Carrying a cargo of 5,000 tons of cement and damaged earlier in her voyage when she struck a reef off Pennock Island in Southeast Alaska while under tow by the tug Hercules (United States), the 328-foot (100.0 m) LST-type barge capsized and sank bottom-up 0.5 nautical miles (0.9 km; 0.6 mi) south of Bar Harbor in Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska. An attempt during the 1970s to refloat her failed.[1]
6 January
List of shipwrecks: 6 January 1953
Ship
State
Description
Kelvinbank
United Kingdom
The Liberty ship was driven ashore on Ocean Island. She was later refloated but struck wreckage and was abandoned.[2]
8 January
List of shipwrecks: 8 January 1953
Ship
State
Description
Avanti
Sweden
The cargo ship broke in two north east of Okinawa, Japan. 40 crew rescued by Eastern.[3] At least 8 deaths.
According to South Korea Coast Guard official confirmed report, the passenger ferry, while sailing from Yeosu Port and headed to Busan Port, capsized 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest from Dadaepo area, Busan, South Korea. 229 people died and only seven people survived.[7]
The cargo ship was in collision with the ferryGold Star Mother in New York Harbor. Both ships were damaged, with Gold Star Mother taking in water by the bows and having eleven of her 1,900 passengers injured.[10]
The cargo ship was in collision with British Dragoon (United Kingdom) and sank off Cape Espichel, Portugal. Thirty-six survivors rescued by British Dragoon.
21 January
List of shipwrecks: 21 January 1953
Ship
State
Description
Arklow
flag unknown
The coaster ran aground off Avonmouth. Refloated the next day.[12]
The Castle-class trawler from Fleetwood, Lancashire, foundered in a severe storm off Barra Head, West Scotland, with the loss of all hands. 13 fatalities.[16][17]
The cargo ship collided with the Great Nore Sands Fort, in the North Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off Sheerness, Kent, United Kingdom. One of the seven towers of the fort collapsed and the ship ran aground. Four of the fourteen crew of the fort were reported missing.[22]
The cargo ship collided with Senegal (Italy) 25 nautical miles (46 km) north of Margate, Kent, United Kingdom and sank. All 29 crew rescued by Arnhem (United Kingdom).[25]
The Bangor-class minesweeper sank 12 nautical miles (22 km) off Alexandria with the loss of 53 of her 115 crew. The 63 survivors were rescued by Czech (Poland).[26]
The whaling support ship sank in the Antarctic after being caught in pack ice, or due to an accident with her sea valve, or sea injection valves.[27][28][29]
The coaster ran aground off Anglesey. Refloated but leaking, towed by Empire Punch (United Kingdom) to Holyhead. Later repaired and returned to service.
The 13-gross register ton, 36.2-foot (11.0 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at the Thomas Basin Float (55°20′20″N131°38′30″W / 55.33889°N 131.64167°W / 55.33889; -131.64167 (Thomas Basin Float)) near Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska.[34]
The ferry caught fire at Harwich, Essex, United Kingdom and was burnt out and sank. Refloated and towed to Elsinore, Denmark in September 1953 for repair.[38][39]
The 65-foot (20 m) tug sank in 50 feet (15 m) of water off the coast of Massachusetts in Buzzards Bay at 41°29′45″N070°52′30″W / 41.49583°N 70.87500°W / 41.49583; -70.87500 (Alert III), halfway between Pasque Island and the Smith Point radome.[40]
The ferry collided with USNS Haiti Victory (United States Navy) 40 nautical miles (74 km) east of Harwich, Essex and was cut in two. The bow section sank, three lives were lost of the 396 people on board. The stern section was towed to Harwich.[41] A new bow was built and Duke of York returned to service.
The Bangor-class minesweeper collided with the steamship Jaguar (Sweden) in Suez Bay and sank with the loss of her captain. The rest of her 111 crew were rescued.[44]
The concrete ship was driven ashore on Cheju Island, South Korea (33°32′N126°50′E / 33.533°N 126.833°E / 33.533; 126.833). She was on a voyage from Pusan to India. She was a total loss.[47]
Collided with Culrain (United Kingdom) and sank in the Strait of Gibraltar (35°37′N5°25′W / 35.617°N 5.417°W / 35.617; -5.417). All 28 crew saved.[60][61]
The 28-gross register ton, 55.2-foot (16.8 m) scow was wrecked 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) southeast of Ocean Cape (59°32′30″N39°51′30″W / 59.54167°N 39.85833°W / 59.54167; -39.85833 (Ocean Cape)), Territory of Alaska.[42]
Else Basse on fire. The cargo ship caught fire off Cape Anguille, Newfoundland, Canada and was abandoned. Her 24 crew and a passenger were rescued by Corner Brook (United Kingdom.[63] She was subsequently repaired and returned to service as the Finnish Kaarina.[64]
The 9-gross register tonmotor vessel was destroyed by fire at 55°14′36″N131°26′30″W / 55.24333°N 131.44167°W / 55.24333; -131.44167 (Jr.), near Bold Island (55°14′57″N131°25′01″W / 55.2492°N 131.4169°W / 55.2492; -131.4169 (Bold Island)) in Southeast Alaska.[46]
The cargo ship was driven ashore 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north of Madras in a cyclone. A fire broke out two days later and she was subsequently declared a constructive total loss.[77]
The cargo ship collided with Esso Cardiff (United Kingdom) off the coast of Spain. Tonghai was taken in tow by the tugAbeille 26 (France) but sank on 6 November. All crew were rescued by Esso Cardiff.[79]
The cargo ship collided with Perou (France) and sank in the English Channel 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off Dungeness, Kent, with the loss of twenty of her 25 crew.[83]
The Thames barge exited the Medway and collided with a coaster, she then hit a second vessel before being rammed amidships by the City of Johannesburg (United Kingdom) and sank in the Thames Estuary. All seven crew were rescued by the collier Alexander Kennedy which was one of the two earlier vessels with which she collided. (United Kingdom).[91]
The cargo ship sank in the North Sea on or after 3 December. She was being towed from Stavanger, Norway to Hamburg for scrapping. She was refloated in 1956 and scrapped at Hamburg.[93]
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