The cargo ship collided with Dorrington Court (United Kingdom) and sank off the Goodwin Sands, English Channel.[2] Twenty-eight of her 33 crew were killed.[3]
8 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 8 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Pinjarra
United Kingdom
The cargo liner ran aground at the mouth of the River Tees.[4] Refloated the next day.[5]
9 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 9 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Suerte
Lebanon
The Liberty ship ran aground near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[6]
destroyed by explosion at Ekaterininsky. S-350 (Soviet Navy) damaged by the explosion. A total of 132 people killed.
Fordfield
United Kingdom
The coaster capsized and sank 10 nautical miles (19 km) south east of the Owers Lightvessel, off Selsey Bill, West Sussex. All nine crew rescued by Perla Dan (Denmark).[7]
16 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Finn Gemma
Norway
The coaster collided with Nordic in Bremen Harbour and sank. All 12 crew rescued.[8]
17 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 17 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Neftegorsk
Soviet Union
The tanker ran aground off the mouth of the Gironde, France and was abandoned.[9]
20 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Fides
Italy
The Liberty ship ran aground at the mouth of the Elbe and broke in two. A total loss.[10]
21 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Hjalmar Wessel
Norway
The cargo ship caught fire in the North Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) north west of Den Helder, Netherlands. Fire extinguished and ship towed to IJmuiden.[11]
Fides
Italy
The cargo ship ran aground in the Elbe at Cuxhaven, West Germany.[11]
23 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Gladonia
United Kingdom
The coaster ran aground off the Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.[12]
31 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 31 January 1962
Ship
Country
Description
BP Driver
United Kingdom
The tanker ran aground at Porthcawl, Glamorgan.[13]
Unknown date[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1962
Ship
Country
Description
FV Gai Floreal
France
ran aground near Bennal Cove, St. Ives. All crew saved, ship towed back to France.[14]
February[]
1 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 1 February 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Berta Kienass
West Germany
The trawler struck a mine and sank off the Netherlands with the loss of all but one of her fourteen crew.[15]
Kozara
Greece
The cargo ship ran aground in the Black Sea. Refloated after nine days.[16]
The Type C2-F cargo ship ran aground on Santa Rosa Island, California.
28 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 February 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Captayannis
Panama
The cargo ship ran aground in the North Sea off Goeree-Overflakkee, South Holland, Netherlands (51°40′N3°25′E / 51.667°N 3.417°E / 51.667; 3.417). She was refloated but deemed uneconomic to repair and was scrapped in April 1962.[19]
Unknown date[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Kingsgate
United Kingdom
The coaster ran aground south of Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland.[20]
Delce
United Kingdom
The barge foundered in the Thames Estuary with the loss of both crew.[21]
March[]
4 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 March 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Island Lass
United Kingdom
The passenger ship foundered off North Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands.[22]
The coaster ran aground at St Alban's Head, Swanage Dorset.[23]
Norwich Trader
United Kingdom
The coaster collided with Akinity (United Kingdom) and was beached on a sandbank off Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Later refloated and reached port.[20]
14 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 March 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Athina
Greece
The cargo ship caught fire at Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. The fire was extinguished two days later but she was declared a constructive total loss. Scrapped in August 1962.[19]
The cargo ship collided with in the Bay of Biscay 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Ouessant, Finistère, France with British Mariner (United Kingdom) and sank. British Mariner was subsequently scrapped in May 1962.[19][25]
28 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 March 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Ridunian
United Kingdom
On voyage from Alderney to Guernsey with a cargo of gravel, was wrecked on rocks, off Guernsey.[26]
29 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 29 March 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Kirsten Skou
Denmark
The cargo ship collided with Karpfanger (West Germany) and sank in the English Channel off Dover, Kent. All 35 crew saved.[27]
30 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 March 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Skyros
Greece
The bulk carrier ran aground off To-shima, Tokyo and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from Kobe, Japan to Los Angeles, California, United States. Consequently scrapped.[28]
Unknown date[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Wear Breeze
Australia
The cargo ship ran aground at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Refloated but declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped in July.
The Liberty ship caught fire at Beirut, Lebanon. She was declared a constructive total loss.[29]
18 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 April 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Augustenburg
West Germany
The cargo ship collided with Colorado (Denmark) and sank 24 nautical miles (44 km) south of the Nab Tower off the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.[30]
30 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 April 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Bahia de Nepe
Cuba
The ship was attacked and sunk by a Guatemalan Air Force after firing upon the aircraft when ordered to identify herself. Guatemalan President Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes claimed the ship was running arms to Guatemala.[31]
The cargo ship collided with Jalazad (India) and sank 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south of Beachy Head, East Sussex, United Kingdom. All 32 crew rescued by Jalazad.[34]
July[]
6 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 July 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Tuaikaepau
New Zealand
ran aground on the Minerva Reef. Crew lived in the wreck of a Japanese vessel, wrecked two years earlier, for seven weeks before making a raft and some of them sailed to Fiji. Five crew died before rescue came.
The decommissioned Fletcher-classdestroyer was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean 180 nautical miles (330 km) south of Cape Henry, Virginia.
Star of Mecca
Saudi Arabia
The cargo ship ran aground near Jeddah, a total loss.[35]
30 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 July 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Montrose
United Kingdom
The 4,993-ton freighter struck a steel barge being pushed by a tug and sank under the bridge on the Detroit river the night of July 30, 1962.[1][2]. The collision ripped a hole in the side of the freighter causing water to flood into the front of the ship. All the crew got off safely and The Windsor Star reported about 20,000 spectators in Windsor and Detroit watched “the lumbering ship flop to her side in 30 feet of water”. The 440-foot vessel was said to be valued at $6 million to $8 million, exclusive of cargo, and was just 18 months old. She was coming from France to the Great Lakes with fine wine and 200 tons of aluminum.
31 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 31 July 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Monthouet
Belgium
collided with Arabella (Liberia) 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north of Cap Gris Nez, France. Set on fire and severely damaged with the loss of four crew. Towed to Antwerp for repairs.[1]
The Liberty ship ran aground on the Serrana Bank, in the Gulf of Mexico. She was later refloated and towed to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she was declared a constructive total loss.[29]
September[]
1 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 September 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Crescent
Panama
Typhoon Wanda: The Liberty ship was driven ashore at Hong Kong. Declared a constructive total loss, she was scrapped in situ.[17]
2 September[]
Typhoon Wanda - twenty ships aground or sunk at Hong Kong,[36] including -
Hurricane Daisy: The sealer, a converted minesweeper, was driven ashore and wrecked at New Harbour, Nova Scotia.[39]
21 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 October 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Sanct Svithun
Norway
The passenger ship ran aground off the Vikna Islands, refloated then sank with the loss of 33 of the 79 passengers and crew.[40]
26 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 October 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Costas Michalos
Greece
The Liberty ship ran aground on the Banc les Quenocs, off Calais, France and broke in two, a total loss.[41][42]
28 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 October 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Lisieux
France
The ferry caught fire on a voyage between Newhaven, East Sussex, United Kingdom and Dieppe. Escorted into Dieppe at reduced speed.[41]
29 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 29 October 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Matelots Pilien et Peyrat
France
The cargo ship was driven ashore in a storm at Port-de-Bouc, Bouches-du-Rhône and sank at the entrance to the Canal de Marseille au Rhône. Refloated on 3 November but declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.[19]
November[]
2 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 November 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Rana
Netherlands
The coaster sprang a leak and sank 25 nautical miles (46 km) off the west coast of Denmark.[43]
Musketier
Netherlands
The coaster ran aground at Crail, Fife, United Kingdom. Broke in two and sank on 6 November.[44]
10 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 November 1962
Ship
Country
Description
East Star
Canada
The coaster developed a severe list 130 nautical miles (240 km) of Bermuda and was abandoned. Crew rescued after nine days by San Gaspar (United Kingdom). East Star was taken in tow by Mount Borga (Norway).[45]
Zephyr
Liberia
The cargo ship ran aground at Gladden Spit, British Honduras. Caught fire on 17 November, refloated on 27 November. Declared a constructive total loss but sold, repaired and returned to service.[19]
11 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 11 November 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Jean Gougy
France
The fishing vessel ran aground at Land's End, Cornwall, United Kingdom and capsized. Eight of the twenty crew were rescued by helicopter or breeches buoy. Sergeant Eric Smith of 22 Squadron, Royal Air Force was awarded a George Medal for his actions in the rescue.[46]
The lifeboat foundered in the 'Seaham Lifeboat Disaster' with the loss of eight men and one boy (all five crew members and four of the five people they were trying to rescue).[47]
The cargo ship collided with Pulkovo (Soviet Union) and sank in the Baltic Sea south east of the Gedser Lightship, off the east coast of Denmark. All crew took to the lifeboats and were rescued by Lechistan (Poland).[53][54]
16 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 December 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Aristoteles
Greece
The 7,221 GRT freighter sank 600 kilometres (320 nmi) NE of Funchal, en route from Detroit to Calcutta.
Nautilus
West Germany
The cargo ship sank off the Netherlands with the loss of all but one of her 24 crew.[55]
Loide Honduras
Brazil
The cargo ship ran aground in the West Scheldt, Belgium.[55]
Uilenspiegel
Belgium
The pirate radio ship was driven ashore in a storm. She had got into difficulties off Zeebrugge and an attempt was made to tow her to Vlissingen, Netherlands but she broke her tow.[55]
18 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 December 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Ridgefield
Liberia
The Liberty ship ran aground at Grand Cayman Island and broke in two, a total loss.[10]
20 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 December 1962
Ship
Country
Description
Aghios Nicolaus
Greece
The coaster ran aground off Tripoli, Lebanon. All nine crew rescued by a Royal Air Force helicopter. Aghios Nicolaus was later refloated.[56]
The decommissioned Charles Lawrence-classhigh-speed transport sank 5 nautical miles (5.75 miles; 9 km) west of Key West, Florida, while under tow to a scrapyard sometime after her 24 October 1962 sale for scrapping.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 7 February 1962.
↑ 19.019.119.219.319.4Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
↑ 20.020.1"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 12 March 1962.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 18 July 1962.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 5 March 1962.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 12 March 1962.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 20 March 1962.