I stumbled across this sad thread. We all hear about the tragedy of the Titanic, but in fact this is far from the largest shipwreck.

As a rule, shipwrecks are not classified as man-made disasters, but it is this record-breaking case in terms of the number of victims that deserves a place among the most terrible man-made tragedies of mankind. The largest disasters at sea, accompanied by many thousands of victims, occurred during the Second World War (we will talk about the largest shipwreck in general in terms of the number of victims), and in peacetime there was only one shipwreck comparable in consequences, which became the largest in history - a collision Philippine ferry "Dona Paz" with a tanker. This tragedy claimed more lives than much more famous crash"Titanic".

Let's take a closer look at this...

An object: passenger ferry "Dona Paz" (MV Doña Paz). Displacement - 2062 tons, length - 93.1 m, maximum width - 13.6 m, designed to carry 1518 passengers. Built in Japan, launched on April 25, 1963, from 1975 (until 1981 - under the name MV Don Sulpicio, from 1981 - under the name MV Doña Paz) was operated by the Philippine operator Sulpicio Lines.

Crash Location: Tablas Strait, near Marinduque Island, Philippines.

Victims: in disaster 4386 people died, of which 4,317 were passengers of the Doña Paz ferry and 58 crew members, as well as 11 crew members of the Vector tanker. Only 24 ferry passengers and 2 tanker crew members were saved. This number of casualties makes this the largest peacetime crash in history.

Chronicle of events

Due to the lack of communication, the chronology of events is built from the words of rare eyewitnesses and the time of the onset of key events is determined approximately.

It is authentically known that the Dona Paz left the port of Tacloban at 6.30 in the morning and headed for Manila, and at about 22.00 — 22.30 the ship was passing through the Tablas Strait near the island of Marinduque. At this time, the weather was clear, there was little roughness at sea, so there were no threats to navigation in the area. But the ferry never arrived in Manila, having crashed somewhere in the strait.

At about 10:30 p.m., the ferry collided with the Vector tanker, which was transporting about a thousand cubic meters of gasoline and other oil products. During the collision, one or two explosions thundered, the tanker immediately began to leak, a large number of gasoline, which immediately flared up. Soon the Doña Paz was also on fire.

Panic broke out on board the ferry, the crew did not take any action to save the passengers. Many people jumped overboard, but most of them soon died from the flames. Some of the passengers did not dare to leave the burning ship, but help never came.

Approximately at midnight The Doña Paz sank, taking with her passengers and any hope of salvation. Near 2.00 the wreck of the tanker sank.

The crash became known only by six o'clock in the morning, the authorities sent rescuers to the crash site, but search and rescue operations lasted no more than one day - a total of 26 people were saved.

Within a few days after the disaster, the remains of 108 people washed ashore. All of them had burn marks, and almost all of them were eaten by sharks, which are very numerous in these seas. Thousands more people were never found, which subsequently made it difficult to accurately calculate the number of victims and find out the causes of the disaster.

The question of the number of victims and the investigation of the crash

Immediately after the shipwreck, confusion arose over the determination of the number of dead. Initially, the investigation relied on the number of officially registered passengers on the Doña Paz ferry - based on this, there were 1,525 passengers and 58 crew members on board the ship.

However, as it turned out later, the ferry was always overloaded, many tickets were sold without registration at a reduced price, and almost no one ever registered children. Therefore, experts soon began to call ever larger numbers - 2000, 3000 and even 4000 passengers. According to the stories of survivors and eyewitnesses, the last figure is most true - many passengers lived in overcrowded cabins, someone took a seat in the corridors, and many were completely located on the deck.

Only later - in 1999 - it was found that the ferry on that tragic day took on board 4341 passengers, and most of them died in the crash.

It should be noted that the relatives of the victims are still continuing litigation against the operator of Sulpicio Lines and the owner of the tanker "Vector" Cal-Tex Philippines, Inc., accusing them of criminal negligence. However, even almost thirty years after the catastrophe, no success was achieved in this matter, and no one was held responsible for the tragedy.

Causes of the disaster

Here we should talk about two groups of reasons: about the reasons for the shipwreck, and about the reasons that led to so many victims. After all, even with the crash of the more famous Titanic, there were three times fewer victims!

For a long time, the causes of the collision of ships in the Tablas Strait remained unknown and numerous discussions were held on this issue. And to this day, it is not entirely clear how the ferry and the tanker could collide in a wide strait in clear weather. But if the exact causes of the disaster are unknown, then indirect causes installed a long time ago.

In October 1988, the board assembled to investigate the disaster issued an official statement blaming the collision on the crew of the Vector tanker. During the investigation, it was found that the ship did not have a license and was actually unseaworthy. Also, the tanker did not have experienced forward looking and special navigation equipment, so the appearance of the Doña Paz ferry was a complete surprise, and the crew of the Vector could not prevent a collision.

It was assumed that part of the blame lay with the crew of the ferry, since at the time of the disaster, only one of the crew members was on the captain's bridge (and, probably, it was not the ship's captain), and the rest of the team went about their business. But later this version did not find proper confirmation, therefore, all charges were dropped from the team and the operator (Sulpicio Lines).

If we consider the reasons that led to a huge number of victims, then the same fault lies with the crews of both ships and their owners.

Firstly, there were almost three times as many passengers on the ferry as allowed (4341 against the maximum allowable 1518) - in the event of a collision and subsequent fire, panic and stampede began on the ship. The fire on the ship and the burning water closed all the ways to escape, so many passengers found their last refuge in the cabins and corridors of the ferry.

Secondly, a large number of people died in the fire both on the ferry and at sea - due to the oil spill from the Vector tanker, the water literally burned and did not give salvation. In addition, the waters in the strait are teeming with sharks, which also gave rise to fear in people and only despair forced them to leave the ship.

Thirdly, there were life jackets on the ferry, but they were all hidden under lock and key, and even if one of the crew members opened a warehouse with vests, there would hardly be enough for everyone. But the vests, like the people who need them, went to the bottom.

Fourthly, the team of the Doña Paz ferry did not make any attempts to organize the rescue of people, these people were not ready for an emergency. The professionalism of the ferry team still raises questions.

Finally, fifthly, the ferry and the tanker were not equipped with basic means of communication - even the simplest radio station! Therefore, at the time of the wreck of the ships, no one could call for help, and the Philippine authorities learned about terrible disaster only in the morning. It is clear that after such a time it was simply impossible to save someone, and this delay became fatal for many passengers of the Doña Paz.

Absolute disregard for the safety of ships and the lack of professionalism of the crews, the opportunity to get additional benefits and savings on everything - all this is the basis terrible shipwreck, which became the largest in peacetime.

In terms of the scale of maritime disasters, the Philippines has firmly taken a leading position. In 1987, as a result of a collision with a tanker, the Dona Pas passenger ferry of the Sulpicio Lines company sank. The company's administration then announced that there were 1,583 passengers and 60 crew members on the ship. Subsequently, it turns out that there were actually 4341 passengers there, of which only 24 survived. Less than a year later, the Dona Marilyn ferry dies, and with it more than three hundred passengers and sailors. Seven weeks after this tragedy, the world will learn about the death of the ferry "Rosalia" with 400 passengers, and a short time later - another ferry with its 50 victims. But no one knows how many smaller ships and boats and the people who were on them actually disappeared in the depths of the sea around the Philippines.

And more about crashes, for example, and. And here is also

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 the depths of the sea. 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 block of ice 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 with 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 of 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. As a result, far fewer passengers were saved than could have been. 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 of a cruise liner at the port. 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, the automatic course setting system failed. 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.

For thousands of years, ships have sunk in times of war, natural disasters, and in some cases even 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 hull, divided into two parts, lies on the seabed, at a depth of more than 3,700 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

Nicknamed "The Mighty O", this ship was one of 24 huge Essex-class ships 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, great amount victims died in the water while awaiting rescue. 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 was caught in a violent 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, different types of fish and even sharks live in it.

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 called at 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.

According to experts, there are about four million sunken ships scattered across the oceans in the world, some of which are more than one thousand years old. Even the numbers of famous wrecks are impressive.
A large number of shipwrecks are historically significant and are under the protection of UNESCO as an underwater cultural heritage. Some ships have run aground near the beaches, and are gradually rotting under the influence of the forces of nature. Some of them have turned into tourist attractions.
The last time a shipwreck that received a lot of media attention was in January 2012, when a cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized in the waters near the island of Isola del Giglio on the west coast of Italy. The capsized ship attracted thousands of curious tourists. Here we've rounded up some impressive wrecks worth seeing before time destroys them.

"SS America"


The SS America was an ocean liner built in 1940. After a long career, the liner was sold in 1993 to be refurbished and become a five-star hotel in Phuket, Thailand. It was at this time that the ship was renamed "American Star", although she never sailed with this new name. The ship was towed from Greece to the Atlantic by a Ukrainian tugboat. However, the ships were caught in a thunderstorm, the tow rope broke, the crew from the SS America was rescued by helicopter, and the ship was abandoned to its fate. January 18, the ship ran aground off the west coast of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands).
Within the first 48 hours after the ship ran aground, the surf of the Atlantic Ocean broke up the ship. aft collapsed and sank in 1996 while the bow remained intact. In November 2005 the bow collapsed and the hull began to disintegrate. In 2007, the entire ship collapsed and fell into the sea. As of March 2013, this ship is only visible at low tide.




The wreckage of the American Star (SS America) in July 2004.


"Pioneer of the World"


World Pathfinder was a large cruise ship built in 1974 that made occasional voyages to Antarctica and the polar regions to allow its passengers to view ice hummocks and icebergs. The vessel had a double hull, which provided protection from minor impacts. But still, on April 30, 2000, the ship ran into a reef and pierced the hull near Solomon Islands. The captain steered the ship into Roderick Bay and ran it aground to avoid sinking. The crew and passengers were evacuated and the ship was later looted by local residents.






"Mediterranean sky"


The cruise liner "Mediterranean Sky" was originally called "New York" and was built in 1952 in Newcastle (England). The ship made its last voyage in August 1996.
Due to the financial problems of the owning company, "Mediterranean Sky" was arrested in 1997 in Patras. Two years later, she was towed to the Eleusian Gulf in Greece, where she was abandoned. In late 2002, the ship began to fill with water and began to tilt. In order to stop her from sinking, she was towed into shallow water. In January 2003, Mediterranean Sky capsized on its side, where it remains to await its fate.








"MV Captayannis"


Captayannis was a Greek raw sugar barge. She sank on the River Clyde (Scotland) in 1974 after colliding with an oil tanker. The tanker did not suffer any damage, but her anchor chains pierced the Captayannis so that the ship began to fill with water. Captain Captayannis tried to take the ship out into shallow waters and it ran aground. The ship capsized the next morning, and has been lying there ever since.
Although this ship is in relatively shallow waters, no attempt has ever been made to salvage the remains of the ship. After some time, Captayannis became a habitat for marine life and birds.




BOS-400


BOS-400 is a French floating platform that ran aground in Maori Bay in South Africa during a storm while being towed by a Russian tugboat on June 26, 1994. BOS-400 was the largest floating crane in Africa. The tug was chartered to tow a BOS-400 from the Republic of the Congo to Cape Town ( South Africa). However, during a storm, the towing rope broke and the platform was thrown aground, where it remains to this day.






"La Famille Express"


The ship "La Famille Express" was shipwrecked in the southern waters of the Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean Sea. The ship was built in 1952 in Poland and most of its life served in the Soviet Navy as Fort Shevchenko. In 1999, the ship was sold and renamed "La Famille Express". The circumstances of the wreck are not clearly known, except that it ran aground during Hurricane Francis in 2004. Now the ship is a great local landmark and attracts a large number of tourists.




"HMAS Defender"


The HMAS Defender was a large gunboat purchased by the South Australian government in 1884 to defend the coast against the possible "Russian threat" of the 1870s. "HMAS Defender" served during the Boxer Rebellion, World Wars I and II. In July 1943, HMAS Defender was requisitioned for military service in the US Navy. En route to New Guinea, the ship was damaged in a collision with a tugboat. The hull subsequently ran aground off the coast of Queensland. Its rusting remains are still visible to this day.




"Gospel"


The Evangelia is a merchant ship built by the same shipyard as the Titanic and launched on May 28, 1942 with the name Empire of Power. Later, she had several names and was eventually called "Evangelia".
In 1968, during a thick nighttime fog, the ship sailed incredibly close to coastline and ran aground near Costinesti. Some argue that Evangelia was deliberately destroyed by the owner in order to collect insurance compensation. The hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that during this disaster, although the fog was very thick, the sea was incredibly calm and almost all the equipment of the ship worked perfectly.




"SS Maheno"


The shipwreck of the SS Maheno is the most famous shipwreck off Fraser Island in Australia... Built in 1905, the SS Maheno was one of the first turbine steamers. She made regular voyages between Sydney and Auckland until she was converted into a hospital ship during the First World War.
In 1935 it was sold to Japan for scrap. While being towed to Japan, the ship was caught in a severe storm and disappeared with eight people on board. The ship was found 3 days later, washed ashore off the coast of Fraser Island, her crew had to camp on the shore of the island. Attempts to refloat her were unsuccessful and she was eventually put up for sale, but no buyers were found.






"Santa Maria"

Santa Maria was a Spanish merchant ship. During last flight on board were sports cars, food, medicines, cars, clothes, etc. On September 1, 1968, the ship was passing near the Cape Verde Islands on its way to Brazil and Argentina when it ran aground. After a local tug failed to rescue the ship, it was abandoned. All valuable cargo was reloaded and taken away. The wreckage of the Santa Maria has since become a symbol of Boa Vista and Cape Verde.




"Dimitrios"


"Dimitrios" (former name - "Klintholm"), is a small, 67 meters long cargo ship built in 1950. It was washed up on the beach of Valtaki in the prefecture of Laconia in Greece on December 23, 1981.
There are rumors that the ship was used to smuggle cigarettes between Turkey and Italy. It was intentionally stranded by the crew on Valtaki Beach, about 5 kilometers from the port of Gifio, and then set on fire to cover up evidence of cigarette smuggling.


"Olympia"


It was a merchant ship that was washed ashore near the city of Katapola, on the island of Amorgos in Greece. In 1979, on his way from Cyprus to Greece, he was captured by pirates. After an unsuccessful attempt to pull the ship out of the bay, it was left there and became one of the most popular tourist destinations.

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

The rating opens with a British passenger liner that 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 gold bars, sulfur, wood, machine 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, from which a tidal wave was formed 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 occurred. 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. Maximum 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 of the Canadian city of 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, with 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

The passenger ferry Dona Paz, registered in the Philippines, sank on December 20, 1987 at about 10 p.m. near the island of Marinduque after a collision with the tanker Vector. 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 coast of Crimea. 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 the largest disaster in maritime history - according to some historians, 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. With the joint efforts of the crew and passengers, some lifeboats were launched, 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.