# List of shipwrecks in January 1939

The list of shipwrecks in January 1939 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during January 1939.

## 1 January

List of shipwrecks: 1 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Anadolu | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. |
| Calchas | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground off the Kelsnor Lighthouse, Langeland, Denmark. Refloated on 5 January but damaged and leaking. |
| Galata | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. |
| Ikbal | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. Refloated on 8 January. |
| Kaplan | Turkey | The cargo ship sank in a storm at Bender Eregli. |
| Millet | Turkey | The cargo ship sank in a storm at Bender Eregli. Only two crew survived. |
| Mete | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. Refloated on 21 January. |
| Nicolaos Nomicos | Greece | The cargo ship sank in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 9 January. |
| Sadan | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 18 January. |
| Samsun | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 26 January. |
| Sumer | Turkey | The cargo ship sank in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 9 January. |
| Tan | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 6 January. |
| Zonguldak | Turkey | The cargo ship ran aground in a storm at Bender Eregli. She was refloated on 8 January. |

## 2 January

List of shipwrecks: 2 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Galatea | Norway | The cargo ship was driven ashore on Saltholm, Copenhagen, Denmark. She was refloated on 5 January. |
| Mexico | Norway | The tanker ran aground at Dragør, Denmark. |
| Tilda | Finland | The cargo ship was driven ashore at Setúbal, Portugal. She was refloated the next day after 350 tons of oil was discharged. |

## 4 January

List of shipwrecks: 4 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Chief Wawatam | United States | The train ferry ran aground on the North Graham Shoal in the Straits of Mackinac. She was refloated on 9 January. |

## 5 January

List of shipwrecks: 5 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Cheyenne | United Kingdom | The tanker ran aground at Spodsbjerg, Denmark. She was later refloated undamaged. |
| Kyleclare | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground in the River Moy, County Mayo, Ireland. She was refloated undamaged the next day. |
| Shuntai Maru | Japan | The cargo ship was driven ashore in a gale at Muroran, Hokkaidō. She was later refloated. |
| Yubari Maru | Japan | The cargo ship was driven ashore in a gale at Muroran. She was later refloated. |

## 6 January

List of shipwrecks: 6 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Authorpe | Panama | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Alicante by Nationalist aircraft. She was refloated in 1939 and seized by the Spanish Government. Subsequently repaired and returned to service as Alhucemas. |
| V11 Francisco | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |
| Yamahuzi Maru | Japan | The cargo ship ran aground in the Miyako Islands. She was refloated on 3 February. |

## 7 January

List of shipwrecks: 7 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Helios | Germany | The cargo ship ran aground entering Pasajes Harbour, Portugal, and developed a leak. |
| Hoegh Silvercrest | Norway | The cargo liner ran aground at Montufar Point, San Bernardino Strait, Philippines. The ship was later abandoned by her crew. She broke up on 17 February. |
| Jadarland | Norway | The cargo ship ran aground at Oslo and was damaged. |
| Pass of Ballater | United Kingdom | The tanker ran aground at Nantes, Loire-Inférieure, France. She was refloated later that day but was found to be severely damaged. |

## 8 January

List of shipwrecks: 8 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Dido | Norway | The cargo ship foundered in the North Sea 95 nautical miles (176 km) south west of Utsire island with the loss of a crew member. |
| Saint Nazaire | France | The cargo ship ran aground off Pauillac, Gironde. She was later refloated. |
| Thetis | Greece | The cargo ship ran aground in the Martín García Channel, Argentina. She was refloated the next day. |
| Tinda | Netherlands | The cargo ship ran aground at Asnæs, Denmark. She was refloated on 10 January having sustained some damage to her bottom. |

## 10 January

List of shipwrecks: 10 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Berwindvale | United States | The cargo ship ran aground in the Kennebec River. She was later refloated with a damaged bottom. |
| Llanover | United Kingdom | The cargo ship was driven ashore in a gale at Niigata, Japan. Refloated on 25 January. |
| Waukegan | United States | The cargo ship collided with the St George's Bridge over the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal at St. Georges, Delaware and demolished the bridge, blocking the canal. Two people were killed. |

## 11 January

List of shipwrecks: 11 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Severonia | Estonia | The cargo ship ran aground at Turku, Finland. She was declared a total loss. |

## 12 January

List of shipwrecks: 12 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Gretaston | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground at Yavaros, Mexico. She was later refloated undamaged. |
| Herbert G. Wylie | Venezuela | The tanker exploded and sank at the Caripito San Juan river terminal while loading oil products. |
| Trio | Finland | The cargo ship foundered off Den Helder, North Holland, Netherlands. |

## 14 January

List of shipwrecks: 14 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Cabo Cullera | Spain | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Tarragona by Spanish Nationalist aircraft. |

## 15 January

List of shipwrecks: 15 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Cheribon Maru | Japan | The cargo ship ran aground north of Cagayan, Sulu Islands, Philippines. Twelve passengers were taken off the next day by Kamo Maru ( Japan). Cheribon Maru was later salvaged and returned to service. |
| Conifer | United Kingdom | The cargo ship collided with Monte Santo ( Italy) in the English Channel 6 nautical miles (11 km) off the Sandette Lightship ( France) and sank. All nine crew were rescued by Monte Santo and landed at Vlissingen, Zeeland, Netherlands. |
| Elsie | Norway | The cargo ship suffered an explosion in her engine room. She came ashore at Mandal and broke in three, with the midsection sinking. Elsie was declared a total loss. All sixteen crew survived. |
| Wyvern | Norway | The cargo ship was driven ashore at Pensacola, Florida, United States. She was refloated later that day. |

## 16 January

List of shipwrecks: 16 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Cambay Star | United Kingdom | The cargo ship foundered in the Indian Ocean (18°19′N 70°40′E﻿ / ﻿18.317°N 70.667°E﻿ / 18.317; 70.667). |
| Kashiwa Maru | Japan | The cargo ship ran aground at Awomori. |
| Orion | Finland | The cargo ship ran aground on Harmaja, Helsinki. |

## 17 January

List of shipwrecks: 17 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Belbowrie | United Kingdom | The auxiliary schooner was driven ashore at Maroubra Bay, New South Wales, Australia and was wrecked. |
| Dudley Rose | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground in the River Thames at Grays Thurrock, Essex. She was refloated the next day. |

## 18 January

List of shipwrecks: 18 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Giove | Regia Marina | The tanker ran aground in the Rooka Channel, Shatt el Arab, Iraq. She was refloated on 20 January after discharging 3,000 tons of oil. |
| Herzogin Cecilie | Finland | The barque capsized and sank at Starehole Bay, Devon, United Kingdom. |
| Ulmus | United Kingdom | The cargo ship caught fire off Gibraltar (36°14′N 6°58′W﻿ / ﻿36.233°N 6.967°W﻿ / 36.233; -6.967). Her crew were rescued and the ship was towed by Spanish Nationalist vessels to Barcelona. She was declared a constructive total loss, but entered Italian service in 1946 as Alberto Gianpaolo. |

## 19 January

List of shipwrecks: 19 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Jaguar | Norway | The tanker broke in two at approximately 35°N 46°W﻿ / ﻿35°N 46°W﻿ / 35; -46. All 37 crew were rescued by Duala ( Norway). Stern section reported afloat on 30 January at 35°00′N 39°49′W﻿ / ﻿35.000°N 39.817°W﻿ / 35.000; -39.817. Reported on 7 February at 35°25′N 31°44′W﻿ / ﻿35.417°N 31.733°W﻿ / 35.417; -31.733. The stern section was taken in tow by Thames ( Netherlands) on 11 February. Reported to be heading for Horta, Azores, Portugal, which was reached on 14 February with assistance from Seefalke ( Germany). The stern section departed Horta under tow for Rotterdam, Netherlands on 22 February, where it arrived on 11 March. |
| Laura Annie Barnes | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground in the Nantucket Sound, United States. |
| V14 Rafael | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |

## 20 January

List of shipwrecks: 20 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Esbjörn | Finland | The cargo ship ran aground at Lyngsodde, Fredericia, Denmark. She was refloated later that day. |

## 21 January

List of shipwrecks: 21 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Koidula | Estonia | The cargo ship ran aground in the Uruguay River, Uruguay. She was refloated on 27 January after 1,700 tons of cargo was discharged. |
| Pacific Grove | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground at Guayaquil, Ecuador. |
| V17 Juan Lucena | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |
| Wilston | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground at Wicca Pool, Zennor, Cornwall with the loss of all 30 crew. |

## 22 January

List of shipwrecks: 22 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Cabourg | France | The cargo ship reported passing Ouessant, Finistère whilst on a voyage from Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium to Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône. No further trace, presumed foundered as the bodies of two crew members were later washed up. |
| Mado | Netherlands | The cargo ship ran aground entering Margate Harbour, Kent, United Kingdom. She was refloated the next day. |
| Silverash | United Kingdom | The cargo ship caught fire and sank at New York, United States. She was later refloated, and departed under tow on 23 April for Sunderland, Co Durham. Silverash arrived on 18 May. Subsequently repaired and returned to service. |

## 23 January

List of shipwrecks: 23 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| African Mariner | United Kingdom | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Barcelona by Nationalist aircraft. Two crew were killed. She was refloated on 18 April 1939 and seized by the Spanish Government, repaired and returned to service as Castillo Montjuich. |
| Argentina | Spain | Spanish Civil War: The passenger ship was bombed and sunk at Barcelona. She was refloated on 8 September and laid up. Argentina was scrapped in 1945. |
| C17 | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The C1-class motor launch was bombed and sunk at Barcelona. |
| John and Sara Eliza Stych | Royal National Lifeboat Institution | The St Ives lifeboat launched to go to the aid of a steamship off Cape Cornwall. She capsized three times; off Clodgy Point, The Island and Godrevy Point. Only one crew member survived. |
| Lobos | United Kingdom | The passenger ship collided with Viriglio ( Italy) off Callao, Peru and was beached. She was later refloated. Lobos arrived at Lima on 17 February. |
| Nida | Lithuania | The cargo ship was driven ashore at Christiansø, Denmark. She was refloated later that day. |
| Riga | Estonia | The cargo ship was driven ashore on Christiansø. |
| Sulev | Estonia | The cargo ship ran aground at Nantes, Loire-Inférieure, France. |
| Thorpebay | United Kingdom | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was attacked and severely damaged by aircraft at Barcelona. |
| Uruguay | Spain | Spanish Civil War: The passenger ship was bombed and sunk at Barcelona by Nationalist aircraft. She was refloated on 27 July and scrapped in 1940. |
| V16 Maria | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |

## 24 January

List of shipwrecks: 24 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Itanagé | Brazil | The cargo ship ran aground at Vitória, sprang a leak and was beached. |
| Miocene | United Kingdom | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Barcelona by Nationalist aircraft. Refloated in 1940, confiscated by the Spanish Government but scrapped in 1944. |
| Nueve Pepe Leston | Spanish Navy | Spanish Civil War: The minesweeper was sunk by mines. |
| St. Clair Theriault | United Kingdom | The schooner caught fire and was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (47°47′N 6°55′W﻿ / ﻿47.783°N 6.917°W﻿ / 47.783; -6.917). |
| Vassos | Greece | The tanker ran aground at Lyserort, Latvia. She was refloated on 26 January. |

## 25 January

List of shipwrecks: 25 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Azelma | France | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Sant Feliu de Guíxols by Nationalist aircraft. She was refloated in 1940, confiscated by the Spanish Government and returned to service as Castillo Javier. |
| Colonel Ralston | United Kingdom | The cargo ship came ashore at Annapolis, Maryland, United States and was a total loss. |
| Kaiapoi | Panama | The cargo ship struck rocks and sank in Wenchow Bay, China (28°16′N 121°38′E﻿ / ﻿28.267°N 121.633°E﻿ / 28.267; 121.633). All crew were rescued. |
| Supetar | Yugoslavia | The cargo ship ran aground at Karadeniz Ereğli, Turkey. She was refloated later that day. |

## 26 January

List of shipwrecks: 26 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Aspen | United Kingdom | The coaster ran aground at the entrance to Holyhead Harbour, Anglesey. |
| Fueloil | United States | The tanker ran aground on Shooters Island, New York. She was refloated later that day. |
| Monturiol | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |
| Yolande | France | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Barcelona by Nationalist aircraft. |

## 27 January

List of shipwrecks: 27 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Foynes | United Kingdom | Spanish Civil War: The tanker was bombed and damaged at Valencia. She capsized and sank the next day. She was refloated on 23 November, repaired and entered Spanish service as Castillo Riaza. |
| Kamikaze Maru | Japan | The coastal tanker capsized and sank off Kushiro. |
| Shun Chih | United Kingdom | The cargo ship ran aground at Swatow, China. She was refloated undamaged the next day. |
| Suzy | Greece | Spanish Civil War: The cargo ship was bombed and severely damaged at Valencia. |

## 28 January

List of shipwrecks: 28 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Lake Lugano | United Kingdom | Spanish Civil War: The steamship, already abandoned and beached in the bay of Palamós after being damaged by air attack on 6 August 1938, was shelled and wrecked by the Spanish Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mar Negro ( Spanish Navy) at 41°50′49.90″N 03°07′08.85″E﻿ / ﻿41.8471944°N 3.1191250°E﻿ / 41.8471944; 3.1191250. |
| Virgil G. Bogue | United States | The tug collided with Point Lobos ( United States) in the Oakland Estuary, California and sank. |

## 29 January

List of shipwrecks: 29 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| V12 Adela | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost on this date. |

## 30 January

List of shipwrecks: 30 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Garryvale | Finland | The cargo ship ran aground in the North Sea off the mouth of the River Tees. Her crew survived. She was refloated and consequently scrapped. |
| Julie | United Kingdom | The sailing ship was abandoned in a sinking condition 15 nautical miles (28 km) south south east of the Eddystone Lighthouse, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued by the trawler Roger Robert ( Belgium). |

## 31 January

List of shipwrecks: 31 January 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Askot | Norway | The cargo ship ran aground off Foundiougne, French West Africa. She was refloated the next day. |
| Ohio | United States | The tug collided with Esso Belgium ( Belgium) at New Orleans, Louisiana and was beached. |
| Robur VIII | Poland | The cargo ship ran aground north of the Terschelling Lighthouse, Friesland, Netherlands. She was refloated the next day. |

## Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1939 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Besos | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost sometime in January. |
| Crisabelle Stephen | United Kingdom | The fishing vessel ran aground and sank. |
| HMS Medea | United Kingdom | The M15-class monitor, parted her tow on her way to the breaker's yard and was driven ashore at Trebetherick Point, Cornwall or Padstow, Cornwall and was wrecked on 23 or 28 January. |
| V24 Teresa | Spanish Republican Navy | Spanish Civil War: The auxiliary patrol ship was lost sometime in January. |