The worst boat disasters in human history

Boat accidents, unfortunately, are more common than we might expect. From infamous disasters like the Titanic to lesser-known but equally important vessels such as the SS Eastland, click through to learn about the worst boat disasters in history.

The White Ship

In November of 1120, the White Ship sank near the coast of Normandy. Approximately 300 passengers drowned including William the Aetheling, the only legitimate son and heir to King Henry I of England.

The death of William the Aetheling meant King Henry I of England had no successor when he died in 1135. Subsequently, a civil war broke out and peace wasn't restored until 1154. 

SS Sultana

The SS Sultana was built in 1863 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was typically used to transport passengers, mail, and goods between New Orleans and St. Louis.

Titanic

The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most famous tragedies in modern history and inspired stories and films. The Titanic was a British luxury passenger liner, the construction of which began in 1909.

SS Eastland

On the rainy morning of July 24, 1915, thousands gathered for the Western Electric Company's annual picnic, which was to begin with a boat ride across Lake Michigan. Passengers started boarding the SS Eastland around 6:30 am in downtown Chicago.

SS Mont-Blanc

The ammunition freighter SS Mont/Blanc collided with a Norwegian ship, the SS Imo, on December 6, 1917. This resulted in a fire and subsequent explosion as well as over 2,000 deaths. There were thousands of terrible injuries.

RMS Lancastria

The British ocean liner RMS Lancastria was owned by the Cunard Line and reconstructed in April 1940. It was subsequently sent to help British troops and citizens evacuate from France.

HS Armenia

In November 1928, the world met the HS Armenia, a soviet passenger ship. During WWII it was used to transport troops. It measured 367 feet (112 meters) in length and had a maximum capacity of 980 passengers.

Yamato Battleship

The Yamato was a Japanese  WWII battleship built in 1941. The ship was struck by a US bomb on April 7, 1945, and subsequently capsized.

SS Cap Arcona

The SS Cap Arcona was a German luxury ocean liner when it first launched in 1927. However, it was later used to transport prisoners from concentration camps to Lübeck in 1945 after Germany surrendered. 

MV Wilhelm Gustloff

The MV Wilhelm Gustloff was originally a cruise ship that was transformed to help transport troops in WWII. It departed alongside two torpedo boats and the passenger ship Hansa. However, mechanical issues forced the Hansa and one torpedo boat to turn back, leaving only the torpedo boat Löwe.

PS General Slocum

Built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1891, the PS General Slocum was a sidewheel passenger steamboat. The ship measured 1,284 tons (1.2 million kilograms) gross, boasted a hull depth of 12.3 feet (4 meters), and was constructed of white oak and yellow pine.

SS Kiang Ya

The SS Kiang Ya, originally named the SS Hsing Ya Maru, was built in 1939. It served as a coastal passenger steamship. In 1947, the Toa Kaiun Kabushiki Kaisha shipping company that owned the boat sold it to the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.

MV Goya

Built in 1940, the MV Goya was a cargo ship. On April 16, 1940, while the ship was being used to evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians fleeing from West Prussia, it was hit by the Soviet submarine L-3. Only 176 people out of more than 7,000 passengers survived.

SS Afrique

The SS Afrique, a passenger ship belonging to Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis, started running in 1907. Approximately thirteen years later, on January 12, 1920, the ship sank and only 34 people out of 609 survived.