sea. On the evening of August 31, Admiral Nakhimov was en route from Novorossiysk to Sochi. The ship's command knew that not far from the port the ship would have to part ways with the dry cargo ship.
“You can let us through, we have 1000 tourists on board and our course is 160 degrees,” the crew of the ship addressed the cargo ship via radio at 11 p.m. “Go!” they answered in the control room of the Peter Vasev. It was decided that the ship would not change course and slow down.
At this time, in the wheelhouse of the Admiral Nakhimov, the second mate Alexander Chudnovsky considered that the cargo ship was approaching a dangerous distance and, without reporting his decision to his superiors, began to gradually turn the ship at small angles. The 56-year-old captain of the ship, Vadim Markov, left the captain's bridge to his cabin even before the ships were supposed to pass each other, although he had no right to do so.
Later, fireman Gennady Tsarev from the Nakhimov will remember this moment: “We gradually got closer, our assistant (Chudnovsky) said: “What are you doing? We are heading for a collision.” The captain of the Vasev responded by assuring him, don’t worry, we’ll go our separate ways. Our assistant began to make his own lapels without warning anyone. Then he says again on the air: “We’re heading for a collision.” Then he made another turn and as a result turned “Nakhimov” sideways towards “Vasev”.
According to eyewitnesses, Captain Tkachenko at that moment completely relied on the testimony of computer equipment. “Tkachenko had an excellent understanding of electronics, was very passionate about technology and completely trusted it. But computers are programmed by people who can make mistakes, the device showed that the ships were moving apart normally,” said 30 years later, documentary director Valery Timoschenko, who covered the tragedy as a correspondent for the regional youth newspaper.
Fatal collision
The captain of the cargo ship ordered “Medium back” and almost immediately “Full back”, but in seven minutes “Vasev” was able to reduce the speed by only five knots (9.26 km/h), while the steamer did not slow down at all - it was about 22 km/h.
At 23:12, a cargo ship crashed into the starboard side of a passenger ship at a speed of 10 km/h. “Vasev” literally rammed “Nakhimov”: the bulb of the dry cargo ship under water pierced the skin of the steamer from the seventh to tenth watertight compartment.
Later, experts would establish that the area of the hole was equal to an average three-room apartment - 84 sq. m. The passengers, who were on the right deck at that moment, felt two strong shocks and ran away. However, most people did not realize in the first minutes that a disaster had occurred. Meanwhile, the steamer was rapidly sinking into the water. 20 seconds after the collision, the power plant was flooded, causing the lights on the ship to go out, radio communication was lost and the ship became impossible to control.
Captain Markov jumped out of the cabin and ordered the sailors to sound the alarm and prepare lifeboats and rafts for lowering. However, water filled the ship so quickly that it became impossible to lower the boats: the crew managed to launch only one boat from the left side.
All that remained was to throw self-expanding life rafts into the water. Sailors and students of the Odessa Navigation School, who were practicing on the ship, were able to lower 32 of 48 rafts with a capacity of 10 to 32 people. The fact is that some of them were tied with wire, and the team did not have time to unfasten the rafts.
At this time, the host of the party on one of the upper decks addressed the passengers and asked everyone to move to the left side - in order to level the ship. However, this did not help. Soon the ship tilted to starboard and people began to fly off the ship into the water.
Panic began on board, people tried to get to the lifeboats. When the lights on the ship went out, chief engineer German Yurkin ran downstairs to turn on the emergency lighting. Although the light did not last long, many were able to orient themselves and understand where to run, but most of the passengers who were on the lower decks at that moment or went down there to help others died. So, chief mechanic Yurkin was unable to get out of the sinking ship.
By the time of the collision, the adults had already put their children to bed and, having locked their cabins, went to a concert on the upper deck dedicated to Miner's Day. Flight attendant Vera Fedorchuk ran for spare keys to open the cabins, but also could not get out - the width of the corridors on the ship did not exceed 120 cm. Later, divers discovered the body of a 28-year-old girl, with a bunch of keys clenched in her hand. Many children drowned because they were unable to escape from their cabins.
Another flight attendant Tatyana Fedorova, according to eyewitnesses, stood on the deck until the last moment and handed out life jackets to the distraught passengers. She also died.
People fell from the deck of a ship into an oil slick in the sea
A large amount of fuel began to leak from the damaged tanks of the Nakhimov into the water. On the surface of the sea it formed a thick oily film, which greatly hindered movement in the water. A lot of paint was stored in the storage facilities at the bow of the bulk carrier Vaseva, which also spilled into the water during the collision. Some of the victims were able to get ashore, but died later because they drank poisoned water.
“I swam underwater at random. I was lucky that I was swimming in the opposite direction from the ship, otherwise I would have simply been sucked into the funnel. Each time I had to dive deeper so as not to bump into other passengers who, in a panic, could be pulled to the bottom. In this way, by touch, I managed to get to the overturned boat, which, along with other things, flew off the Nakhimov.
Several passengers were already holding on to it. I helped the others who were swimming nearby to get to us. Thus, almost 40 passengers managed to stay in the water for several hours and wait for rescuers,” recalled Leonid Toyunda, who at that time headed the branch of the USSR State Bank in the city of Rivne and went on the cruise without his wife and children. A week after the experience, the 38-year-old man turned completely gray.
One of the first to come to the aid of the victims was a pilot boat passing nearby. It was the crew of this ship that first reported the collision between the two ships. The captain of the boat recalled that when they swam to the place, they did not see water - the entire surface was covered with people who grabbed onto any objects in the hope of saving themselves.
All these events occurred in just eight minutes after the collision - soon the Nakhimov completely went under water. Captain Markov was on the bridge until the last moment, until the water threw him overboard. Second mate Alexander Chudnovsky voluntarily decided to stay on the ship forever - he went to his cabin and locked the door.
About 500 people were able to climb onto the dropped rafts; the remaining passengers and crew members were forced to remain on the surface of the water and wait for help.
The tragic fate of the surviving captains
The rescue operation involved 64 vessels from the port of Novorossiysk, Cherno navy and Marine Border Guard. In addition, cadets of the nautical school and fishermen rowed to the crash site. At 23:40, the bulk carrier Vasev approached the crowded area at low speed; ropes, rope ladders, lifebuoys and life jackets were thrown from the deck to the victims.
About 37 people were able to climb on board - many people were so exhausted and dirty in the slippery fuel oil that they fell back into the water. As a result of the disaster, 423 people died - 359 passengers and 64 crew members.
The very next day, the prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against the captains of the two ships. Tkachenko and Markov were found guilty of violating traffic safety rules and operating transport and were sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1987. Five years later, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine pardoned both captains.
According to the head of the fund created for the social protection of people and relatives affected by that disaster, Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya, officials also suffered punishment, although not as severe. USSR Minister of the Navy Timofey Guzhenko was dismissed - however, the official reason was retirement due to health reasons.
“The head of the Black Sea Shipping Company, the head of the shipping company’s maritime security service, and the director of the Odessa Travel Bureau were dismissed from their positions and expelled from the ranks of the CPSU, which in those days was tantamount to the complete decline of their career,” Rozhdestvenskaya added.
Captain Vadim Markov returned to Odessa and worked at the Black Sea Shipping Company. He was haunted by the “glory” of the man who destroyed the passenger ship. He changed his place of residence several times to avoid persecution of the relatives of the victims, but did not emigrate.
After leaving the colony, Viktor Tkachenko also returned to live in Odessa, but the relatives of the victims persecuted him too: they called him on the phone with threats, broke the windows in the house. According to Rozhdestvenskaya, the man changed his last name and moved with his family to Israel. In September 2003, the yacht he was driving crashed near the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Two more crew members died along with him.
The death of the Titanic after a collision with an iceberg in 1912 became a symbol of all major maritime disasters that occurred in peacetime for decades to come. By the end of the 20th century, people again began to have the illusion that tragedies of this kind had become history. The retribution for such delusions is always cruel.
On August 31, 1986, a disaster occurred in Tsemes Bay near Novorossiysk, which later became known as the “Soviet Titanic.” But, unlike the story of 1912, in this case there was no iceberg - the collapse was entirely the work of human hands.
Trophy "Berlin"
The Soviet cruise ship Admiral Nakhimov was launched in March 1925 in Lobbendorf, Germany, receiving the name Berlin. In the early years of its existence, the Berlin flew from Germany to New York. By the end of the 1930s, transatlantic flights became unprofitable, and the ship was transferred to cruises in the Mediterranean.
With the outbreak of World War II, the Berlin was converted into a hospital ship and was used as such until 1945. In January 1945, it hit a mine near the port of Swinemünde and sank at shallow depths. In 1947, the ship was raised by Soviet divers and sent to the docks of the Kronstadt port for partial repairs. The steamship that became a trophy received a new name - “Admiral Nakhimov”, after which it went to its homeland, Germany. In the GDR, the ship underwent a major overhaul and in 1957 became part of the Black Sea Shipping Company."Berlin", 1920s. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Prestige holidays and special operations
“Admiral Nakhimov” became in the USSR a symbol of a prestigious cruise vacation, hitherto unknown to Soviet citizens. However, sometimes it was used for other purposes. Thus, during the Cuban missile crisis, Soviet military personnel were transferred to Cuba on board, and in 1979, Cuban military personnel were transferred to carry out a secret mission in Africa.
In the history of “Admiral Nakhimov” there were flights with pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, and sailing with participants of the World Festival of Youth and Students. The steamship had an exceptional reputation - for almost three decades of its operation in the USSR, not a single serious incident was recorded with its participation.
Time, however, made itself felt - in the 1980s, Admiral Nakhimov replaced long-distance flights with cruises on the Black Sea. These cruises were wildly successful among the unspoiled residents of the USSR.
The promenade deck of the Admiral Nakhimov in 1957. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Flight Odessa - Batumi - Odessa
On August 29, 1986, the Admiral Nakhimov set out on its next voyage along the route Odessa - Batumi - Odessa with calls to Yalta, Novorossiysk and Sochi. The cruise was supposed to end on September 5. Having left Odessa, the ship safely reached Yalta, and then at 14:00 on August 31st arrived in Novorossiysk. At 22:00 the liner was supposed to leave the port and head for Sochi. There were 1,243 people on board: 346 crew members and 897 passengers.
Captain of the Admiral Nakhimov since 1984 Vadim Markov, an experienced sailor who had work on foreign shipping lines behind him. Captain Markov knew his ship very well, and leaving the port did not promise any dangers.
According to a message from the ship traffic control post (VDR), at that moment the only ship approaching the port of Novorossiysk was the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev, carrying Canadian barley. The cargo ship was commanded by a captain Victor Tkachenko, who said that he would allow the steamer leaving the bay to pass.
“Peter Vasev” is meeting halfway
With a delay of 10 minutes from the schedule, the Admiral Nakhimov unmoored and rushed to the exit from the port. The steamer passed the port gates, set a heading of 154.2 and began to follow the direction of the Penay Banks buoys, which were located at the exit from the bay.
There was calm on board. Some of the passengers went to bed, some were going to a movie show, young people were at a disco in the music salon, some people were in bars.
At this time, Captain Tkachenko once again confirmed that “Pyotr Vasev” would allow “Admiral Nakhimov” to pass. Tkachenko transmitted the same information via radio to the second mate of the Admiral Nakhimov. Alexander Chudnovsky, who at 23:00 took over the watch from Captain Markov. Tkachenko and Chudnovsky agreed that the ships would pass on their starboard sides. Captain Tkachenko relied on the readings of the ARPA - an automated radar course plotting system. The data from this device indicated that the ships would disperse safely.
But Chudnovsky, who was on the Admiral Nakhimov and observed the situation visually, discovered at approximately 23:05 that the ships were moving dangerously close. The watchman again contacted Tkachenko, clarifying: “Pyotr Vasev” is definitely letting the steamer through? Captain Tkachenko confirmed: yes, everything is fine.
"Peter Vasev." Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
“Work back immediately!”
Meanwhile, on the Pyotr Vasyov there were those who saw that the situation was developing in a dangerous direction. Mate Zubyuk drew Tkachenko's attention to the fact that the bearing on the Admiral Nakhimov practically does not change, which indicates that there is a threat of collision. At the same time, Zubyuk pointed to the lights of the steamer, indicating that the ships were approaching a collision.
Captain Tkachenko looked only at the device for several more minutes with inexplicable stubbornness. And only then, finally looking at where Zubyuk was pointing, I realized with horror that the “Pyotr Vasev” was flying at high speed straight towards the “Admiral Nakhimov”.
Captain Tkachenko began to give commands to the engine room - “medium forward”, “small forward”. These half measures no longer helped, and Tkachenko’s last command was: “Stop, go all the way back!” However, a heavy cargo ship cannot change direction instantly. "Pyotr Vasev" continued to go towards "Admiral Nakhimov". On the ship, the captain's assistant on the watch, Alexander Chudnovsky, radioed to the cargo ship: “Work back immediately!” The helmsman of the Admiral Nakhimov was given the command: “Left aboard!”
"Nakhimov" sank to the bottom in 8 minutes
This did not help - at 23:12 a collision occurred. "Pyotr Vasev" at a speed of 5 knots entered the middle of the starboard side of the steamer at an angle of 110°. In the underwater part, the bulk carrier entered with its protruding part, the bulb, several meters into the hull of the Admiral Nakhimov in the area of the bulkhead between the engine and boiler rooms. The Admiral Nakhimov continued to move forward by inertia, turning the cargo ship around and thereby increasing the size of the hole in the starboard side, which eventually amounted to about 80 square meters.
A huge hole led to the rapid flooding of the ship. In just 30 seconds, the engine room was filled with water. The ship began to fall to starboard. The emergency lighting, which turned on to replace the main one that had turned off, only worked for two minutes. Many people were trapped in cabins inside the sinking ship. All the team members managed to do was launch the inflatable rafts. 8 minutes after the collision, at 23:20, the Admiral Nakhimov sank under the water, leaving hundreds of people fighting for their lives on the surface. Among them there was no assistant captain Alexander Chudnovsky. The sailor, realizing that the ship was dying, pronounced a death sentence on himself - going down to his cabin, he locked himself in it and, together with the Admiral Nakhimov, sank to the bottom.
More than 60 ships rescued the dying people
The first to approach the scene of the disaster was a small pilot boat LK-90, heading to the “Peter Vasev” to escort it to the pier. "Admiral Nakhimov" sank in front of the boat's crew members.
At 23:35 LK-90 began rescuing people. 118 people were lifted aboard the small vessel, which is significantly more than the permissible load. Then the rescued people began to be transferred to other ships that approached. At this time, the captain of the port of Novorossiysk, Popov, gave the order to all watercraft to proceed to the disaster area to save people. Tugs, small and raid boats, border troops boats, hydrofoil comets - a total of 64 vessels took part in the rescue operation.
We had to work in difficult conditions - strong winds, waves up to two meters. But the sailors did everything possible and impossible. The cadets of the Novorossiysk Higher Naval Engineering School, alerted, went to sea in skiffs, risking their own deaths.
The crew of the dry cargo ship “Pyotr Vasev” also took part in the rescue operation, bringing 36 people on board. Of the 1,243 people on board, 423 died: 359 passengers and 64 crew members. Among the dead were 23 children.
Who is guilty?
A large government commission headed by the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR arrived from Moscow Heydar Aliyev, and with it a large investigative team.
In the end, both captains went to trial - Viktor Tkachenko and Vadim Markov received 15 years in prison. Markov, who miraculously survived the disaster, was blamed for his absence on the bridge. At the time of the disaster, the captain was in the cabin of the head of the KGB department for the Odessa region, Major General Krikunova, where he was invited to dinner. Unlike Markov, General Krikunov died along with his family.
For thirty years, in the disaster of the Admiral Nakhimov, who and what was blamed - the anomalous zone, the Soviet system, the dilapidation of the ship, and saboteurs... The story about the ordinary “human factor” grated on the ears of many. "Admiral Nakhimov" took two more human lives after the crash - two divers died while lifting the bodies of the victims to the surface. After this, work on the ship was stopped, and the bodies of 64 people remained inside the hull of the Admiral Nakhimov.
The captain of the Peter Vasyov went to Israel and died in a shipwreck.In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine pardoned the convicted captains.
After his release, Vadim Markov returned to Odessa and worked at the Black Sea Shipping Company as a captain-mentor. Due to persecution from relatives of the victims, his family had to change their place of residence several times. In 2007, the captain of the Admiral Nakhimov died of cancer.
The captain of the Peter Vasyov, Viktor Tkachenko, taking his wife’s surname, Talor, moved to Israel for permanent residence, hoping that there the story of the death of the Admiral Nakhimov would no longer interfere with his life. In 2003, a yacht captained by Victor Tallor crashed off the coast of Newfoundland. The wreckage of a yacht and the remains of people were found on the coast of Canada.
The area of Tsemes Bay, where the Admiral Nakhimov lies at a depth of 47 meters, is officially the burial place of the victims of the disaster. Anchoring, diving by divers and submersibles, as well as any actions that disturb the peace of the burial site are prohibited in the specified area.
Since the dawn of human history, navigation has occupied a large niche in people's lives. However, the sea can be merciless and very cruel. All this time, due to the stupidity and mercilessness of people, the fate of the elements and simply unfortunate coincidences, a huge number of different ships sank. These are the largest of those that lie at the bottom today.
1. Titanic
Before the First World War, the Titanic was the largest passenger liner. The ship infamously failed to even complete its maiden voyage. The ship sank 370 miles from Newfoundland. The ship's vaunted "unsinkability" system did nothing to help him. This happened in 1912.
2. "Mary Rose"
This ship sank 500 years ago. He did not serve even one year in the service of the British crown. The ship was supposed to give battle to the French, but the British overdid it with the installation of guns. The ship turned out to be too heavy and, as a result of one of the rolls, capsized, scooped up water and sank.
3. "Prince Albert"
A ship that was deliberately sunk off the coast of Honduras in 1987. For a long time the ship was used as a transport, but over the years it rusted and began to sink. As a result, it was decided to send it to the bottom rather than repair it.
4. "Dona Paz"
This unremarkable ferry became the hero of one of the most horrific passenger shipwrecks in history. More than 4.3 thousand people went down with him in 1987. It is noteworthy that the ship was only designed to carry 608 passengers.
5. "Arizona"
The American warship, built at the beginning of the 20th century, was sent to the bottom during the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Arizona was attacked by 10 bombers at once. The battleship had no chance of survival. The raiders' bombs hit the ammunition compartment. Today, a commemorative memorial and museum has been built on top of the ship.
6. "Republic"
Vintage American paddle steamer. He also took part in civil war USA. The ship sank in 1965. The wreck was lost for 140 years. The “Republic” (which, by the way, was loaded with gold) was discovered only in 2003.
7. Lusitania
This passenger liner was called the “sea greyhound”. The ship was sunk in a German submarine attack in 1915. The attack killed 1,198 passengers. There is an opinion that it was the attack on Luhitania that became the reason for the United States to join the Entente.
8. "Bismarck"
The warship Bismarck became a masterpiece of German naval shipbuilding during World War II. The ship spent only 3 months on the water, after which it was sunk by the British fleet. It was only possible to find the ship’s final resting place in 1989.
9. "Andrea Doria"
The incredibly beautiful liner, built in 1951, sank already in 1956. The crash occurred due to a collision with the cargo ship Stockholm. Both ships found themselves in dense fog and were unable to disperse in time, although they were traveling at low speed.
10. "Rhone"
A huge mail and passenger ship that rests today at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. The Rhone sank in 1867. The cause of the disaster was a hurricane.
Continuing the theme and living happily.