List of shipwrecks in 1979

The list of shipwrecks in 1979 includes all ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1979.

table of contents

1979
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
May	Jun	Jul	Aug
Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Unknown date

January

8 January

List of shipwrecks: 8 January 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Betelgeuse	France	Betelgeuse : The tanker exploded and sank in Bantry Bay, Ireland, with the loss of 50 lives.

13 January

List of shipwrecks: 13 January 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Mineral Hoboken	Belgium	Collided with Mipo ( Panama) at New Orleans, United States and was damaged.[1]

February

14 February

List of shipwrecks: 14 February 1979

Ship	Country	Description
François Vieljeux	France	The container ship foundered in rough seas 45 nautical miles (83 km) south west of Cape Finisterre with the loss of 23 lives.[2]
Revi	Panama	She foundered 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off the Humber Lightship (53°39′N 0°23′E / 53.650°N 0.383°E).[3]

March

15 March

List of shipwrecks: 15 March 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Kurdistan	Liberia	The tanker struck ice in the Cabot Strait which fractured her hull. She subsequently broke in two during a gale. Her crew were rescued by CCGS Sir William Alexander ( Canadian Coast Guard). The bow section was sunk on 1 April by HMCS Margaree ( Royal Canadian Navy); the stern section was towed to a European port where a new bow was constructed. She was returned to service.[4]

30 March

List of shipwrecks: 30 March 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Angelina Lauro	Italy	Caught fire at Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands and sank. Refloated 2 July.

April

28 April

List of shipwrecks: 28 April 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Gino	Liberia	The tanker collided with Team Castor ( Norway) and sank in the English Channel. All crew rescued by a Soviet merchant ship.[5]

May

16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Zerstörer 1	German Navy	The decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Mediterranean Sea by a torpedo fired by the submarine U-29 ( German Navy.

17 May

List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1979

Ship	Country	Description
HMAS Air Sprite	Royal Australian Navy	The decommissioned air-sea rescue vessel was sunk as a target by a RIM-24 Tartar missile fired by the guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane (  Royal Australian Navy ).

June

21 June

List of shipwrecks: 21 June 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Petro Bouscat	Senegal	Stranded in the Sanaga River (3°29′N 9°44′E / 3.483°N 9.733°E) and abandoned as a constructive total loss.[1]

July

3 July

List of shipwrecks: 3 July 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Kairali		The bulk carrier disappeared in the Arabian Sea about 500 nautical miles (575 miles; 926 km) west of Margao, India, after sending a final radio message on this date.

19 July

List of shipwrecks: 19 July 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Atlantic Empress	Greece	Collided with Aegean Captain ( Greece) off Trinidad and Tobago, causing a large oil spill.
USS Tiru	United States Navy	The decommissioned Balao-class submarine was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean 200 nautical miles (230 miles; 370 km) off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at 36°N 73°W / 36°N 73°W by the submarine USS Silversides ( United States Navy).

August

3 August

List of shipwrecks: 3 August 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Atlantic Empress	Greece	Sank in deep water following damage sustained in collision on 19 July.

11–15 August

List of shipwrecks: 11–15 August 1979

Ship	Country	Description
The Fastnet race	United Kingdom	A total of 25 yachts were sunk in Force 11 winds with the loss of 15 lives.

27 August

List of shipwrecks: 27 August 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Shadow V	United Kingdom	The Troubles: the fishing boat was blown to pieces off Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, by a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA. Lord Mountbatten of Burma and three other people died in the blast.

September

24 September

List of shipwrecks: 24 September 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Angelina Lauro	Italy	Sank in the Pacific Ocean while under tow to shipbreakers in Taiwan

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date September 1979

Ship	Country	Description
USS Ozark	United States Navy	USS Ozark aground The decommissioned mine countermeasures support ship, serving as a target ship, was driven aground near Perdido Key, Florida, in Hurricane Frederic. She was salvaged and returned to service as a target ship.

October

12 October

List of shipwrecks: 12 October 1979

Ship	Country	Description
USS Alfred A. Cunningham	United States Navy	The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was sunk as a target by five laser-guided bombs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California.

November

4 November

List of shipwrecks: 4 November 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Aeolian Sky	Greece	Sank off St Aldhelm's Head after collision with Anna Knueppell ( West Germany) the previous day.

6 November

List of shipwrecks: 6 November 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Pool Fisher	United Kingdom	Sank off the Isle of Wight. Thirteen of the fifteen on board were killed.[6]

11 November

List of shipwrecks: 11 November 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Belvaux	Belgium	Collided with Vishva Vibhuti ( India) in the Scheldt and beached to prevent her sinking. Later refloated, repaired and returned to service.[7]

15 November

List of shipwrecks: 15 November 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Independenţa	Romania	Collided with Evriali ( Greece) and sank with the loss of 43 crew.

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Berge Vanga	Liberia	Sank in the South Atlantic with the loss of all 40 crew.
Jayawang	Singapore	Sank off Bangkok, Thailand.

December

6 December

List of shipwrecks: 6 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Malmi		The cargo ship capsized and sank in the Baltic Sea 40 nautical miles (46 miles; 74 km) northeast of Gotska Sandön after her cargo shifted in heavy weather.

14 December

List of shipwrecks: 14 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Captain Said	Panama	Ran aground off Şile, Turkey. Refloated in August 1980, repaired and returned to service.[7]

16 December

List of shipwrecks: 16 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Heye P	West Germany	Driven ashore in a gale at Prawle Point, Devon, United Kingdom and wrecked.[8]

20 December

List of shipwrecks: 20 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Ulysses	Panama	Ran aground off Naples, Italy, a total loss.

26 December

List of shipwrecks: 26 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Lindblad Explorer	Panama	Ran aground off Wiencke Island, Antarctic. Later refloated and returned to service.

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Epimonos	Greece	The tanker caught fire off Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. She was declared a constructive total loss.[9]

26 December

List of shipwrecks: 26 December 1979

Ship	Country	Description
Lee Wang Zin	Panama	Assumed ran up on Celestial Reef, Dixon Entrance-Hecte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. 30 lives lost.[10]

References

1. "Belgian Merchant H-O" (PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
2. Crawford, Moya (1999). Deep Water. Bradford on Avon: Thomas Reed. pp. 238–241. ISBN 0-901281-83-2.
3. "Belgian Merchant P-Z" (PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
4. "Kurdistan - 1979". Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
5. "Crippled tanker clean, says her master" The Times (London). Monday, 30 April 1979. (60471A), col D,E, p. 3.
6. "COASTER "POOL FISHER" (LOSS)". Hansard. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
7. "Belgian Merchant A-G" (PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
8. "Gales Havoc on land and at sea" The Times (London). Tuesday, 18 December 1979. (60503), col D,E, p. 2.
9. "Loss of Greek registered oil tanker Kirki en route to Kwinana" (PDF). Australian Transportation Safety Board. 2 April 1992. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
10. Whitney, John. "Southeastern Alaska Oceanograpic conditions and NOAA's Twenty-One Year Spill Response History" (PDF). National Ocean Services, Anchorage, Alaska.

See also

Ship events in 1979
Ship launches:	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Ship commissionings:	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Ship decommissionings:	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Shipwrecks:	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984

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