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

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
Saale	SS Passenger	11-Jun-1889	Grand Banks	42.54	49.54	Striking projection	Denting	No	No	Large	S1 D1
Saint Coulomb	Fishing Schooner	11-Apr-1935	Labrador Sea and Davis Strait	57.30	55.00	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Saint Francoise	Brig	10-Aug-1878	Grand Banks	46.02	48.58	Direct Impact	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Saint Georges	Schooner	17-Apr-1905	Grand Banks	45.20	51.25	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Samara	SS Cargo	1-Jul-1899	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.57	51.50	Unknown	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Samaustral²²	SS Cargo	27-May-1945	Grand Banks	43.08	49.18	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Very Large
Samoland²³	SS Cargo	27-May-1945	Grand Banks	43.08	49.18	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Gtrowler
Samuel Moss	Schooner	9-May-1897	Grand Banks	47.35	46.35	Direct Impact	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Santa Isabel	M/V Stern Trawler	23-Apr-1971	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	53.04	52.14	Unknown	Sinking	No	No	Unknown	C1
Sappa Creek	M/V Tanker	01-Aug-1951	Baffin Bay Area	75.00	66.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 S2 D1
Sarah Grace	Brigantine	13-Mar-1876	Grand Banks	46.45	52.50	Iceberg drifts upon vessel	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Sardinian 2	SS Passenger	01-Apr-1903	Grand Banks	42.35	52.49	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Large	S1
Sardinian 1	SS Passenger	16-Jun-1876	Grand Banks	46.14	52.50	Glancing Blow	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Saturnia	SS Passenger	15-Aug-1911	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.30	51.49	Glancing Blow	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 T1
Saugus	SS Cargo	23-Jun-1925	Grand Banks	42.21	48.11	Grounding on	No damage	Unknown	Unknown	Large	T1 T2 T3
Scandinavian	SS Passenger	21-Jun-1894	Grand Banks	46.06	46.54	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Medium	S1
Schleswig	Schooner	11-Nov-1880	Grand Banks	46.06	49.54	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Scotia 2¹⁴	Steamship	21-May-1865	Grand Banks			Graze	None	None	None	Large	T1
Scotia 1 ¹⁶	SS Cable Laying	2-Jul-1894	Grand Banks	48.39	49.06	Glancing Blow	Cracks	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	S1 T1 T2
Scotian	SS Passenger	01-Jul-1914	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.55	55.30	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Sea Voyager II¹	M/V Trawler	13-May-2000	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.37	56.18	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in waves	Hole	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Seapool¹³	SS Cargo	07-Jun-1921	Grand Banks	48.20	48.50	Direct Impact	Hole	No	Unknown	Medium	S1 T1 T2
Sebastapol	Bark	13-May-1880	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	47.12	60.01	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
See More	Sightseeing Vessel	01-Jul-1996	Alaskan Waters	57.53	133.12	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Seirstad 2²	SS Cargo	17-May-1933	Grand Banks	47.48	52.42	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Growler	S1 T1 T2
Seirstad 1²	SS Cargo	21-Jul-1921	Grand Banks	48.27	50.00	Glancing Blow	Minor	No	No	Unknown	S1 T1
Seirstad 3²	SS Cargo	8 Jun 1929	Grand Banks	46.40	53.00	Direct Impact	Holed	No	No	Large	S1 T1 T2
Senta¹⁸	SS Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.45	54.25	Direct impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Seven Sisters³	Schooner	26-Jul-1912	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.55	55.20	Direct Impact	Sinking	No	No	Unknown
Shannon	Whaling Vessel	26-Apr-1832	South Greenland Waters	58.00	47.00	Direct Impact	Sinking	Yes	Yes	Unknown	T1
Sheerness	SS Cargo	1-May-1897	Grand Banks	47.00	50.00	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Shirley Reid	Schooner	19-Jun-1940	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	50.33	55.40	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Siddartha	Bark	1-Mar-1894	Grand Banks	44.05	45.06	Direct Impact	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Sidonian	SS Cargo/ Passenger	4-Feb-1884	Grand Banks	45.02	48.07	Glancing Blow	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Silverbeech²¹	SS Cargo	25-Jul-1941	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.45	54.45	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Iceberg	S1
Snowdon Range	SS Cargo	03-May-1913	Grand Banks	47.20	44.15	Direct Impact	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Ice Island	S1 T1
Snowdrop⁴	Whaling Vessel	18-Sep-1908	Labrador Sea and Davis Strait	62.54	64.30	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
Solborg	Fishing Trawler	17-Jun-2004	Grand Banks	47.52	52.15	Direct Impact	Denting	No	No	Small	D1 D2 D3 D4 C1 C2
Speranza⁵	Bark	10-Jul-1890	Grand Banks	46.03	48.57	Direct Impact	Sinking	Yes	Yes	Ice Island
Spirit of Adventure⁶	Sightseeing Catamaran	26-Aug-1996	Alaskan Waters	58.58	136.55	Unknown	Puncture	No	No	Bergy bit	S1 C1
Spokane	SS Cargo/ Passenger	01-Aug-1907	Alaskan Waters	58.30	135.00	Unknown	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1 S2
St. Anthony	Steamship	10-Jul-1922	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.47	55.10	Unknown	Puncture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
St. Louis	Steamship	1-May-1855	Grand Banks	46.06	49.15	Direct Impact	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
St. Solens⁷	Schooner	28-Apr-1914	Grand Banks	46.06	48.52	Unknown	Abandoned	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Stadacona	Bark	24-Apr-1841	Gulf of St. Lawrence and South	47.30	59.15	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown	C1
Staffa	Schooner	24-Jun-1874	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.35	55.17	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Starck⁸	SS Cargo	04-Jul-1934	Grand Banks	46.06	48.12	Direct Impact	Denting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
State of Georgia⁹	SS Cargo	1-Jan-1897	Grand Banks	0.00	0.00	Unknown	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	S1 D1
State of Louisiana	SS Cargo	26-Jun-1874	Grand Banks	46.03	49.51	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	S1
State of Nevada	SS Passenger	12-Jun-1875	Grand Banks	43.20	48.20	Direct Impact	Crushed	Unknown	Unknown	Large	S1
Steel Inventor²⁰	SS Cargo	7 May-1943	Grand Banks	47.00	48.00	Unknown	Unknown	No	Unknown	Unknown
Stefan Batory¹⁰	Steam Turbine Passenger	01-May-1975	Grand Banks	0.00	0.00	Glancing Blow	Unknown	No	Yes	Unknown	S1
Stella B. ~~Wood~~¹⁷	Schooner	26-Jul-1906	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.45	55.55	Unknown	Sinking	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Stella-r	Yacht	01-Jun-1992	Grand Banks	43.00	44.00	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Growler	S1 C1 C2
Stephanie Colleen	Longliner	12-Jun-1991	Grand Banks	47.50	52.46	Striking concealed growler/bergy bit in field ice	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Growler
Stephen¹¹	Brig	9-May-1842	Grand Banks	47.20	46.30	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Sunetta²⁴	SS Tanker	27-May-1945	Grand Banks	43.08	49.18	Glancing blow	Denting	No	No	Very Large
Superb¹²	Sailing Ship	23-Apr-1828	Grand Banks	45.00	48.00	Direct Impact	Abandoned	Yes	Yes	Bergy bit
Superior	Sailing vessel	22-Apr-1867	Grand Banks	49.15	53.00	Unknown	Abandoned	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Surinam	Bark	3-Sep-1862	Strait of Belle Isle and Approaches	51.33	52.28	Unknown	Sinking	No	Unknown	Unknown
Susan¹⁵	Brig	26-Mar-1887	Grand Banks	47.05	52.50	Direct Impact	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	T1
Sussexvale²⁵	HMCS Frigate	27-May-1945	Grand Banks	45.30	48.00	Glancing Blow	Crack	No	No	Unknown
Svend Foyn¹⁹	SS Tanker	19-Mar-1943	South Greenland Waters	58.05	43.50	Glancing Blow	Sinking	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	S1

1. Image at https://www.marinetraffic.com/
2. (Updated 29 Mar 2024). Amazingly the Seirstad was involved in three separate collisions with icebergs, the third being fatal. It was built in 1921 by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle for the Norwegians as an oil burning ore carrier to ferry the iron ore out of Bell Island near St. John’s, Newfoundland. The threat from icebergs was thus very real. The order of the incidents in the table above is not chronological but as I found them. Some of the reports, too, were very confusing, mis-naming ships and dates. As if three iceberg collisions wasn’t enough its final end into the depths landed it on not just one but two trans-Atlantic submarine cables severing them both! (T2).
The ship’s first collision in 1921 may well have been on the return portion of its maiden voyage as that was the year it was apparently commissioned. The ship was reported variously and incorrectly as the Serestord and the Storstad, the latter being the ship that was in collision with the Empress of Ireland with great loss of life and indeed was itself sunk in WW1 years before. Reports give the collision as 120 miles from shore so the position in the table above has been amended accordingly.
The 2nd collision was in 1929 a few miles from Cape Race.
The last incident in 1933 resulted in its sinking and occurred 2 miles off Cape St. Francis, not far from Bell Island. For a description of the sinking in poetry see: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_period/id/77181 .
3. Evening Telegram, 2 August 1912, p.4 col.3 “Another Schooner Gone. FOUNDERING ICEBERG SENDS HER TO BOTTOM. Wednesday a message was received by an uptown firm from Belle Isle in the Straits, saying that the Schr. “Seven Sisters” of King’s Cove, and owned by Aubrey Brown, had been sunk by the foundering of a big iceberg, many of which are about that place. The crew escaped after running the risk of their lives. There is plenty of fish there and the schooner, it is thought, was half filled with cod. The vessel is insured but to the great loss of the owner and crew the fish is not. The crew it is believed lost most of their belongings.” Date & locality confirmed by Parliamentary Papers: 1909-1982, Volume 70.
4. See https://www.maggielaw.co.uk/copy-of-the-bella and https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/extraordinary-story-dundee-whaler-who-joined-inuits-867182
5. A Norwegian vessel
6. Further vessel specifications at https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB1520.pdf
7. According to The Master, Mate and Pilot, Volume 7, p.23 on the eastern part of the Grand Banks
8. According to the Western Star (Corner Brook) it was at Summerside from Indian Bay with a load of of pulpwood to lay up in heavy weather 1 July.
9. Presumed at the the time to have been lost in the ice, and in fact, the ice was early and extensive that year but 18 months later, in June 1898 pieces of her boats were found at the Shetland Islands. The steamer was last seen off the northern tip of Scotland on 28 Dec 1897 and now presumed to have foundered shortly after. However, there is a newspaper photograph of a hole in her bow supposedly cause by striking an iceberg on an earlier voyage details of which have still to be found.
10. See http://stefanbatoryoceanliner.weebly.com/book-ksiazka.html for what sounds like a near miss but mentions a collision with the earlier Stefan Batory with a small iceberg in 1964. Perhaps the incident mentioned in http://stefanbatoryoceanliner.weebly.com/book-ksiazka.html refers to that event.
11. Crew rescued by schooner John Romilly or John Ramley.
12. See also http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Arrivals/1828a.shtml
13. See also Victoria Daily Times, Wednesday June 8, 1921 available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Victoria_Daily_Times_%281921-06-08%29_%28IA_victoriadailytimes19210608%29.pdf . After repairs in St. John’s ship sailed for Dublin 29 June 1921. Just for the record both the Daily News and the Evening Advocate of St. John’s 10 August 1921 report the same paragraph that after being repaired it was noted that it passed Barry, (or Berry) Island with her bows badly damaged after collision with an iceberg. So far we have no further info.
14. New addition. Exact location unknown but 4 days out from New York.
15. Evening Telegram account given in T1 and for similar Harbor Grace Standard account 9 April 1887 see: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/hgstandard/id/7306/
16. The Harbor Grace Standard (T1) has two separate articles in adjacent columns giving two slightly different but similar positions for the collision. The Evening Telegram in a lengthy two column article gives yet a third and the description covering the collision is reproduced in T2 while the reader is referred to the complete article at https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/44337 for the remainder which is largely to do with the submarine cables itself. The date and position in the table above has been amended to reflect the description given in the Telegram.
17. It would appear that the official name is just Stella B., a 135 ton schooner out of St. John’s. See Lloyd’s Register 1906 for particulars, https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/lloyds-register-of-ships-online . According to The Evening Telegram (T1) the collision would have taken place on the Tuesday July 29, 5 miles from Cape Bauld which, depending on direction, would be about 51:43N 55:23W
18. New Addition (16 April 2023). As part of Convoy SC 38, Sydney, Nova Scotia – UK, The Norwegian vessel, Senta, of 3785 tons, built 1917, 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://archive.org/details/@lrfhec?tab=uploads&&and[]=year%3A%221941%22 . 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, and Kingsborough 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. Further info as of 19 Jan 2026: Movement Cards held at the UK National Archives indicate that the vessel’s bows & forepeak were damaged, and vessel needs d.d. [dry dock?] and returned to Sydney. Repairs and dry-docking were done at Quebec and completed 11 September.
19. Updated 3 May 2023. The collision description which is truncated in the pdf file reads in full “Vessel was badly holed in the quarter and had to shut down engines but remained afloat. HMS Hastings was detailed to stand by and two rescue tugs were ordered in with orders for life saving only and not to tow. The two U.S rescue ships arrived at dusk the following day and drew alongside the tanker but cast of again as it got darker. No crew was lifted as the captain appeared insistent that the vessel be towed. A gale sprang up that night and the Svend Foyn suddenly began to sink and the vessels were called back. Some crew got off in lifeboats the others swept off the deck. Off 195 aboard 152 were picked up. Searching went on till noon on that day, the 21st. Longitude also given as 44°15’W.”
20. (New addition as of 7 Nov. 2025). The U.S. vessel, Steel Inventor, 5687 grt, was one of at least 4 merchant vessels of Convoy ON 180, UK to North America that struck icebergs likely all in the given approximate position. Damage unknown. Voyage details and positions are given in https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c5522/4960. Vessel photograph and some particulars and history can be found at https://www.isthmianlines.com/ships/sa_steel_inventor.htm
21. New Addition (20 Jan 2026). As part of Convoy HX 140, Halifax, Nova Scotia – UK, The British vessel, Silverbeech, of 5319 tons, built 1926, and loaded with general cargo struck a berg in the Strait Of Belle Isle. The only evidence for the collision is from its Movement Card held by the UK National Archives. It was repaired at Hull over a three week period. The Convoy was paired with SDC 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. Other vessels striking bergs at this time are Oregon 1 and Malvina of Convoy HX140, and Agia Marina, Armathia, Boltonhall, Dimitrios Chandris, Senta, and Kingsborough of Convoy SC 38.
22. (Added 21 Jan 2026). The British cargo ship Samaustral, 7,255 grt, was one of four ships of post-war Convoy ON 303, Liverpool to New York, that collided with a very large iceberg in very poor visibility while executing an emergency turn that also saw 22 ships in collision with each other. The Samaustral apparently suffered little damage and the incident is not mentioned in its Movement Cards but they do mention five days of repair at Halifax. Its collision is mention in the official reports. See the page https://newicedata.com/convoy-on-303/ for the full story.
23. (Added 21 Jan 2026). The British cargo ship Samoland, 7,255 grt, was one of four ships of post-war Convoy ON 303, Liverpool to New York, that collided with a very large iceberg in very poor visibility, though this ship likely hit a small growler, while executing an emergency turn that also saw 22 ships in collision with each other. The Samoland apparently suffered little damage and the incident is not mentioned in its Movement Cards. However, when it got back to the UK at the end of June 2 weeks of repair were spent in London though no cause is mentioned. Its collision is mention in the official reports. See the page https://newicedata.com/convoy-on-303/ for the full story.
24. (Added 21 Jan 2026). The Dutch tanker Sunetta, 7,987 grt, was one of four ships of post-war Convoy ON 303, Liverpool to New York, that collided with a very large iceberg in very poor visibility while executing an emergency turn that also saw 22 ships in collision with each other. The Sunetta apparently suffered little damage losing an anchor and the incident is noted as slight in the official reports and in its Movement Cards. See the page https://newicedata.com/convoy-on-303/ for the full story.
25. (Added 21 Jan 2026). The Canadian River-Class Frigate Sussexvale was part of the post-war Convoy ON 303, Liverpool to New York, but as part of the convoy and not as an escort and was detached on the 26 May for Halifax before the convoy debacle with an iceberg the following day. But somewhere along the line it suffered damage to its ASDIC dome which it is assumed was due to contact with ice sometime and somewhere, a common occurrence in ice covered waters. Date and location are estimated. For the full story of the convoy see https://newicedata.com/convoy-on-303/ .