The largest shipwrecks. Loud shipwreck. Where is the line between truth and fiction

For hundreds of years of sailing on various ships, sailboats and barges across the expanses of the seas and oceans, there have been many kinds of accidents and shipwrecks. Films have even been made about some of them, the most popular of which, of course, is the Titanic. But which shipwrecks were the largest in terms of the size of the ship and the number of victims? In this ranking, we answer this question by presenting the biggest maritime disasters.

11

Opens rating British passenger liner, which was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20 on May 7, 1915, in a zone designated by the Kaiser government as a zone of submarine warfare. The ship, sailing with a painted over name and not raising any flag above it, sank in 18 minutes, 13 kilometers from the coast of Ireland. 1198 people died out of 1959 who were on board. The destruction of this ship set public opinion in many countries against Germany and contributed to the entry of the United States into the First world war two years later.

10

Single-screw steamer, had a capacity of 7142 register tons, a length of 132 meters, a beam of 17 meters, a maximum speed of 11 knots. On April 12, 1944, a steamship with explosives with a total mass of more than 1,500 tons stood up for unloading at the pier of the port of Bombay. There were other cargoes on board - 8,700 tons of cotton, 128 ingots of gold, sulfur, wood, engine oil, etc. The ship was loaded in violation of safety regulations. At about 2 p.m. a fire broke out on board, and no actions contributed to its elimination. At 16:06 there was an explosion, which generated a tidal wave of such force that the Jalampada ship, with a displacement of almost 4,000 tons, ended up on the roof of a 17-meter warehouse. After 34 min. there was a second explosion.

Burning cotton scattered within a radius of 900 meters from the epicenter and set fire to everything: ships, warehouses, houses. A strong wind from the sea drove a wall of fire to the city. The fires were extinguished only after 2 weeks. It took about 7 months to restore the port. Official statistics announced 1376 deaths, 2408 people were admitted to hospitals. The fire destroyed 55,000 tons of grain, thousands of tons of seeds, oil, oil; a huge amount of military equipment and almost one square mile of city blocks. 6 thousand firms went bankrupt, 50 thousand people lost their jobs. Many small and 4 large ships, dozens were destroyed.

9

It was with this ship that the most famous disaster on the water. The British White Star Line steamer was the second of three Olympic-class twin steamers and the largest passenger liner in the world at the time of construction. Gross tonnage 46,328 register tons, displacement 66,000 tons. The ship is 269 meters long, 28 meters wide and 52 meters high. The engine room had 29 boilers and 159 coal fireboxes. Max speed 25 knots. On its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, it collided with an iceberg and sank 2 hours and 40 minutes later. There were 2224 people on board. Of these, 711 people were saved, 1513 died. The Titanic disaster became legendary, several feature films were shot based on its plot.

8

in the harbor Canadian city Halifax On December 6, 1917, the French military cargo ship Mont Blanc, which was fully loaded with one explosive - TNT, pyroxylin and picric acid, collided with the Norwegian ship Imo. As a result of the strongest explosion, the port and a significant part of the city were completely destroyed. About 2,000 people died as a result of an explosion under the rubble of buildings and because of the fires that arose after the explosion. Approximately 9,000 people were injured, 400 people lost their sight. The explosion in Halifax is one of the strongest explosions arranged by mankind, this explosion is considered the most powerful explosion of the pre-nuclear era.

7

This French auxiliary cruiser served as a flagship and participated in the neutralization of the Greek fleet. Displacement - 25,000 tons, length - 166 meters, width - 27 meters, power - 29,000 horsepower, speed - 20 knots, cruising range - 4,700 miles at 10 knots. She sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece on February 26, 1916 after a torpedo attack by the German submarine U-35. Of the 4,000 people on board, 3,130 died, 870 escaped.

6

After 1944, this German passenger ocean liner was converted into a floating hospital, participated in the evacuation of mostly wounded soldiers and refugees from East Prussia from the advancing Red Army. The liner left the port of Pillau on February 9, 1945 and headed for Kiel, there were more than 4,000 people on board - wounded military personnel, soldiers, refugees, medical staff and crew members. On the night of February 10 at 00:55, the Soviet submarine S-13 torpedoed the liner with two torpedoes. The ship sank 15 minutes later, killing 3,608 and saving 659 people. When the liner was torpedoed, the submarine commander was convinced that in front of him was not a passenger liner, but a military cruiser.

5

Registered in the Philippines passenger ferry The Doña Paz sank on December 20, 1987 at about 10 p.m. near the island of Marinduque after a collision with the tanker Vektor. Approximately 4,375 people died in the process, making this the largest maritime disaster in peacetime.

4

This passenger-cargo ship of the "Adzharia" type was built at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad in 1928, and on November 7, 1941, it was sunk by the Germans near the Crimean coast. The death toll was, according to various estimates, from 3,000 to 4,500 people. On the ship were several thousand wounded soldiers and evacuated citizens, including the staff of 23 military and civilian hospitals, the leadership of the pioneer camp and part of the party leadership of the Crimea. The loading of the evacuees was in a hurry, and their exact number is not known. There is a version that the cause of this maritime disaster was the criminal mistakes of the Black Sea Fleet command. The crowded motor ship, instead of making the transition to the Caucasian, was sent by the command to Yalta.

3

A cargo ship built in Oslo, Norway, launched on 4 April 1940. It was confiscated by the Germans after Norway was occupied by Germany. At first it was used as a conditional target for training the crews of German submarines. Later, the ship took part in the evacuation of people by sea from the advancing Red Army. It was armed with cannons. This ship managed to make four trips, in which 19,785 people were evacuated. On the night of April 16, 1945, the ship making the fifth trip was torpedoed by the Soviet submarine L-3, after which the Goya sank in the Baltic Sea. More than 6,900 people died in the disaster.

2

On May 3, 1945, a tragedy occurred in the Baltic Sea, the victims of which were approximately 8,000 people. The German liner "Cap Arkona" and the cargo ship "Tilbek", transporting prisoners from the evacuating concentration camps, were fired upon by British aircraft. As a result, more than 5,000 people died on the Cap Arkon, and about 2,800 on the Tilbeck. According to one version, this raid was a mistake on the part of the British Air Force, who believed that German troops were on the ships, according to another, the pilots were ordered to destroy everything enemy ships in the area.

1

The most on the water happened with this German passenger liner, which since 1940 has been converted into a floating hospital. During the Second World War, it was used as an infirmary, a hostel for the 2nd training brigade of submariners. The death of the ship, torpedoed on January 30, 1945 by the Soviet submarine S-13 under the command of A. I. Marinesko, is considered biggest disaster V maritime history- according to some historians, the real losses could be more than 9,000 people.

At 21:16 the first torpedo hit the bow of the ship, later the second blew up the empty pool where the women of the naval auxiliary battalion were, and the last one hit the engine room. By the joint efforts of the crew and passengers, some lifeboats managed to launch, and yet there were many people in the icy water. From the strong roll of the ship, an anti-aircraft gun came off the deck and crushed one of the boats full of people. About an hour after the attack, the Wilhelm Gustloff completely sank.

The sinking 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 gone down in history. The retribution for such delusions always turns out to be cruel.

On August 31, 1986, a disaster occurred in the Tsemess Bay near Novorossiysk, which later became known as " Soviet Titanic". But, unlike the story of 1912, in this case there was no iceberg - the crash was exclusively the work of human hands.

Trophy "Berlin"

Soviet cruise ship"Admiral Nakhimov" was launched in March 1925 in Lobbendorf, Germany, and received the name "Berlin". In the early years of its existence, Berlin operated flights from Germany to New York. By the end of the 1930s, transatlantic voyages became unprofitable, and the ship was transferred to Mediterranean cruises.

"Berlin", 1920s. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Prestigious holidays and special operations

"Admiral Nakhimov" became in the USSR a symbol of a prestigious cruise vacation, hitherto unfamiliar to Soviet citizens. However, sometimes it was used for other purposes. So, during the Caribbean 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.

Time, however, made itself felt - in the 1980s, the Admiral Nakhimov changed long-distance flights to cruises on the Black Sea. These cruises were wildly successful among the unspoiled inhabitants of the USSR.

The promenade deck of the Admiral Nakhimov in 1957. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Flight Odessa - Batumi - Odessa

August 29, 1986 "Admiral Nakhimov" went on a regular flight on the route Odessa - Batumi - Odessa with calls to Yalta, Novorossiysk and Sochi. The cruise was supposed to end on September 5th. After leaving Odessa, the ship safely reached Yalta, and then at 14:00 on August 31 arrived in Novorossiysk. At 22:00, the liner was to leave the port and head for Sochi. There were 1243 people on board: 346 crew members and 897 passengers.

Since 1984, he has been the captain of the Admiral Nakhimov Vadim Markov, an experienced sailor who had a job on the lines of foreign navigation. Captain Markov knew his ship very well, and the exit from the port did not promise any dangers.

"Pyotr Vasyov" goes towards

With a delay of 10 minutes from the schedule, "Admiral Nakhimov" unmoored and rushed to the port exit. The steamer passed the gates of the port, entered the course 154.2 and began to follow the direction of the buoys of the Penai banks, which were located at the exit from the bay.

Peace reigned on board. Some of the passengers went to bed, some were going to a movie show, the youth were at a disco in the music room, some of the people were in bars.

At this time, Captain Tkachenko once again confirmed that Pyotr Vasyov would let Admiral Nakhimov through. Tkachenko transmitted the same information via radio communication to the second assistant to the captain 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 part on their starboard sides. Captain Tkachenko was guided by the indications of ARPA - an automated radar plotting system. The data of this device indicated that the ships would safely disperse.

But Chudnovsky, who was on the Admiral Nakhimov, who was observing the situation visually, already at about 23:05 discovered that the ships were heading for a dangerous approach. The officer on duty contacted Tkachenko again, clarifying: “Pyotr Vasyov” definitely misses the steamer? Captain Tkachenko confirmed: yes, everything is in order.

"Pyotr Vasyov". Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

"Work back immediately!"

In the meantime, there were those on the Pyotr Vasyov who saw that the situation was developing in a dangerous direction. Mate Zubuk drew Tkachenko's attention to the fact that the bearing on the "Admiral Nakhimov" practically does not change, which indicates the threat of a collision. At the same time, Zubuk pointed to the lights of the ship, which indicated that the ships were approaching a collision.

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, full back!" However, a heavy cargo ship cannot change direction instantly. "Pyotr Vasev" continued to go to the "Admiral Nakhimov". On the ship, the officer on duty to the captain Alexander Chudnovsky radioed to the dry cargo ship: “Work back immediately!”. The helmsman of the "Admiral Nakhimov" was given the command: "Left aboard!".

"Nakhimov" went to the bottom in 8 minutes

This did not help - at 23:12 there was a collision. "Pyotr Vasev" at a speed of 5 knots entered at an angle of 110 ° in the middle of the starboard side of the ship. In the underwater part, the bulk carrier entered with its protruding part, the bulb, into the hull of the Admiral Nakhimov for several meters in the bulkhead area between the engine room and the boiler room. "Admiral Nakhimov" continued to move forward by inertia, turning the cargo ship 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 roll to starboard. Emergency lighting, which switched on instead of the main one, worked for only two minutes. Many people were locked in cabins inside the sinking ship. All that the team members managed to do was launch inflatable rafts. 8 minutes after the collision, at 23:20, "Admiral Nakhimov" went under water, leaving hundreds of people fighting for their lives on the surface. Among them was not the assistant captain Alexander Chudnovsky. The sailor, realizing that the ship was dying, pronounced a death sentence on himself - having gone down to his cabin, he locked himself in it and, together with the Admiral Nakhimov, went to the bottom.

More than 60 ships rescued dying people

The first to approach the crash site was a small pilot boat LK-90, heading for the "Pyotr Vasyov" to escort it to the pier. "Admiral Nakhimov" sank in front of the crew members of the boat.

At 23:35 LK-90 proceeded to rescue people. 118 people were lifted on board a small boat, which is much more than the allowable load. Then the rescued began to be transferred to other approaching ships. At this time, the captain of the port of Novorossiysk Popov ordered all watercraft to go to the disaster area to save people. Tugs, small and raid boats, boats of border troops, "comets" on hydrofoils - a total of 64 ships took part in rescue operation.

Had to work in difficult conditions strong wind, waves up to two meters. But the sailors did everything possible and impossible. The cadets of the Novorossiysk Higher Naval Engineering School, alerted, went out to sea on skiffs, risking their own death.

The crew of the dry-cargo ship Pyotr Vasyov also took part in the rescue operation, raising 36 people on board. Of the 1243 people on board, 423 were killed: 359 passengers and 64 crew members. Among the dead were 23 children.

Who is guilty?

A large government commission arrived from Moscow, headed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Heydar Aliyev, and with it a large investigation team.

As a result, both captains went to court - Viktor Tkachenko and Vadim Markov received 15 years in prison. Markov, who miraculously survived the crash, was blamed for his absence from the bridge. At the time of the disaster, the captain was in the cabin of the head of the KGB department for Odessa region major general Krikunova where he was invited to dinner. Unlike Markov, General Krikunov died with his family.

For thirty years in the crash of "Admiral Nakhimov" whoever and what they were accused of - and anomalous zone, and the Soviet system, and the dilapidation of the ship, and saboteurs ... The story about the usual "human factor" cut many ears. "Admiral Nakhimov" took two more human lives after the crash - two divers died, raising the bodies of the victims to the surface. After that, work on the ship was stopped, and the bodies of 64 people remained inside the Admiral Nakhimov hull.

In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine pardoned the convicted captains.

Vadim Markov, after his release, returned to Odessa, worked in the Black Sea Shipping Company as a captain-mentor. Due to persecution by the relatives of the deceased, 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 "Pyotr Vasyov" Viktor Tkachenko, having taken his wife's surname - Tallor, moved to permanent place residence in Israel, hoping that there the story of the death of "Admiral Nakhimov" would cease to interfere with his life. In 2003, the yacht, driven by Victor Tallor, was wrecked off the coast of Newfoundland. The wreckage of the yacht and the remains of people found on the coast of Canada.

The area of ​​the Tsemesskaya Bay, where the Admiral Nakhimov lies at a depth of 47 meters, is officially the burial place of the victims of the disaster. Anchoring, dives of divers and underwater vehicles, as well as any actions that disturb the peace of the burial place, are prohibited in the specified area.

For thousands of years ships have sunk in war natural Disasters and in some cases even due to human error. Ten of the largest and most famous shipwrecks that have ever occurred have been revealed.

The Titanic sailed from Southampton to New York, where it collided with an iceberg and sank 2 hours and 40 minutes later. Its body, divided into two parts, rests on seabed, at a depth of more than 3700 meters.

Sultana

Almost forgotten, but one of the deadliest disasters. During the crash of this ship, more than 1,800 people died. It was the greatest maritime disaster in all American history. The explosion of four boilers turned the ship into a huge fireball that swallowed everyone and everything. The explosion killed 80% of everyone on board. The disaster was in the press in the background, due to the fact that just a day before it was assassinated by President Lincoln . The ship was designed for only 85 passengers, but there were approximately 2,400 people on board. Its wreckage lies near Memphis, Tennessee.

L.R. Doty

This ship was launched in 1894 in Michigan, in western Bay City. He got into a terrible storm, which caused him to flood, killing all 17 crew members on board. The wreck was found 111 years after the sinking of the ship. It is located at a depth of 92 meters in Lake Michigan; the cargo of corn is still intact. This place is considered one of the most dangerous dive sites because of the muddy water.

Oriskani

This ship, nicknamed the Mighty O, was one of 24 huge ships Essex class ordered by the US Navy. The ship has seen many battles in many places, from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to the Vietnam War. . In 2004, the ship was turned into an artificial reef and became a very successful home to millions of fish. Today it is considered one of the best places for diving in the world.

Jula

The sinking of this ship is considered the second worst non-war maritime disaster. The disaster claimed at least 1863 lives. The ship was designed for 500 passengers, but at the time of the accident it was carrying more than 2,000 passengers. The ship capsized after being caught in a storm. It sank in just five minutes. Rescue teams arrived only in the morning after the incident, a huge number of victims died in the water while waiting to be rescued. The ship is still considered missing.

Vida Galli

This ship has very interesting story. First of all, she served for the slave trade, but then at the end of February 1717, a pirate named "Black Sam" Bellamy seized the ship and claimed it as his property. During the year of ownership of the ship, he used the Vida Galli to capture and plunder more than 50 ships. The ship hit strong storm, causing its main mast to collapse and capsize, dragging all the pirates underwater. The ship was discovered more than 250 years after it disappeared along with the booty. He was at a depth of only 5 meters. It was the first real pirate ship ever discovered.

Rhone

Quite possibly the most beautiful shipwreck in the world. British packet boat crashed off the coast of Salt Island, British Virgin Islands, October 26, 1867. The ship went straight into the hurricane, which damaged it and caused the death of 123 people. Now this is a place for diving, and, I must say, absolutely stunning in beauty. Wildlife took over the ship, and now it is covered with corals, eels live in it, different types fish and even sharks.

Costa Concordia

Most last crash cruise ship. Although the ship only partially sank, the disaster cost the lives of 34 passengers. This crash was widely reported in the press. Captain Schettino was trying to make a spectacular maneuver into port. To do this, he turned off the ship's navigation system, which reported how close the ship approached the stone shoal. The ship hit a large rock and water began to fill the ship, causing it to capsize. The "Costa Concordia" is still located in the area of ​​Giglia, Tuscany and has become a popular tourist attraction; plans are underway to raise and tow it.

Mont Blanc

The Mont Blanc became famous as the ship that caused the explosion in Halifax. The ship was heading to France from New York and carrying a huge amount of ammunition and explosives. The ship was not too old, but was very slow due to the weight of the cargo being carried. It went to Halifax Nova Scotia to rendezvous with a convoy bound for France. While entering the port, the ship crashed into another ship, the Imo. The collision caused a fire, the explosives on board ignited. The force of the explosion was 2.9 kilotons, it was the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. Over 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 wounded.

Sweepstakes

"Sweepstakes" is very popular with divers due to wildlife and landscapes that arose at the site of the shipwreck. The ship lies in a large harbor and can be seen at water level. The ship was damaged near Cove Island in August 1885. Fortunately, he was brought back to the port by a small tug "Jessie". The schooner was seriously damaged beyond repair, so it sank in the port itself. Fortunately, a huge cargo of coal was lifted from the sunken ship.

The history of shipbuilding and sailing on various watercraft dates back several millennia. People sailed on boats, sailboats, nuclear icebreakers. During this time, there have been many shipwrecks, most often due to the human factor. Some shipwrecks were large, with thousands dead and injured.

The largest disasters by the number of victims

Conditionally the most major crashes ships can be divided into two groups and the ratings can be derived by the number of dead and the size of the ships.

Many of the top ten largest crashes occurred during wartime as a result of combat operations. The ranking by death toll is as follows:

11th place - "Louisitania"

One of the largest English passenger liners, which died at the beginning of the First World War. The ship, which at that time had no identification marks, was torpedoed German submarine and sank within 18 minutes. Nearly 1200 people died. It is believed that the destruction of the liner provoked a change in public opinion against Kaiser Germany and was one of the reasons for the US entry into the war.

10th place - "Fort Stykin"

The steamer has an official capacity of 7142 tons. At the time of the crash, there were about 1,500 tons of explosives in the holds and about 10,000 tons of other cargo, including 8,700 tons of cotton. Safety precautions when loading the ship were violated. At 2 pm on April 12, 1944, a fire started, but it was not possible to stop it. As a result, the fire reached the hold with explosives and several powerful explosions. The main consequences were from the burning cotton scattered over a distance of a kilometer, which set fire to many houses, ships, warehouses. According to official statistics alone, there were 1376 dead. The strength of the explosion can be judged by the fact that the resulting tidal wave carried the ship, which was not far from the steamer and had a displacement of about 4000 tons, to a height of 17 meters.

9th place - "Titanic"

The wreck of this ship went down in history and became a symbol of the largest shipwrecks; one of the best films about the Titanic disasters, beloved by many, was shot about it. A total of three ships of this class were produced. At the time of construction, it was the largest passenger liner in the world. Length - almost 270 meters, width - 28. The ship died as a result of a collision with a large iceberg in the first big cruise. At the time of the crash, there were 2,224 people on board, including passengers and crew members. It is reliably known that only 711 people were saved, the bodies of many of the dead were not found.

8th place - "Imo" and "Mont Blanc"

The crash happened in 1917. Mont Blanc - large French cargo Ship, loaded with several types of explosives. In the Canadian harbor adjacent to the city of Halifax, this ship collided with the Norwegian ship Imo. The explosion that followed the collision is considered the most powerful in the entire pre-nuclear era. The port and part of the city were completely destroyed, total number The death toll from the explosion itself and its consequences reached 2,000. About 9,000 more were injured of varying severity.

7th place - Provence

Flagship French ship that neutralized the Greek fleet. One of the largest auxiliary cruisers of its time. Sunk after being hit by a German torpedo in February 1916. About 4 thousand people were on board, 3130 of them died.

6th place - "General Steuben"

A large German passenger liner, converted into a floating hospital during the war. In 1945 he carried out the evacuation from East Prussia from the Soviet troops. Torpedoed on February 10, 1945. According to the statements of the commander of the boat that torpedoed the liner, he was sure that this was a large military cruiser. More than 3600 people died.

5th place - Tanker "Vector" and ferry "Dona Paz"

The largest shipwreck that occurred in peacetime. In December 1987, a Philippine ferry collided with a tanker. As a result, about 4,400 people died.

4th place - "Armenia"

Soviet ship, sunk in 1941 by the German Air Force near the Crimean coast. The number of dead is not known exactly, according to various sources - from 3 to 5 thousand people.

3rd place - "Goya"

Norwegian ship confiscated by the Germans. In 1945, she carried out the sea evacuation of people from the Red Army. On April 16, the ship was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine and sank. The estimated death toll is over 6,000.

2nd place - "Tilbek" and "Cap Arkona"

Two German ships that died as a result of a British air strike in May 1945. The approximate death toll is 8 thousand people, mostly prisoners of concentration camps to be evacuated. The exact reasons for the air raid remain unknown.

1st place - "Wilhelm Gustlov"

Record holder for the number of human casualties in known maritime history. In the first half of the 40s, it was used by the German armed forces as a floating hospital. In January 1945 the ship was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. According to researchers, the death toll exceeded 9 thousand people.

Major cargo ship disasters

To this day, the sinking of the Amoco tanker Cadiz remains one of the biggest oil disasters. Not far from the British coast, the tanker ran aground and broke in two. This resulted in a spill of more than one and a half million barrels of oil.

Among other wrecks of large ships, incidents with container ships can be separately noted. These are one of the largest ships in the world, carrying multi-ton cargo, and each such disaster leads to billions in losses. So, in June 2013, one of the largest container ships– Mol Comfort with 2400 containers on board. The specific value of the cargo is unknown, claims against insurers amounted to about $400 million. A year and a half after the shipwreck, and some time after the completion of the investigation, the insurance companies filed a lawsuit on the grounds that the disaster was caused by problems in the ship's design itself.

Among common causes that cause crashes, there are several:

• Combat operations, including terrorist attacks.
• Human factor - insufficient crew experience, etc.
• Other factors: violation of safety regulations, improper distribution of cargo, leading to deformation, exceeding the maximum permissible load of the vessel, etc.

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The wreck of ships... Such an incident is always shrouded in a halo of secrets, myths and legends. The famous shipwrecks are the black pages of history, which can be read only by looking into sea ​​depths. Sadly, majestic giant liners very often become victims of the raging waters of the seas and oceans.

The most famous shipwrecks became public knowledge. To date, there are many secret lists that name the most impressive ship disasters in the history of mankind. Below are just a few of those that have entered world history.

Ships that have been wrecked

For many, the first thing that comes to mind is a story that shocked the whole world with its tragedy. It eclipsed every other shipwreck. This is the story of the "Titanic" ... Although this story has grown over time with a lot of conjecture and conjecture, everyone is still interested in learning about what really happened. The crew were so blinded by the majesty of their ship and its superiority over other ships that for a time everyone became overconfident.

Possible causes of the tragedy

At that time, many said that a ship had finally been built that could not be sunk. But reality turned out to be unpredictable. One night, the ship was moving at full speed along its route, and only at the very last moment the sailors were able to notice the top of a huge ice block rising above the surface of the water. Urgent attempts were made to move the ship aside, but it was too late: the ship was wrecked. Almost at full speed, the Titanic hit an iceberg with its starboard side.

The ship breaks in half

Gradually, the lower tiers in the forward compartment of the ship begin to flood. Almost half of the vessel is filled cold water Atlantic Ocean. A counterweight is created on the ship, as a result of which it is half immersed in water. The body can not withstand the monstrous load and breaks in half. Both parts of the broken ship lose power and sink. Eyewitnesses of the tragedy recall that terrible day with trepidation, but still some facts remain in the shadows. For example, class discrimination passengers.

Could more have been saved?

Some witnesses claim that individual lifeboats were only half full of passengers. Only a few people sat in them, who set sail as soon as possible, in fear that the boat would overflow and sink. In the end, saved where fewer passengers than it could. However, do not forget that heroic deeds also took place that night. Many risked their lives to help others escape. Be that as it may, this disaster has become a symbol of arrogance.

complicated story

Another, no less tragic collision occurred with the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov". It became the big sensation of the twentieth century. The warm day of August began with the arrival at the port cruise ship. The city of Novorossiysk said goodbye to passengers who were soon to go on an exciting trip. Around the same time, a ship called "Pyotr Vasev" was planning to enter the port. The crews of both ships were warned about each other and had to act carefully, no one had any idea that the ships would soon crash.

Who is guilty and does it make sense to find out now?

As a result of short negotiations, it was decided to disperse on the right sides at the exit from the port. However, something went wrong, namely, it failed automatic system course placement. Technique is imperfect, this should never be forgotten. Shipwrecks are clear evidence of this. When it was noticed that the ship was moving at full speed directly towards the Admiral Nakhimov, the situation almost completely got out of control.

Dry cargo ship "Pyotr Vasev" crashed into a passenger liner and made a hole in its board measuring eight by ten meters. in eight minutes. Some of the circumstances under which the ship was wrecked raised questions among many. Why did a passenger ship sink to the bottom like a stone, if, according to the rules, it must have sufficient buoyancy to survive on the surface of the water for at least an hour after the crash? In addition, information was received that the captain had complied with the order of the port dispatcher and changed the route of the vessel. There will be many gaps and white spots in this story.

However, the most inconsolable fact is the death of almost half a thousand people. Perhaps the scale of the disaster would not have been so terrible if it had been possible to launch lifeboats. But what could be done in just eight minutes? It takes at least half an hour to organize the boarding of people in one boat. And this is under favorable conditions.

In the case when the crash of the ship "Nakhimov" took place, there was neither time nor factors allowing people to escape in boats. Time after the disaster, it becomes increasingly difficult to find out the true circumstances of the crash. Surely the true facts lie in the depths of the water, so it makes no sense to speculate, because time, like human lives, cannot be returned back.

These are just two stories, but they are not the only ones. The following list of the most famous shipwrecks will show that wrecks largest liners- far from uncommon.

• SS America.
• "Pioneer of the World"
• "Mediterranean sky".
• MB Captayannis.
• BOS 400.
• Fort Shevchenko.
• "Evangelia".
• "SS Maheno".
• "Santa Maria".
• "Dimitrios".
• "Olympia".

The ships were built over the years, solemnly left their native ports against the wind and eventually sank, ran aground, leaving only fragments and piles of iron in memory of themselves.