The Daphné-classsubmarine sank in the Mediterranean Sea about 25 nautical miles (29 miles; 46 km) from Toulon, France, with the loss of her entire crew of 52.
February[]
4 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 February 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Ross Cleveland
United Kingdom
The trawler capsized and sank off Isafjordur, Iceland with the loss of eighteen of her nineteen crew.
5 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 February 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Pacific Fir
Hong Kong
The cargo ship sprang a leak in the South China Sea 75 nautical miles (139 km) east of Tai Tung, Taiwan. (22°37′N121°42′E / 22.617°N 121.7°E / 22.617; 121.7) and was abandoned. Beached at Koto Soh but broke in two, a total loss.[5]
USS Preserver with the sunken Ocean Eagle off Puerto Rico, 1968.
The tanker ran aground at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Later broke in two, a total loss.[11]
6 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 March 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Antonios Michalos
Greece
The cargo ship struck a submerged object at Brăila, Romania and ran aground. Refloated but declared a constructive total loss and scrapped in May 1969.[5]
The freighter collided with the towing vessel Midwest Cities (United States) and her oil barge, Intercity No. 11 on the Mississippi River near Port LaHatch, LA. The ensuing conflagration resulted in the deaths of 15 crew and two passengers.[15]
20 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 March 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Elisabethville
Belgium
Caught fire at Antwerp, declared a constructive total loss. Scrapped in January 1969.[16]
Ran aground on North Sand Head, Goodwin Sands. Refloated later that day.[17]
10 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 April 1968
Ship
Country
Description
TEV Wahine
New Zealand
Salvage of TEV Wahine
The New Zealand inter-island ro-ro ferry of the Union Company, foundered on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour and capsized near Steeple Rock. Of the 610 passengers and 123 crew on board, 53 were killed.
The tanker Islas Orcadas exploded, caught fire and sank at Ensenada. The explosion spread burning oil which set tankers Fray Luis Beltran and Cutral Co on fire, both these ships also sank.[20]
10 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Gero Miklaos
Greece
The cargo ship ran aground in a cyclone at Akyab, Burma and broke up, a total loss.[5]
Bow section of Scorpion on the ocean bottom, photographed by the bathyscapheTrieste II.
The Skipjack-classsubmarine sank in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 nautical miles (460 miles, 740 km) southwest of the Azores on or after this date with the loss of her entire crew of 99.
28 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Inverrosa
United Kingdom
The ore carrier ran aground off Boca Ralon, Florida, United States. She was refloated on 23 May, subsequently laid up and scrapped.[21]
The decommissioned Gato-classsubmarine was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, New York, United States by United States Navy vessels.
19 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 19 July 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Magsaysay
Philippines
The cargo ship caught fire in the South China Sea off South Korea and was abandoned. She was towed into Pusan but declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped.[5]
The sunken Alvin photographed on the ocean bottom in June 1969.
The deep submergence vehicle sank in the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 39°53′30″N069°15′30″W / 39.89167°N 69.25833°W / 39.89167; -69.25833 ("DSV Alvin"), about 88 nautical miles (101 miles; 163 km) south of Nantucket Island, when steel cables lowering her over the side of the research shipLulu snapped and she fell into the water with her hatch open. All three crew members escaped. Alvin was refloated in September 1969, overhauled, and returned to service.[26]
The tanker exploded and sank 17 nautical miles (31 km) south of Eastbourne, East Sussex with the loss of three crew. Thirty-nine crew saved by the frigateHMS Mohawk (Royal Navy).[27]
Ran aground off Campbeltown, Argyllshire declared a constructive total loss.
Steepholm
United Kingdom
She was wrecked off South Wales. Four crewmen of the sand dredger were saved by the Atlantic College lifeboat and the Porthcawl lifeboat in partnership with the Mumbles lifeboat.
The buoy tender was sunk in a collision with the Helena (Taiwan) in the Mississippi River near White Castle, Louisiana. Only 3 of her 20 crewmen survived.[29]
The cargo ship sprang a leak and sank in the Mediterranean Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) off Gibraltar. The crew were rescued by Otto Leonhardt (West Germany).[5]
22 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 December 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Helisoma
United Kingdom
The tanker struck a Vietcongmine in a South Vietnamese port and was damaged.[30]
Federal Queen
United Kingdom
The schooner capsized and sank off Canouan Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Forty-one of the 79 people on board were killed.[31]
24 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 December 1968
Ship
Country
Description
Azuero
Panama
The Liberty ship ran aground in the Gironde and broke in two, a total loss.[32]
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 13 January 1968.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 15 January 1968.
↑"Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". 16 January 1968.
↑ 5.05.15.25.35.45.5Mitchell, 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.
Greece
United States Navy
United States Coast Guard
United Kingdom
Royal Navy
Israeli Navy
Egyptian Navy) sank her with depth charges are disputed by Israel.
French Navy
Hong Kong
Panama
India
Japan
Liberia
Soviet Navy
Denmark
Belgium
_being_sunk_as_a_target_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_on_9_January_1968.jpg){kind=link}
_with_sunken_tanker_Ocean_Eagle_off_Puerto_Rico_1968.jpg){kind=link}
Lebanon
Netherlands
Argentina
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Brazilian Navy
Philippines
Norway
Italy
United States Coast Guard
Taiwan) in the Mississippi River near White Castle, Louisiana. Only 3 of her 20 crewmen survived.[29]
West Germany).[5]