Iceberg Casualties – Ship Names starting with “N & O”

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, T = additional information.

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
Nancy (I)	Sailing Ship	28-Aug-1761	Grand Banks	46.00	50.50	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nancy (II)	Schooner	24-Apr-1892	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	46.00	59.30	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Naronic¹	SS Cargo/ Passenger	18-Feb-1893	Grand Banks	45.01	48.03	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	S1 C1
Navi Champion	M/V Bulk Carrier	07-May-1973	Grand Banks	49.00	46.00	Unknown	Large hole	No	No	Unknown	S1
Nellie N.	Schooner	24-May-1912	Grand Banks	47.34	52.42	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Growler
Neptune (I)⁹	SS Cargo/ Sealing Vessel	1-Apr-1885	Grand Banks	49.40	53.35	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 S2
Neptune (II)	Bark	11-May-1880	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	46.50	58.50	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Nessmore 2	SS Cargo	13-Jan-1890	Grand Banks	46.22	49.52	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nessmore 1	SS Cargo	29-Apr-1883	Grand Banks	41.50	52.00	Glancing Blow	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nevada (I)	SS Cargo/ Passenger	5-Jul-1874	Grand Banks	46.06	47.57	Unknown	Minor Deck Damage	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 S2
Nevada (II)	SS Tanker	06-Jun-1948	Grand Banks	48.12	52.15	Direct Impact	Crushed	No	Unknown	Unknown
Niagara (I)	Bark	9-May-1845	Grand Banks	44.30	49.30	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Yes	Large
Niagara (II)	SS Passenger	11-Apr-1912	Grand Banks	41.22	49.57	Direct Impact	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Small	S1
Nicania⁵	SS Cargo	5- Jun- 1943	Grand Banks	45.04	48.33	Unknown	Serious	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 C1
Nicholas	Ship	31-May-1863	Grand Banks	46.06	46.12	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nienburg	SS Cargo	01-May-1938	Grand Banks	46.06	48.06	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nive	Brig	1-Apr-1874	Grand Banks	45.30	45.00	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Norburn¹⁰	SS Cargo	03-Jul-1922	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.46	55.10	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1 T1
Norco	M/V Passenger	18-Oct-1929	Alaskan Waters	57.55	133.04	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Small
Norden	Sailing Ship	10-May-1859	Grand Banks	45.00	54.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Nordik Express	M/V Passenger	18-May-1991	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.15	57.50	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1
Normannia	SS Passenger	27-May-1890	Grand Banks	45.48	47.50	Glancing Blow	Denting	No	Yes	Large	S1
Norse King	SS Cargo	2-May-1890	Grand Banks	48.13	49.15	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Norwegian Sun⁷	Cruise Ship	25 June-2022	Alaskan Waters	59.56	139.35	Glancing Blow	Denting	No	No	Growler	S1 C1
Norwood	Sailing Ship	2-May-1890	Grand Banks	46.06	47.06	Direct Impact	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Notting Hill	SS Cargo/ Passenger	2-Feb-1884	Grand Banks	46.00	46.20	Glancing Blow	Abandoned	No	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Nyanza	Schooner	8-May-1897	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	47.15	61.40	Direct Impact	Abandoned	No	Unknown	Unknown
Nyco	SS Cargo	28-Sep-1943	South Greenland Waters	60.30	46.30	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Nyssia	Brig	3-Jun-1859	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.35	54.51	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Oban	Brig	5-Jun-1882	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	46.54	56.20	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ocean Pearl	Schooner	2-Jul-1864	Grand Banks	46.06	46.03	Direct Impact	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ocean Prawns	M/V Stern Trawler	16-Aug-1984	Labrador Sea and Davis Strait	60.00	60.00	Grounding on	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Olbia	Steam Schooner	1-Apr-1894	Grand Banks	46.30	53.30	Unknown	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Olivette⁸	Brigantine	11-May-1882	Grand Banks	46.00	46.09	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Medium	T1
~~Olwen~~²	Schooner	4 Dec 1921	Grand Banks	46.30	52.00	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 T1
Omikron-venture L.	M/V Tanker	28-Apr-1993	Grand Banks	47.50	48.21	Unknown	Cracks	No	No	Growler	S1 C1 C2 C3
OOCL Challenge	Container Ship	04-Feb-1993	Grand Banks	45.00	49.13	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in waves	Large hole	No	No	Bergy bit	S1 C1 C2 C3
Oregon I⁶	M/V Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle	51.45	54.45	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ornen	Bark	23-Jun-1861	Grand Banks	45.14	49.27	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
~~Oscolo~~ Osceola⁴	Schooner	6-Jul-1880	Grand Banks	47.31	51.37	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Osprey	Sealing/ Cargo Vessel	16-Jun-1871	Grand Banks	48.15	53.10	Direct Impact	Cracks	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Ossuna	Bark	7-May-1885	Grand Banks	46.00	47.00	Glancing Blow	Minor Deck Damage	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Overseas Ohio	M/V Oil Tanker	02-Jan-1994	Alaskan Waters	60.45	147.30	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in waves	Cracks	No	No	Bergy bit	S1 C1 D1 D2
Oxonian³	SS Cargo	19-May-1923	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	47.30	59.33	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1

1. Largely claimed at the time as having been sunk by an iceberg but, in fact, given the lack of icebergs at that time it is highly unlikely. See Ice charts 1893
2. (Updated 16 Jan 2024). Initial entry into the database was based on newspaper reports as in T1 of which this is just one example. However, further investigation has revealed that there is no foundation that the Olwen was lost due to an iceberg. In fact, it is difficult to find a reasonable explanation for that distortion in details. A detailed account of the loss due to heavy seas in December 1921 is given at https://www.eastwaters.com/shipping/schooner-olwen/# in which the vessel was abandoned and set afire in mid-Atlantic. This is also reported in the local newspapers, The Evening Telegram, Daily News and the Evening Advocate in the issues of 9/10 Dec 2012, and Lloyd’s Register 1921/22 notes abandoned at sea in December 1921.The six man crew was saved by the passing Italian steamer, Vulcano, en route for Italy from Montreal.
3. Over 800 head of cattle aboard. Several plates damaged below waterline and repaired in St. John’s.
4. Evening Telegram (St. John’s) 6 July 1880, p.1 col.3 “Collision with an Iceberg. The fishing schooner Osceolo, which sailed for the Banks yesterday, returned to port this afternoon in a disabled condition. It appears that about 4 o’clock this morning, while the Osceolo was running along with a fresh breeze and thick fog, as usual, she collided with an enormous iceberg, carrying away her jibboom and bowsprit and starting her windlass. The schooner was about 41 miles off Cape Spear at the time of the accident.” The coordinates in the Table reflect this updated position.
5. In Convoy HX 242, New York – Halifax Liverpool in dense fog at 6 knots iceberg slid down between the ship columns encountering first the Nicania, the 3rd ship in column 11, doing serious damage almost immediately followed by collision with the John A. Brown, the 4th ship in line, doing lesser damage. The collisions occurred at 2306 GMT on June 5 so about 2000 local time. The Nicania returned with escort to St. John’s and the John A. Brown continued. See http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/mr/mr0745.pdf starting page 58 for further details and also http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c5514/443?r=0&s=1 and following images to No. 531.
6. New addition. As part of Convoy HX 140. Halifax – UK, loaded with iron ore struck a berg in the Strait Of Belle Isle but apparently able to continue. Convoy was paired with SC 38 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 . Vessel of 4,774 tons was built in Denmark in 1916. Basic ship info, photo, and 1945 wreck info available at http://www.irishwrecksonline.net/details/Oregon650.htm . 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.
7. New event and new addition. Struck a growler a glancing blow off the Hubbard Glacier at slow speed. Some passengers claimed to have been knocked off their feet but no injuries reported. Cruise aborted and vessel went on to Juneau for inspection and then Seattle for repairs to starboard bow. Expected return to service July 14 with serious impacts on future schedules. Collision occurred in light fog in limited visibility. The growler in the video appears very dark likely caused by entrained glacial sediments or gravel. This could not only make the growler harder to see but also to sink lower in the water with the extra weight making it even more difficult to identify. Video at : https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/07/11/cruise-ship-iceberg-repair-norwegian/10029574002/
and ships specs at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Sun
8. A 129 ft 288 ton Brigantine built PEI 1881. More details at Lloyd’s Register https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/lloyds-register-of-ships-online .
9. Loss of bowsprit and jib-boom. Local newspapers haven’t provided exact date and location but likely within the first week of April and in the vicinity of the Funk Islands with the rest of the sealing fleet.
10. (Updated 12 Jan 2024). Newspaper reports added in T1, and position slightly amended to bringing the collision closer to the coast.