Iceberg Casualties – Ship Names starting with “B”

Clicking on the vessel name if hyperlinked will open a pdf document giving all the information known about the vessel and the collision event. The format is slightly distorted in some places, unfortunately, but should not be a problem. Clicking on the hyperlinks in the Image column will open any relevant images of the ship and in some cases an ice chart showing the location of the collision; S = image or illustration of the ship, D = image taken of around the time of the accident or damage to the vessel, C = ice chart showing a the approximate conditions at the time.

Name of Vessel	Vessel Type	Date	Geographic. Area	Lat N (deg.min)	Long W (deg.min)	Scenario Description	Damage Severity	Fatalities (Y/N/U)	Injuries (Y/N/U)	Iceberg Size/Multi-Year	Image
Bahia Blanca	SS Freighter	10-Jan-1940	South Greenland Waters	66.09	26.20	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 D1 C1
Baku Standard	SS Tanker	20-Jul-1903	Grand Banks	47.46	50.27	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Large
Baltic Sea	M/V Fishing	16-Aug-1991	Alaskan Waters	61.00	147.00	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	C1
Banbury¹¹	Fishing Schooner	17-Jun-1925	Grand Banks	48.00	52.40	Direct Impact	Cracks	No	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Barcelona	SS Passenger/ Cargo	5-Jul-1883	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	52.50	53.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Ice Island
Baron Clyde	Sailing Ship	17-May-1862	Grand Banks	47.00	55.00	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Batory	M/V Passenger	23-Apr-1967	Grand Banks	46.45	52.20	Unknown	Large hole	No	No	Growler	S1
Bayard (I)	Bark	7-May-1885	Grand Banks	46.00	48.00	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bayard (II)⁷	Bark	20-May-1898	Grand Banks	45.38	53.04	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
BCM Atlantic	M/V Stern Fishing Trawler	18-Mar-2000	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	53.09	52.11	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in waves	Sinking	No	No	Bergy bit	S1 C1
Beacon Light	SS Tanker	13-May-1890	Grand Banks	43.55	48.18	Striking projection	Minor Deck Damage	No	No	Large
Beaumont⁶	Schooner	4-Aug-1894	Grand Banks	52.58	55.30	Unknown	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Beauty	Brigantine	5-Jun-1877	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	47.18	59.18	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Beaverhill	SS Cargo	07-Aug-1939	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.58	54.18	Unknown	Denting	No	No	Small	S1 D1
Belfast	Bark	09-Jun-1903	Grand Banks	47.20	47.50	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Belle 2⁴	Fishing Schooner	14-Jun-1882	Grand Banks	48.30	52.52	Direct Impact	Sinking	No	No	Small	T1
Belle 1	Sailing Vessel	17-Se-1880	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.30	55.00	Unknown	Abandoned	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Belle Keith	Bark	1-Jun-1876	Grand Banks	47.48	52.45	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ben Hur	Bark	09-Jun-1939	Grand Banks	48.16	49.27	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Beothic	Icebreaker Passenger	30-May-1915	Grand Banks	48.00	53.30	Grounding on	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Growler
Bergens-fjord¹⁰	SS Passenger	01-Aug-1921	Grand Banks	46.06	48.33	Striking projection	Denting	No	No	Unknown	S1
Bertha	Schooner	14-Sep1885	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	52.35	55.40	Direct Impact	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Birdstow	Barkentine	5-Jun-1880	Grand Banks	41.40	51.17	Unknown	Abandoned	No	Unknown	Unknown
Bohemia	SS Passenger	12-Apr-1897	Grand Banks	48.30	48.50	Unknown	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bohemian	SS Cargo Passenger	1-Apr-1861	Grand Banks	46.28	53.10	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bolina	Schooner	14-May-1889	Grand Banks	48.20	48.47	Unknown	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Boltonhall⁸	SS Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.45	54.25	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 T1
Bonavista¹	SS Freighter	25-Jul-1909	Grand Banks	46.30	54.30	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Large	T1
Bonnie Kate⁵	Schooner	26-Jun-1884	Grand Banks	47.14	52.39	Direct Impact	Crushed	None	None	Unknown	T1
Bonus	Schooner	21-May-1912	Grand Banks	47.45	52.42	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Small
Borston²	Steamship	Jan-1871	Grand Banks	44.00	48.00	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown
Borussia	SS Passenger	9-Jul-1863	Grand Banks	48.00	44.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bostonian	SS Cargo	15-Jul-1903	Grand Banks	42.02	49.11	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Large	T1
Briardene³	SS Tanker	19-May-1909	Grand Banks	45.20	49.33	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bright Fan ¹²	SS Cargo	01-Oct-1932	Hudson Strait	62.09	71.23	Grounding on	Sinking	No	No	Small	S1 C1 T1 T2
Bright Rose⁹	Schooner	08-Jul-1913	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.40	54.24	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Bristol	SS Passenger/ Cargo	1-Sep-1884	Grand Banks	48.04	52.34	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Crushed	No	No	Growler
Briton	Bark	31-May-1854	Grand Banks	40.00	50.00	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Brooklyn	Steamship	21-May-1885	Grand Banks	43.30	49.30	Direct Impact	Crushed	No	Unknown	Unknown
Brooklyn City	Steamship	1-Apr-1897	Grand Banks	43.55	48.23	Striking projection	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Medium
Burger-meister Smidt	M/V Stern Trawler	21-Nov-1965	South Greenland Waters	59.06	44.45	Unknown	Sinking	No	Yes	Unknown	C1
Burhound	M/V Fishing	06-May-1980	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.40	52.20	Unknown	Unknown	No	Unknown	Unknown	C1 C2
Burnside	SS Cable Laying	01-Sep-1903	Alaskan Waters	58.10	135.25	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1
Buzzard, HMS	HMS Sloop	23-Jun-1899	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	50.06	55.33	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1
Byron	Sailing Ship	2-Aug-1836	Grand Banks	44.22	48.40	Direct Impact	Crac ks	Unknown	Unknown	Medium	S1

1. Date of collision originally thought to be 23rd but Evening Herald gives it as the 25th in the attached file.
2. I suspect that “Borston” is a corruption of the ship “City of Boston” which was said to be sunk by icebergs (likely from overloading in a storm) near the end of January 1871 with considerable loss of life. The origin of the note about the “Borston” is questionable.
3. From Cadiz with 3,200 tons of salt. Owned by Dickie Lumber Co. of Nova Scotia and registered in Newfoundland. Collision on Wednesday 19 May and 2 of her prop blades damaged on 22nd, arr. St. John’s 23rd.
4. New addition.
5. New Addition (3 Feb 2023). A 56 ton schooner out of Halifax (https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l0179721884/#207)
6. According to the identical reports given in the Harbor Grace Standard 14 Aug. (T1) and the Evening Telegram 16 Aug. the date should be the 5th August.
7. The Evening Telegram report (T1) indicates that the vessel was towed to St. Pierre which is more likely.
8. New Addition (15 April 2023). As part of Convoy SC 38, Sydney, Nova Scotia – UK, British vessel of 4624 tons, built 1935, and loaded with steel struck a berg in the Strait Of Belle Isle and returned to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Further vessel specifications and info at http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/view.php?a1Order=Sorter_owner_1&a1Dir=DESC&a1Page=8&ref=168101&vessel=BOLTONHALL. Convoy was paired with HX 140 and altogether at least 7 vessels struck icebergs in the passage though the Strait. While bergs were innumerable around the area of Belle Isle it was an unusually light season further south. Collision position is estimated. Unfortunately most of the microfilm records are illegible: https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c5512/5187 and dates for all collisions uncertain. See also: http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hx/index.html and http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc38.html . Vessels striking bergs at this time are Oregon 1 and Malvina of Convoy HX140, and Agia Marina, Armathia, Boltonhall, Dimitrios Chandris, Gloxinia and Senta of Convoy SC 38. Also to be noted is the Svend Foyn of HX 140 which sank with loss of life in 1943 after collision with an iceberg.
9. Updated 7 June 2023 with info that the vessel sank as in T1.
10. SS Bergensford struck an iceberg below the water line bending a blade of the prop somewhere off C. Race. Arrived Christiana 12 August. Exact date and position of collision unknown. St. John’s Evening Telegram 13 Aug. 1921 p.5 col. 1.
11. New addition as of 30 Jan 2024. Schooner Banbury struck an iceberg off Baccalieu (position estimated) losing bowsprit and snapping off mainmast. Made for shelter at Bay de Verde but dragged anchors and went ashore evidently becoming a total loss.
12. (Updated with T1 & T2 and the following, 20 Mar 2024). The sinking of the Bright Fan by an iceberg in Hudson Strait was a notable event in its day having sailed from the newly established port of Churchill with a full load of grain. For a brief and concise history of the ship see the Sunderland Site at http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland076.html . Events are described in a number of contemporary newspapers. Also of some interest is the account in North of ’53. The Adventures of a Trapper and Prospector in the Canadian Far North. Bertram Barker, Methuen & Co. Ltd. London, 1934, and the account by Capt. Balcom of the rescue icebreaker N.B. MacLean “Loss of Bright Fan“, Quebec Chronicle, Oct 31,1932.