List of shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean

This is a partial list of shipwrecks which occurred in the Indian Ocean. The list includes ships that sank, foundered, grounded, or were otherwise lost. The Indian Ocean is here defined in its widest sense, including its marginal seas: the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Great Australian Bight, the Mozambique Channel, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Strait of Malacca, and the Timor Sea.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Map of the Indian Ocean

Arabian Sea

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Aden	United Kingdom	9 June 1897	A P&O steamship that was wrecked on the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen.
Albert Gallatin	United States	2 January 1944	A Liberty ship torpedoed 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) off the Arabian Peninsula by the Japanese submarine I-26.	21°21′N 059°58′E
Berwyn	United States Navy	6 September 1920	A cargo ship that was wrecked near the Khuriya Muriya Islands.	17°44′N 056°38′E
E.G. Seubert	United States	22 February 1944	A tanker that was torpedoed by U-510.	13.50°N 48.93°E / 13.50; 48.93 (SS E.G. Seubert)
Georges Philippar	France	19 May 1932	An ocean liner that caught fire and sank near Mukalla, Yemen.	14°20′N 50°25′E
John Barry	United States	28 August 1944	A Liberty ship that was torpedoed by the German submarine U-859 off the coast of Oman.	15.10°N 55.18°E / 15.10; 55.18 (SS John Barry)
PNS Khaibar	Pakistan Navy	4 December 1971	A Battle-class destroyer that was sunk by he Indian Navy missile boat INS Nirghat south of Karachi, Pakistan.
INS Khukri	Indian Navy	9 December 1971	A Blackwood-class frigate that was torpedoed by the Pakistan Navy submarine PNS Hangor off Diu, India.	20°16′38″N 70°59′37″E
MOL Comfort	Bahamas	17 June 2013	A container ship that broke apart in bad weather on 17 June 2013. The stern section took on water and sank on 26 June; the bow was taken under tow, but caught fire and sank on 11 July.	14°26′N 66°26′E, 19°56′N 65°25′E
Montanan	United States	3 June 1943	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-27 150 nautical miles (280 km; 170 mi) south of Masirah Island, Oman.	17°05′04″N 58°05′00″E

Bay of Bengal

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Automedon	United Kingdom	11 November 1940	A refrigerated cargo ship sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis northwest of Sumatra.
Braut Team	Norway	7 June 1991	The cargo ship, a 15-year-old vessel, sank east of Sri Lanka. Water began flooding the cargo holds on 6 June. The cargo included ferro silicum and a new Chinese steam locomotive bound for the United States. All 17 crewmen were rescued.	6°4′N 88°51′E
HMS Hermes	Royal Navy	9 April 1942	The world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft about 39 nautical miles (72 km; 45 mi) northwest of Batticaloa, Ceylon.	7°35′N 82°5′E
Indus	United Kingdom	10 September 1914	A steamship captured and scuttled by the Imperial German Navy light cruiser SMS Emden.	11°00′N 83°45′E
Ro-110	Imperial Japanese Navy	11 February 1944	A Ro-100-class submarine sunk by the Royal Indian Navy sloop HMIS Jumna and the Royal Australian Navy corvettes HMAS Ipswich and HMAS Launceston 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) northeast of Madras, India.	17°25′N 083°21′E
Selma City	United States	7 April 1942	A cargo ship sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft about 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) off from Vizagapatam (now Vishakhapatnam), India.	17°11′N 83°20′E
HMAS Vampire	Royal Australian Navy	9 April 1942	A V-class destroyer sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft off the coast of Ceylon.	7°35′N 82°5′E

Central Indian Ocean

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Arnhem	Dutch East India Company	12 February 1662	An East Indiaman that ran aground on the Saint Brandon Rocks.
Berwickshire	United Kingdom	20 August 1944	A merchant ship that was torpedoed by U-861.	30°58′S 38°50′E
Chivalry	United Kingdom	22 February 1944	A cargo ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine.	0°50′S 68°0′E
City of Johannesburg	United Kingdom	23 October 1942	A merchant steamer that was torpedoed by U-504 off East London, South Africa.	33°20′S 29°30′E
Clan Macarthur	United Kingdom	12 August 1943	A Cameron-class cargo steamship that was torpedoed by U-181 off Madagascar.	23°S 53.11°E / -23; 53.11 (SS Clan Macarthur)
Commissaire Ramel	France	9 September 1940	A passenger ship that was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis.	28°25′S 74°23′E
Cornelia P. Spencer	United States	21 September 1943	A Liberty ship that was carrying 2,910 tons of steel and 300 tons of gum arabic that was sunk by U-188.	2°08′N 50°10′E
HMS Cornwall	Royal Navy	5 April 1942	A County-class heavy cruiser that was sunk by Japanese dive bombers in the Easter Sunday Raid.	1°54′N 77°54′E
HMS Dorsetshire	Royal Navy	5 April 1942	A County-class heavy cruiser that was sunk by Japanese dive bombers in the Easter Sunday Raid.	1°54′N 77°45′E
Empire Chaucer	United Kingdom	17 October 1942	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-504 about 450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi) south of Cape Town, South Africa.	38°12′S 20°04′E
Empire Day	United Kingdom	7 August 1944	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-198 about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) east of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.	7°06′S 42°00′E
Fort Lee	United States	2 November 1944	A T2 tanker that was torpedoed by U-181.	27°35′S 83°11′E
Fort Longueuil	United Kingdom	19 September 1943	A North Sands-class cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-532. 57 out of the 57 onboard died in the sinking with two crew members surviving after being at sea for 143 days before coming ashore to Sumatra where they were taken prisoner by the Japanese.	10°00′S 68°00′E
Frontier	South Africa	27 September 1957	A cargo ship that ran aground east of East London, Eastern Cape, Africa.
Hoihow	United Kingdom	2 July 1943	A passenger ship that was torpedoed by U-181.	19°30′S 55°30′E
I-27	Imperial Japanese Navy	12 February 1944	A Type B1 submarine sunk by the British destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Petard.	01°25′N 72°22′E
I-60	Imperial Japanese Navy	17 January 1942	A Kaidai 3B-type submarine sunk by the British destroyer HMS Jupiter south of the Sunda Strait.	06°19′30″S 104°49′20″E
James B. Stephens	United States	8 March 1943	A Liberty ship that was torpedoed by U-160 about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Durban, South Africa.	28°53′S 33°18′E
Khedive Ismail	United Kingdom	12 February 1944	A steamship that was torpedoed by I-27, with 1,297 deaths.	01°25′N 72°22′E
Koning der Nederlanden	Netherlands	5 October 1881	An ocean liner that sprang a leak and sank east of the Seychelles.	5°14′S 64°7′E
Kormoran	Kriegsmarine	19 November 1941	A merchant raider that sank off Western Australia near Carnarvon due to damage sustained in combat with the Australian light cruiser Sydney.	26°05′46″S 111°04′33″E
USS Langley	United States Navy	27 February 1942	A seaplane tender scuttled 75 nautical miles (139 km; 86 mi) south of Tjilatjap, Java, after sustaining damage in an attack by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft.	08°51′04.2″S 109°02′02.6″E
Lapérouse	French Navy	31 July 1898	A Lapérouse-class unprotected cruiser wrecked during a storm on the coast of Madagascar at Anosy.
Magicienne	French Navy	24 August 1810	A Magicienne-class frigate that ran aground off Mauritius in the Battle of Grand Port.
Marietta E	United Kingdom	4 March 1943	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by U-160.	31.49°S 31.11°E / -31.49; 31.11 (SS Marietta E)
Monge	French Navy	8 May 1942	A Redoutable-class submarine sunk by the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Active and HMS Panther off Diego-Suarez, Madagascar, during the Battle of Madagascar.
Oceanos	Greece	4 August 1991	A cruise ship that sank off Coffee Bay, South Africa.	32°07′15″S 029°07′13″E
USS Pecos	United States Navy	1 March 1942	A Kanawha-class fleet replenishment oiler sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft south of Java.	14°27′S 106°11′E
HMS Pegasus	Royal Navy	20 September 1914	A Pelorus-class protected cruiser that sank in the harbor at Zanzibar due to damage sustained earlier in the day in combat with the Imperial German Navy light cruiser SMS Königsberg during the Battle of Zanzibar.	06°08′54″S 039°11′36″E
Pinguin	Kriegsmarine	8 May 1941	An auxiliary cruiser that was sunk by HMS Cornwall.	3°30′0″N 57°48′0″E
HMS Plym	Royal Navy	3 October 1952	A River-class frigate obliterated in the Monte Bello Islands off Western Australia by the detonation of an atomic bomb within her hull in Operation Hurricane, a British nuclear test.
Ramb I	Regia Marina	27 February 1941	An auxiliary cruiser that was sunk by HMNZS Leander in the action of 27 February 1941.	1°0′N 68°30′E
Samuel Heintzelman	United States	9 July 1943	A Liberty ship that was torpedoed by U-511. Originally it was believed that it was sunk by a Japanese surface raider. There would be no survivors of the ship from the sinking.	9°00′S 81°00′E
HMS Sirius	Royal Navy	23 August 1810	A frigate that ran aground off Mauritius in the Battle of Grand Port.
HMAS Sydney	Royal Australian Navy	19 November 1941	A Leander-class light cruiser that sank off Western Australia near Carnarvon due to damage sustained in combat with the German merchant raider Kormoran.	26°14′31″S 111°12′48″E
Texanita	Liberia	21 August 1972	An oil tanker that collided with Oswego-Guardian off Stilbaai, South Africa.	34.80°S 21.40°E / -34.80; 21.40 (Oswego-Guardian/Texanita collision)
Tjisalak	Netherlands	26 March 1944	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by I-8.	2°30′S 78°40′E
RIMS Warren Hastings	Royal Indian Marine	14 January 1897	A troopship that hit a rock and was wrecked off Réunion.

Christmas Island

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Eidsvold	Norway	20 January 1942	A motor vessel torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-159 at Flying Fish Cove.
Janga ("SIEV-221")	Indonesia	15 December 2010	A fishing boat that hit the rocks at Flying Fish Cove while carrying asylum seekers from Iraq and Iran.	10°25′1″S 105°40′24″E
Tycoon	Panama	8 January 2012	A cargo ship wrecked at Flying Fish Cove.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Buresk	Germany	9 November 1914	A collier scuttled while under attack by the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Sydney in the Battle of Cocos.
SMS Emden	Imperial German Navy	9 November 1914	The wreck of SMS Emden A light cruiser run aground and wrecked while under attack by the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Sydney during the Battle of Cocos.

Great Australian Bight

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Mahomed Shah	United Kingdom	April 1853	A barque that caught fire on 18 April 1853 and sank several days later. All on board were rescued.	40°10′00″S 119°10′00″E
Selje	Norway	29 March 1929	A cargo ship that collided with the steamship Kaituna 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) southwest of Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia.

Mozambique Channel

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Admiral Gambier	United Kingdom	20 June 1817	An East Indiaman wrecked on a coral reef.
Bévéziers	French Navy	5 May 1942	A Redoutable-class submarine sunk by Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft west of Cap d'Ambre, Madagascar, during the Battle of Madagascar.
Breiviken	Norway	4 July 1943	A merchant ship that was sunk by U-178.	21°50′S 37°50′E
Empire City	United Kingdom	6 August 1944	A cargo ship torpedoed by the German submarine U-198 off Mocímboa da Praia, Mozambique.	11°33′S 41°25′E
Express	United States	30 June 1942	A Type C3-E cargo ship torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-10.	23°30′S 37°30′E
Le Héros	French Navy	7 May 1942	A Redoutable-class submarine sunk by Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft off Courrier Bay, Madagascar, during the Battle of Madagascar.	12°03′45″S 049°03′30″E
Mary Livanos	Portugal	11 July 1943	A steam merchant ship torpedoed by U-178.	15°40′S 40°45′E
Robert Bacon	United States	14 July 1943	A Liberty ship torpedoed by the German submarine U-178.	15°25′S 41°13′E

Persian Gulf

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Iran Ajr	Islamic Republic of Iran Navy	26 September 1987	A landing craft that served as a minelayer during the Iran–Iraq War, captured and scuttled by United States Navy forces.
U-533	Kriegsmarine	16 October 1943	A Type IXC/40 U-boat sunk by British aircraft off Fujairah.	25°28′N 56°50′E

Red Sea

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Aida	Egypt	15 September 1957	A supply ship sunk off the coast of Big Brother Island.	26°19′N 34°50′E
Al-Baraqua II	Djibouti	6 April 2006	A capsized passenger ferry.
al-Salam Boccaccio 98	Egypt	3 February 2006	Capsized passenger ferry.	27.033°N 34.883°E / 27.033; 34.883 (MS al-Salam Boccaccio)
Carnatic	United Kingdom	15 September 1869	Ran aground on a coral reef on 12 September, broke in half and sank three days later. 31 people drowned.	27°34′N 33°55′E
Chrisoula K	Greece	31 August 1981	A cargo ship that ran aground on a reef.	27°34′53″N 33°55′55″E
Dunraven	United Kingdom	22 April 1876	A merchant ship that hit a reef and sank in the Gulf of Suez, close to the Sinai Peninsula.	27.4215°N 34.0730°E / 27.4215; 34.0730 (SS Dunraven)
El Mina	Egyptian Navy	1969	A T43-class minesweeper bombed and sunk by an Israeli Air Force aircraft near Hurghada.	27°13′55″N 33°51′34″E
Giannis D	Greece	19 April 1983	A cargo ship that sank with its cargo of timber at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas, north of Hurghada.
Giovanni Acerbi	Regia Marina	4 April 1941	A torpedo boat sunk in port at Massawa by British aircraft.
Kimon M	Panama	12 December 1978	A cargo ship which sank on at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas, north of Hurghada, when she ran into the reef of Abu Nuhas.	27°34′48″N 33°56′00″E
Macallé	Regia Marina	15 June 1940	A Adua-class submarine that was scuttled southeast of Port Sudan after the crew became "incapacitated" because of fumes leaking out of the submarine's air conditioning system.	19°13′N 38°09′E
Nazario Sauro	Italy	6 April 1941	A merchant-passenger ship that was scuttled at Nakura on Dalac Island off Eritrea.
Numidia	United Kingdom	20 July 1901	A cargo liner that sank at Big Brother Island.	26°19′N 34°50′E
Rosalie Moller	United Kingdom	October 1941	A cargo ship bombed two days after the supply ship Thistlegorm—– anchored some 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) away off the Sinai Peninsula — was sunk. She rests north of Hurghada, north of the reefs of Abu Nuhas, in some 50 meters (164 ft) of water.	27°39′03″N 33°46′17″E
Salem Express	Egypt	17 December 1991	The passenger ship ran into a shallow reef and sank 57 nautical miles (106 km; 66 mi) south of Hurghada, after the captain took a shortcut on his trip from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga, Egypt.	26°38′22.02″N 34°3′39.9″E
Steel Seafarer	United States	5 September 1941	A cargo ship that was sunk by a German plane.
Thistlegorm	United Kingdom	6 October 1941	A cargo ship sunk by German bombers near Sharm el-Sheikh.	27°48′51″N 33°55′12″E
Umbria	Italy	9 June 1940	A cargo ship scuttled by her crew near Port Sudan.	19°38′19″N 37°19′38″E
Vincenzo Giordano Orsini	Regia Marina	8 April 1941	A torpedo boat scuttled in the harbor entrance at Massawa.
Zingara	Italy	22 August 1984	Commonly referred to as Kormoran, a cargo ship that sailed from Aqaba with a cargo of phosphate rock and hit Laguna Reef in the Straits of Tiran.

Strait of Malacca

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Empress of Australia	Australia	23 August 1992	A cruise ship that sank in a collision with the Taiwanese fishing vessel Terfu 51.
Galileo Galilei	Bahamas	21 May 1999	A cruise ship that sank off the coast of Perak following a fire.	4°37′1″N 99°54′6″E
USS Grenadier	United States Navy	22 April 1943	A Tambor-class submarine scuttled off Phuket, Thailand, after Japanese aircraft damaged her the previous day.	06°30′N 097°40′E
Haguro	Imperial Japanese Navy	16 May 1945	A Myōkō-class cruiser sunk by British forces 48 nautical miles (89 km; 55 mi) off Penang in the Battle of the Malacca Strait.
I-34	Imperial Japanese Navy	13 November 1943	A Type B1 submarine sunk 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) off Penang by the British submarine HMS Taurus.	05°17′N 100°05′E
I-166	Imperial Japanese Navy	17 July 1944	A Kaidai 5-type submarine that was sunk by the British submarine HMS Telemachus off One Fathom Bank.	2°48′N 101°03′E
Jenwin	Malaysia	18 December 1999
Kuma	Imperial Japanese Navy	11 January 1944	A Kuma-class cruiser that was sunk by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tally-Ho west of Penang.	5°26′N 99°52′E
Mousquet	French Navy	28 October 1914	An Arquebuse-class destroyer sunk by the Imperial German Navy light cruiser SMS Emden at Penang during the Battle of Penang.
Myōkō	Imperial Japanese Navy	8 June 1946	A Myōkō-class cruiser that was scuttled near Port Klang.	3°5′N 100°40′E
Nichinan Maru	Imperial Japanese Navy	19 November 1944	A cargo ship that was torpedoed by the HMS Stratagem 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Bengkalis Islands.	01°37′N 102°53′E
Sovereign of the Seas	United States	6 August 1859	A clipper that was wrecked on the Pyramid Shoal.
HMS Stratagem	Royal Navy	22 November 1944	A British S-class submarine that was scuttled by her crew after being damaged by depth charges from the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine chaser CH-35. Ten of the crew were captured, three of whom survived.
Takao	Imperial Japanese Navy	19 October 1946	A Takao-class heavy cruiser that was surrendered to the British and sunk as a target.	03°05′05″N 100°41′00″E
U-181	Kriegsmarine	12 February 1946	A Type IXD2 U-boat that was scuttled near Port Klang.	3°05′50″N 100°42′50″E
U-859	Kriegsmarine	23 September 1944	A Type IXD2 U-boat that was sunk by HMS Trenchant.	5.767°N 100.067°E / 5.767; 100.067 (German submarine U-859)
U-862	Kriegsmarine	13 February 1946	A Type IXD2 U-boat that was scuttled near Port Klang.	3°05′N 100°38′E
UIT-23	Kriegsmarine	14 February 1944	A Liuzzi-class submarine, formerly named Reginaldo Giuliani, that was seized by Germany and was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho northwest of Pangkor Island.	04°27′N 100°11′E
HMS Vestal	Royal Navy	26 July 1945	An Algerine-class minesweeper damaged by a kamikaze attack and subsequently scuttled.	07°05′N 97°50′E
Yasushima Maru	Imperial Japanese Navy	March 28, 1944	A cargo ship for the Imperial Japanese Army that was torpedoed by the HMS Truculent in the Straits of Malacca.
Zhemchug	Imperial Russian Navy	28 October 1914	An Izumrud-class protected cruiser sunk by the Imperial German Navy light cruiser SMS Emden at Penang during the Battle of Penang.

Timor Sea

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
I-124	Imperial Japanese Navy	27 January 1942	A Kiraisen-type submarine sunk by Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy ships and aircraft 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) due south of Penguin Hill on Bathurst Island in Australia's Northern Territory.	12°07′12.328″S 130°06′23.619″E