The largest maritime disaster in history

Since ancient times, when man became a navigator, he is constantly faced with the danger perish in the seas. Reefs and rocks, "killer wave" notorious human factor and other reasons have led and will probably lead to disasters on the sea space. Even the twentieth century with its steel and durable vehicles, lightning-fast communication and radar did not save the ship from destruction. Where it is and for what reasons there were famous shipwreck in history?

The largest maritime disaster in history

"Titanic" - the main naval disaster of the XX century

The largest maritime disaster in history

The British ship earned the title of the most recognizable in the world of the sunken ship. This was facilitated by a lot. Even before starting the water newspapers and magazines called "Titanic" unsinkable, and to business - hold and lower decks were fitted with airtight doors, double bottom and allowed to maintain buoyancy if the leak.

Excitement around the popular and luxury liner has meant that tickets for its first and last voyage from the UK to the US were more expensive than other similar vehicles. It is not only the first class, the place in which hastened to take some well-known entrepreneurs, writers and public figures. The public's attention only reinforced the impression of impending tragedy ...

Meeting with icebergs was a regular threat to ships in the North Atlantic in the spring of the year, but the huge ice floes often leave ships only scratches. The command of "Titanic" (which, recall, was dubbed "unsinkable") and could not imagine the serious consequences of a collision with the ice. In addition, it was necessary to follow the schedule and go at high speed.

The largest maritime disaster in history

On the fifth day of his journey from the British port of Southampton to New York on the night of April 15, 1912, "Titanic" struck an iceberg. It was dark, and a barrier in time did not notice. Long holes allow water to fill the holds above the bulkhead. After two and a half hours left the ship in the water. Due to lack of boats around a thousand people were unable to escape and drowned in the waters of the ocean.

"Dona Paz" - ferry collision with the tanker

After the collapse of "Titanic," the biggest maritime disaster in peacetime, was the death of the Philippine ferry "Dona Paz". His story is quite different from the history of the expensive and brand new liner. At the time of the collapse of the "Dona Paz" I served people for two decades. The ferry was built by the Japanese, and after many years of service sold in the Philippines.

The largest maritime disaster in history

The poor Asian country until recently used by the vessel in their domestic sea lines. Navigation devices on it was not on the bridge at the time of the disaster was only one person - the apprentice sailor, and rest of the crew in the cabin watching TV and drinking beer.

December 20, 1987 "Dona Paz" collided with the tanker "Vector" with oil on board. The crew of the tanker, incidentally, also did not show special vigilance and a professional attitude to their duties - in advance of attempts to change course, he did not accept. Tanker lighted, both vessel began to sink, while the passengers in panic thrown into the water, where the surface already burning fuel spilled.

Due to the overcrowding of the ferry at the exact number of passengers was unknown, so victims are not felt immediately, but only after years of investigation. Victims, as it turned out, was almost 4, 5 thousand. Survived the crash only 24 passengers.

"Sultana" - the largest river shipwreck

The largest maritime disaster in history

Not only seas were fraught with danger for ships. The biggest collapse in the river waters is considered to be the death of the American steamer "Sultana", plying the Mississippi River in 1865. In the United States this year to end the civil war, and prisoners northerners finally gained their freedom. The captain of the ship "Sultana" James Mason has agreed to take on board more than two thousand ex-prisoners and send them to the northern states. In the middle of the night 27 April 1865 on the ship exploded boiler. Part of the deck with her peacefully sleeping people - which was nowhere else to stay in - fell down. A pipe from the power of the explosion flew overboard, and the other fell on the bow of the ship. Wooden ship caught fire easily, and the headwind is only strengthened fire during movement of the vessel. Some people escaped in the boats, and some - to swim, but nevertheless, the death toll has exceeded 1,700 people.

The largest maritime disaster in history

The exact causes of the explosion could not be determined. Likely to have played a role, and poor design of boilers and the use of dirty water from the Mississippi River, clog machinery and overcrowded ship. There were also more exotic versions: a former agent of the Confederate Robert Louden said later that it was he laid a bomb on board - though perhaps this statement was pure bravado.

"Novorossiysk" - an explosion on duty

Warships are often killed during the fighting. Italian battleship "Giulio Cesare" survived two world wars and was transferred to the Soviet Union on account of reparations. Outdated at the time the ship repaired several years and in 1955 was included in the Black Sea Fleet under the name of "Novorossiysk". According to some estimates, at that time it could be considered the strongest Soviet warship.

The largest maritime disaster in history

The ship "Giulio Cesare" before being transmitted to the USSR

"Novorossiysk" served as a new home for a brief period, only a few times going out to sea for training combat tasks and to take part in celebrations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the defense of Sevastopol. At night, October 29, 1955 on the moored ship there was an explosion. The hull was breached, and more than 150 people were killed in the forecastle.

Cause of the explosion remains unclear. Diversion was not proved by the foreign countries. The official investigation considered that the most likely source of the explosion was the German bottom mine, set in the bay as early as during the war.

The largest maritime disaster in history

The battleship "Novorossiysk" on the roads of Sevastopol

The catastrophe, unfortunately, has not ended by the explosion. "Novorossiysk" immediately tried to tow in shallow water, but his nose part of the village to the ground and the ship began to tilt to one side quickly, and then completely gone under water. The decision to evacuate sailors were taken too late and they are trapped in a capsized ship. Expense of the lives of the departed in the end passed for 800 people.

"Thresher" - the largest destruction of the submarine

A major catastrophe in the Russian submarine fleet is considered to be the death of the "Course". However, in the history of the world it had a similar case, which led to the death of more numerous crew. US nuclear submarine "Thresher" in 1963, carried out tests on the strength of deep-sea diving.

The largest maritime disaster in history

April 10, 1963 in Atlantic Ocean waters, "Thresher" had to go down to test the depth of 360 meters. Approaching this depth, the boat stopped responding to calls. In the last and greatly distorted communication with the boat was able to make out the words "maximum depth", which was followed by noise. He was subsequently identified as the noise of the collapsing housing.

The investigation due to defective soldering seam water penetrated into the reactor, and it failed. The boat was not able to ascend and began to fall to the bottom until the destruction of the pressure hull. 129 people on board were drowned along with it.

"Admiral Nakhimov" - the collision of two vessels

The largest maritime disaster in history

Even with modern navigation devices possible collision of ships due to the human factor. An example is the story of the collapse of the Soviet passenger ship "Admiral Nakhimov". The fate of the ship was something similar to the "Novorossiysk": he was also built abroad, in Germany, and the Soviet Navy had been given after the war. Despite his age, "Admiral Nakhimov" made cruises without accidents and incidents. He successfully transporting passengers over long distances, up to Cuba and Saudi Arabia. Depreciation vessel made itself felt, and in late 1986 it planned to write off the balance of the Black Sea Shipping Company.

Unfortunately, the circumstances were different. In the evening, August 31, 1986, making a flight from Novorossiysk to Sochi, "Admiral Nakhimov" crossed the course with another ship - freighter "Peter Vasev". It happened because of the uncoordinated actions of the crews: the passenger liner slightly changed its course, and the captain "Peter Vasev" did not realize this and just do not pay attention to the radar screen of the situation.

The largest maritime disaster in history

"Peter Vasev" after the collision

Freighter rammed "Admiral Nakhimov". Liner strongly tilted, due to which lower the boats on the water was impossible. "Admiral Nahimov" went under water only 8 minutes after the collision. Passengers in a hurry escaped on rafts or swimming, some due to panic did not even have time to get out of the cabins and corridors, and many do not even have enough life jackets. More than 400 people of the 1,200 on board did not survive the night.