Iceberg Casualties – Ship Names starting with “A” - Historical sea ice and iceberg conditions in the North Atlantic

List of iceberg casualties

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	Geograph. 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
Aberdeen	HMS Sloop	19-Mar-1943	South Greenland Waters	58.00	44.00	Grounding on	Denting	No	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Acadienne Gale	Stern Trawler	01-Apr-1997	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	53.11	54.26	Unknown	Large hole	No	No	Unknown	S1 C1
Admiral Dewey¹³	Schooner	22-Jul-1901	Labrador Sea and Davis Strait	59.00	63.00	Iceberg drifts upon vessel	Unknown	No	No	Large	S1 T1
Admiral Farragut	Passenger Steamship	24-Apr-1918	Alaskan Waters	56.48	133.00	Grounding on	Small puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Advance	USS Brigantine	21-Aug-1853	Baffin Bay Area	78.36	71.50	Vessel drifts upon iceberg	Unknown	No	No	Unknown	S1
Advance	USS Brigantine	3-Jul-1853	Baffin Bay Area	75.25	60.00	Glancing Blow	Minor Deck Damage	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Adventure³	SS Sealing Vessel	14-Jun-1915	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	49.45	55.30	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Denting	No	No	Growler	S1 S2 T1
Africa	Side Paddle Steamer	13-Jun-1862	Grand Banks	46.35	53.00	Grounding on	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Agenoria	SS Cargo	11-Jul-1915	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.38	56.14	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Medium	S1
Agia Marina¹⁴	SS Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approache	51.45	54.45	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Agnes R.	Fishing Schooner	26-May-1914	Grand Banks	48.21	53.07	Direct Impact	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	N
Aigle d’Ocean	M/V Cargo	20-Aug-1975	Labrador Sea and Davis Strait	60.27	64.59	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Bergy bit	S1 D1 C1
Ailsa	Fishing Bark	26-Jun-1865	Grand Banks	46.03	49.57	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Akwe¹	Fishing Vessel	17-Sep-1957	Alaskan Waters	57.48	133.47	Direct Impact	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
~~Albatross~~ (I)⁴	Schooner	1883	Grand Banks	46.06	49.24	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	N
Albatross USS	USN Minesweeper	07-Jan-1943	South Greenland Waters	47.00	60.30	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Alberta⁵	Schooner	19-May-1894	Grand Banks	48.04	52.37	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown	N
Albion⁶	Sail Ship	8-May-1845	Grand Banks	45.00	45.00	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Alcides	Steamship	1890	Grand Banks	46.09	49.09	Iceberg drifts upon vessel	Large hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Aleksey Maryshev	Cruise (ex-Research Ship	08-Aug-2007	Svalbard	77.00	16.02	Vessel drifts upon iceberg	Unknown	No	Yes	Unknown	S1 D1 D2 D3 D4
Alert	HMS Sloop (powered)	1-Aug-1884	Baffin Bay Area	73.00	65.00	Direct Impact	No damage	No	No	Unknown	S1
Alexander	Brig	1-Aug-1896	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	53.00	56.00	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Algeria	Schooner	26-Apr-1894	Grand Banks	46.56	52.41	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Alice Blanchard	Steam Schooner	11-Mar-1898	Alaskan Waters	59.00	135.19	Direct Impact	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Alice M. Claridge¹²	Bark	18-May-1896	Grand Banks	48.00	48.00	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Alla Tarasova	Cruise/ Passenger	19-Jul-1995	Hudson Strait	63.05	67.42	Unknown	Small puncture	No	Unknown	Bergy bit	S1
Alma	Bark	16-May-1885	Grand Banks	40.33	44.38	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Almeriana 2²	Screw Steamer	24-May-1909	Grand Banks	47.32	50.04	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Large	S1 T1
Almeriana 1²	Screw Steamer	28-May-1909	Grand Banks	45.20	49.37	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Alsatian¹⁷	Fishing Schooner	27-Oct-1928	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	49.40	55.15	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Alumina¹¹	Bark	15-May-1884	Grand Banks	46.20	51.45	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Amaranth	Schooner	6-Sep-1883	Grand Banks	46.06	47.39	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N
Ancestor	Bark	17-Jun-1870	Grand Banks	46.03	49.54	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Andania (I)	Passenger Ship	01-Aug-1913	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.58	55.08	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in waves	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1 S2
Andania (II)	Passenger Ship	01-Jun-1937	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.50	55.30	Glancing Blow	No damage	No	No	Large
Anerley	Cargo Steamship	30-Nov-1884	Grand Banks	49.47	53.56	Striking projection	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Angloman	Cargo Steam Schooner	26-Apr-1895	Grand Banks	43.20	49.07	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Medium
Anglo-Peruvian	Steam Schooner	21-Apr-1906	Grand Banks	42.00	50.00	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Ann Caroline	Sailing Ship	9-Apr-1847	Grand Banks	42.30	48.00	Direct Impact	Abandoned	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ann Semple	Schooner	12-May-1850	Grand Banks	47.30	51.30	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Anna Liffey	Bark	16-May-1842	Grand Banks	43.09	49.00	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Anna Maria	Galliot	20-Apr-1821	Grand Banks	45.30	45.00	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Anne	Sailing Ship	21-May-1704	Grand Banks	47.00	49.00	Striking projection	Sinking	Yes	Yes	Large
Anne Forbes	Sail Whaling Vessel	1-Aug-1857	Greenland Sea	79.30	10.00	Iceberg drifts upon vessel	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown
Annie Christine	Bark	7-May-1885	Grand Banks	45.38	51.43	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Inknown	Unknown
Anzico⁷	Brig	1-Mar-1861	Grand Banks	48.43	53.06	Grounding	Cracks	No	No	Unknown	T1
Apache⁸	Fishing Schooner	18-Nov-1994	Alaskan Waters	57.07	133.19	Direct Impact	Sinking	No	No	Growler
Aqqaluk Ittuk	M/V Cargo/ Passenger	09-Aug-1988	South Greenland Waters	67.47	29.48	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Unknown	C1
Arbitrator	Steamship	23-Aug-1876	Grand Banks	46.03	49.42	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Arctic	M/V Bulk Carrier	17-Oct-1978	Baffin Bay Area	72.08	64.25	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1 D1 D2 D3
Arctic Viking	M/V Cargo	01-Oct-1998	Baffin Bay Area	72.59	80.32	Collision with other object avoiding an iceberg	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 C1
Ardan-corrach	SS Cargo	23-Feb-1891	Grand Banks	46.00	48.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Argo (I)	Sailing Ship	27-Mar-1847	Grand Banks	45.00	46.00	Unknown	Abandoned	No	Unknown	Unknown
Argo (II)	Steamship	1-Aug-1859	Grand Banks	46.30	52.00	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Arizona	SS Passenger	7-Nov-1879	Grand Banks	47.35	46.45	Direct Impact	Crushed	No	Yes	Medium	D1 D2 D3 D4
Armathia¹⁵	SS Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.45	54.25	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Armenia	Bark	17-Mar-1894	Grand Banks	43.35	48.00	Unknown	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Small
Arthur⁹	Brigantine	1-June-1882	Grand Banks	47.50	52.25	Unknown	Cracks	No	No	Unknown
Asdrubel¹⁰	Steam Screw Schooner	20-Jun-1882	Grand Banks	46.45	53.45	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown	T1 T2
Ashworth	Steam Screws Schooner	01-Apr-1933	Grand Banks	46.06	48.15	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Asquith¹⁶	Schooner	05-Aug-1919	Grand Banks	47.00	51.00	Glancing Blow	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Astrid	Bark	13-Jun-1921	Grand Banks	46.48	46.41	Direct Impact	Hole	No	No	Large
Atlanta	Schooner	28-Apr-1911	Grand Banks	48.12	52.43	Direct Impact	Hole	No	Yes=1	Very large	C1 T1 T2 T3
Atlantic	Bark	18-Aug-1876	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.36	55.45	Collision with other object avoiding an iceberg	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Atlas	Schooner	6-May-1874	Grand Banks	47.20	48.10	Unknown	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Augusta Victoria	SS Passenger	22-Apr-1890	Grand Banks	48.00	48.00	Glancing Blow	Minor Deck Damage	Unknown	Yes	Medium	S1
Aurania¹⁸	SS Passenger	14-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.49	55.50	Direct impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Large
Aurania	SS Passenger	29-Aug-1926	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.47	55.11	Glancing Blow	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Aurora	Brig	17-May-1875	Grand Banks	46.03	49.48	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

1. New addition, source https://alaskashipwreck.com/ , for further information.
2. The first collision occurred on May 24 in the position noted in the table according to the Hydrographic Bulletin. The ship arrived St. John’s on the 26th and was due to sail on to Halifax on the 28th. Presumably the next accident occurred close to Bay Bulls so likely on the 28th, where it was noted on the 31st. The Hydrographic Bulletin has further observation from her on June 3 as she headed southward to Halifax.
3. Event occurred off Tilt Cove, Newfoundland. Coordinates have been amended in table.
4. There is no confirmation of this event. Original entry was based on a New York Times article in the Apr 21, 1912 issue (shortly after the sinking of the Titanic). This in turn appears to be a word for word part replication of an article that appeared in the Vol. 20 1904 issue of The Windsor Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women, “the Peril of Icebergs” by P.T. McGrath (https://books.google.ca/books?id=d0BiU5FZSRkC&pg=PA327&lpg=PA327&dq=schooner+Albatross) involving the SS Liddesdale in 1883, in which the schooner Albatross came to grief on an iceberg and the crew were picked up by the schooner Energy. This collided with and was sunk by the Liddesdale which later went aground near Cape Race, Newfoundland. Further research has shown that while the essence of the story is basically true the two ships involved were not the Albatross and the Energy but the SS Cedar Grove and the schooner Parole and that the accidents occurred close to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and icebergs were not involved. The Liddesdale came to grief on the headland of St. Shotts the next headland to the west of Cape Race on 5 Dec. 1882 (https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/26826/rec/4 ). Further research so far has revealed nothing about a collision with a ship named Albatross and an iceberg.
5. No further information has yet been found but Lloyd’s Register for 1894 does confirm that a brigantine of this name was wrecked in 1894.
6. Ship Albion, master M. Allan, of the Allan Line ships, built 1845 in Greenock of 414 tons according to Lloyd’s Register, 1845.
7. New addition. Left Heart’s Content on Feb 29 for sealing grounds. Weather turned bad and tried to make for Catalina but was prevented by ice. Altered course to NNE and at 2 am the following morning came into collision with a grounded iceberg on the rocks of the Old Harry off the tip of Cape Bonavista losing bowsprit, foremast, mainmast and yards. The crew eventual managed to get the ship off and to Catalina from where it was eventually towed to St. John’s. Court action followed as to whether it was stranded or grounded having legal implications. See Decisions of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, 1864 – 1874, chapter Warren vs Cummins, pp 104 – 110 at Google Books.
8. “The 85 foot crab fishing schooner Apache sank after striking a boat sized iceberg November 18, 1994 one and a half miles off of Bay Point in Farragut Bay, 25 miles north of Petersburg. All four persons aboard made it to safety”, courtesy of Alaskan Shipwrecks at https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-a/
9. New addition. According to the Harbor Grace Standard 10 June 1882 p.3 col.5 “The bigt. Arthur, Jones, master, which left here Thursday evening last for New London, P.E.I. collided with an iceberg when about 15 miles of Cape S. Francis, by which she lost bowsprit, jib-boom, head-gear, etc.”. Lloyd’s Register does have a brigantine listed out of P.E. I. of 210 tons. Could be the same ship though listed masters are different; https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/lloyds-register-of-ships-online
10. The date of the collision has been given by some sources as 21 June but if the newspaper date of early Tuesday morning is correct then the date must be the 20th.
11. Date and position in Table corrected to that given in the Evening Telegram (T1). (Modified 2 Feb 2023). Full specs of the 278 ton American bark at httpes://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l0179721884/#12
12. The 9 June 1896 edition of The Evening Telegram describes the location as being 225 miles off the Newfoundland coast with the steamer track to the south which would put it in about 48 N 48 W and the position in the table above has been amended to reflect this.
13. New addition (8 Mar 2023). Position approximate. The 92 ton vessel was Built at Essex, Massachusetts in 1898, and owned by John Hardy of Jersey Harbour (from Maritime History Archives, St. John’s)
14. New Addition (12 April 2023). As part of Convoy SC 38, Sydney, Nova Scotia – UK, Greek vessel of 4151 tons, built 1912 and loaded with grain struck a berg in the Strait Of Belle Isle and returned to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Further vessel specifications and info at https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?232963 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/hx140.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.
15. New Addition (13 April 2023). As part of Convoy SC 38, Sydney, Nova Scotia – UK, Greek vessel of 4683 tons, built 1919 as the Kastelia of the Donaldson Line, and loaded with iron ore struck a berg in the Strait Of Belle Isle and returned to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Further vessel specifications and info at https://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/Donaldson2.php#Kastalia . 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/hx140.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 229A which sank with loss of life in 1943 after collision with an iceberg. Also of interest is that the previous Kastalia of the Donaldson Line built in 1897 and sunk in WW1 also struck a berg in May 1913 on the Grand Banks; see Kastalia 2 .
16. (Updated 28 Dec 2023). Asquith 36 days out from Cadiz with salt for A.E. Hickman & Co., arrived St. John’s evening of 6 Aug 1919. “Coming along” in dense fog collided with an iceberg on Tuesday (= 5th) in light winds making only slight headway. Damage limited to losing bobstay and a few minor injuries. This suggests the accident was not too far from port so location in the table above has been amended as well as the date. Sources: Evening Telegram, 7 Aug, p.6 col. 9 and Daily Star, 7 Aug., p.3 col. 2. Daily Star 8 Aug. p. 10 col. 7 adds that the captain was Snelgrove and that the damage was a bit more than originally thought and that the bowsprit and all the rigging was carried away and the cutwater smashed.
17. While the exact location of of the collision is unknown it is likely a little further north than that suggested in the pdf file and has been amended in the table above.
18. Updated 24 Sep 2024 with the position as given at https://hmsausonia.co.uk/history/cunard-a-class-ships/aurania/ which gives a detailed history of the ship and a short account of the collision which occurred in the early evening just as the ship emerged from a fog bank with a large iceberg directly ahead. For the war it was fitted out as an armed merchant cruiser and was an escort ship for convoy SC 37, Halifax to the Clyde, UK. The ship returned to Halifax then on to Newport News, USA for repairs which took two months so must have been significant damage. No mention of casualties.