Famous Ships and Boats in History

Sort by

All Countries Ships and Boats C‑D

C.A. Thayer — American three-masted schooner
Last survivor of the schooners in the West Coast lumber trade. In 1912, she was converted for use in the Alaskan salt-salmon trade. In 1984, she was designated a National Historic Landmark. LAUNCHED: 1895 → FATE: She made her final voyage in 1950. After several restorations, she now is on exhibit at Hyde Stree Pier, San Francisco.

Caine, USS — American destroyer minesweeper
The vessel captained by Queeg in the 1951 book The Cain Mutiny and the 1954 movie. In the movie, the USS Thompson (DD-627) was used as the USS Caine. LAUNCHED: 1951, novel, 1954 movie → FATE: Inconclusive.

Cairo, USS — American ironclad gunboat
First ship sunk by a naval mine and first vessel of the City class ironclads. Served with the Army's Western Gunboat Fleet during the American Civil War. Remnants of the gunboat are in a museum in the Vicksburg National Military Park. LAUNCHED: 1861 → FATE: Sunk by a naval mine in the Yazoo Riveron December 12, 1862.

(Another )

Calypso, RV — American minesweeper built for the British; refitted for research
Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau sailed her as a mobile laboratory for field research. During World War II she served as a minesweeper and carried advanced equipment, including mini submarines. LAUNCHED: 1941, March 21, converted in 1950 → FATE: Sank in 1996, raised, neglected, and now being restored in Brittany.

Campbeltown, HMS — American Wickes-class destroyer
A most famous ship in the St. Nazaire Raid in 1942 when, packed with explosives, she was rammed into a German port and detonated. The ship and the raid were depicted in the movie Gift Horse. (See Ballantrae, HMS) LAUNCHED: 1919, January 2 as USS Buchanan; given to Britain and renamed in 1940 → FATE: Destroyed March 28, 1942 in the Saint Nazaire Raid, World War II.

(Another )

Cap Arcona, SS — German ocean liner
Her sinking was one of the biggest maritime losses of life during World War II. Only 350 of the 4,500 former concentration camp inmates aboard the ship survived. LAUNCHED: 1927, May 18 → FATE: Sank on May 3, 1945 after being attacked by an RAF squadron.

Carpathia — British ocean liner; (Cunard Line passenger steamship)
Became famous for rescuing survivors of RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. After sailing through dangerous ice fields, she arrived at the sinking Titanic at 4:00 am and took on 705 survivors from lifeboats. LAUNCHED: 1902, August 18 → FATE: Sunk in the Atlantic on July 17, 1918 during World War I by a German submarine, the fifth Cunard ship sunk in as many weeks.

Page 2

Carroll A. Deering — American five-masted commercial schooner
A famous maritime mystery after she was found with her crew of 11 missing. Theories of her demise include piracy, mutiny, hurricane, and paranormal events. Nine other ships also disappeared without a trace in that same area at about the same time. LAUNCHED: 1919 → FATE: Found wrecked off Cape Hatteras on January 31, 1921; scuttled on March 4 that year.

Cassin Young, USS — American destroyer in World War II
One of only four surviving Fletcher-class destroyers still afloat. Named for Captain Cassin Young (1894-1942), who was killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. LAUNCHED: 1943, September 18 → FATE: Docked at the Boston Navy Yard as a museum ship as a museum ship.

Cavalier, HMS — British C-class Destroyer
Because of her high speed, she escorted the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth carrying troops across the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer of 2009 the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust made available accommodation on board the ship for youth groups who wish to stay on board and experience life on board a Royal Naval Destroyer. LAUNCHED: 1944, April 18 → FATE: Preserved as a museum ship since 1998, now at the Chatham Historic Dockyard

(Another )

Central America, SS — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler; three-masted
Sank in a hurricane in 1857, along with 400 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold. She operated between Central America and the eastern coast of the United States during the 1850s. LAUNCHED: 1852, October 18 → FATE: Sank on September 12, 1857 about 160 miles east of Cape Hattera.

(Another )

Cerberus, HMVS — Australian breastwork monitor; iron-clad
On her maiden voyage from Chatham, England to Melbourne, Australia, she traveled 123 days and over 12,700 miles (20,400 km) with the assistance of temporary sails and frequent stops to refuel wherever possible. During her life, she never left Port Philip Bay and never fired in anger. LAUNCHED: 1868, December 18 → FATE: Sunk as breakwater on September 2, 1926 off Half Moon Bay becoming a popular site for scuba diving.

(Another )

Challenger, HMS — British corvette; steam-assisted
Undertook the first global marine research expedition. She was the flagship of the Australia Station between 1866 and 1870. LAUNCHED: 1858, February 18 → FATE: Broken up for her copper end in England in January, 1921.

Champion of the Seas — English clipper ship
On her maiden voyage, she set a record for the fastest run in 24 hours of 465 nautical miles or 861 km. She was the passenger ship built for the run from Liverpool, England to Melbourne, Australia. LAUNCHED: 1854, April 18 → FATE: Abandoned off Cape Horn in leaking condition in 1877.

(Another )

Charles W. Morgan — American whaling ship
World's oldest surviving merchant vessel; America's only surviving wooden whaleship. After a 5-year, multi-million dollar restoration, she set sail again, July, 2013. LAUNCHED: 1841 → FATE: On exhibit at the Mystic Seaport museum in Mystic, Connecticut.

Page 3

Charlotte Dundas — Scottish steamboat using paddlewheels
First towing steamboat and first practical steamboat (second overall); the boat demonstrated the practicality of steam power for ships. Develop by William Symington, the boat employed a horizontal steam engine directly linked to a crank. LAUNCHED: 1801 → FATE: Unknown.

(Another )

Christina O — Greek luxury yacht
Famous yacht of Ari Onassis and his wife, former first lady, Jackie Kennedy. Originally a Canadian built anti-submarine River-class frigate, after WWII, she was purchased by Onassis, refitted as one the largest yachts in the world, and hosted many famous personalities. LAUNCHED: 1943, July 18 → FATE: Available for charter cruises from many ports.

City of Adelaide — English clipper ship
The world's oldest surviving clipper ship. From 1864 to 1887, she played an important part in the immigration of Australia. She is now part of the National Historic Ships of the United Kingdom. LAUNCHED: 1864, May 18 → FATE: Out of service since 1948, current being restored.

City of Benares, SS — British steam passenger ship
The ship taking English evacuated children to Canada torpedoed during World War II by a German submarine. 260 of the 407 people on board were lost including 77 children. The sinking reportedly inspired actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr to develop and patent a system of spread spectrum radio as a means to guide anti-ship torpedoes. LAUNCHED: 1935, August 5 → FATE: Sunk September 18, 1940.

(Another )

Claremore Queen — American steamboat
A movie about a con man enters his steamboat in race in the 1890s. Other boat seen in "Another IMAGE". . The movie was Will Roger's last and was released after he was killed in an airplane crash 1935. LAUNCHED: 1933, movie release → FATE: Inconclusive.

Clermont — American river steamboat
First enduring and financially successful steamboat, running on the Hudson River. She was never known as Clermont at the time, but North River Steamboat. After it was lengthened and refitted in 1808 at Clermont, NY, it was named the North River. LAUNCHED: 1807, August 18 → FATE: Retired in 1814, then scrapped.

Clotilda — American two-masted schooner
Last known slave ship to bring captives from Africa to the United States. The shipwreck was discovered in early 2019. LAUNCHED: 1855 → FATE: Burned and sunk in the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta probably in 1860.

(Another )

Cole, USS — American aegis-equipped guided missile destroyer
In the news because of a suicide attack against it on October 12, 2000. Seventeen American sailors were killed in the incident while harbored in the Yemeni port of Aden. LAUNCHED: 1995, February 18 → FATE: Still in service.

Page 4

Color Magic — Norwegian cruise ferry
The largest cruise ferry in the world. The ship operates between Oslo, Norway and Kiel, Germany. LAUNCHED: 2006, December 18 → FATE: Still in service.

Colossus, HMS — British third-rate ship of the line
After many battles and much glory, she lost her way and ran aground and sunk with one fatality. In 1974, fragments from the Colossus were discovered and reconstructed and are now displayed at the British Museum in London. LAUNCHED: 1787, April → FATE: Wrecked of the Isles of Scilly December 10, 1798.

Columbia Rediviva — American full-rigged 3 masted sailing ship
First American ship to circumnavigate the globe. In 1792, Captain Robert Gray in command, she was the first ship to enter the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. LAUNCHED: 1787 → FATE: Salvaged in 1806.

Comet, PS — British paddle steamer
First commercially successful steamboat service in Europe on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock in Scotland. The success of this passenger service quickly inspired competition and the Comet was soon outclassed by newer steamers. LAUNCHED: 1812, August 18 → FATE: Wrecked in strong currents at Craignish Point near Oban on December 13, 1820.

Compass Rose — British Flower-class corvette
The ship portrayed in the movie The Cruel Sea, about the conditions in which the Battle of the Atlantic was fought between the Royal Navy and Germany's U-boats. The movie ship was portrayed by the Flower-class corvette HMS Coreopsis. LAUNCHED: 1953 → FATE: Inconclusive.

(Another )

Conception, MV — American dive boat
One of the worst maritime disaster in California with the loss of 34 passengers. The boat had been refurbished at a cost of more than $1 million following an incident in 2005 when it had been stolen and run aground. LAUNCHED: 1981 → FATE: Caught fire and eventually sank off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, California, September 2, 2019.

Constellation, USS — American sloop-of-war
The last sail-only warship designed and built by the U.S. Navy. This flagship of the USN African Squadron from 1859-1861 disrupted the African slave trade off the coast of Africa. LAUNCHED: 1854, August 18 → FATE: On display at Annapolis, Maryland as a museum ship.

Constitution, SS — American ocean liner
Because of her post-war modernity, the ship was featured in the 1957 movie An Affair to Remember and in several TV series, such as the situation comedy I Love Lucy. She and her sister-ship, SS Independence, were innovative ocean liners with an informal, yet luxurious, atmosphere uncommon in passenger ships prior to World War II. LAUNCHED: 1950, September 18 → FATE: Sank November 17, 1997 while under tow to be scrapped north of the Hawaiian Islands. Sister-ship, SS Indepedence, suffered a worst demise.

Page 5

Constitution, USS — American three-masted heavy frigate
Oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world. She was larger and more heavily armed than the standard frigates of the period. LAUNCHED: 1797, October 18 → FATE: On display at the Boston Navy Yard as a museum ship.

(Another )

Costa Concordia — Italian cruise ship
Largest cruise ship disaster; ran aground on a reef off Isola del Giglio and capsized; 32 people dead. In 2008, she suffered damage to her bow when high winds pushed the ship alongside its dock. LAUNCHED: 2005, September 18 → FATE: Capsized January 13, 2012.

Cotopaxi, SS — American bulk carrier
She disappeared on a voyage from Charleston, S.C., to Havana, Cuba; none of the 32 people on board were ever seen again. She became part of the legend of the Bermuda Triangle even though she was found outside that area. In the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, aliens are responsible for the ship's disappearance. LAUNCHED: 1918, November 15 → FATE: Lost 35 miles off St. Augustine in Florida, December, 1925.

Curacoa, HMS — British light-cruiser
Accidentally sliced in half and sunk by the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, with the loss of 337 men. Her demise came while escorting convoy ships during World War II. Those who witnessed the collision were sworn to secrecy due to national security concerns. LAUNCHED: 1917, May 5 → FATE: Sunk in collision with HMS Queen Mary, 1942, October 2.

Cusk, USS — American submarine
The first submarine to launch a guided missile from her deck. She appeared in the 1950 movie The Flying Missile as the USS Bluefin. LAUNCHED: 1945, July 18 → FATE: Sold for scrap June 26, 1972.

(Another )

Cutty Sark — English clipper ship
Lost China-to-London race to ship called Thermopylae. She is one of three remaining original composite construction (wooden hull on an iron frame) clipper ships from the nineteenth century. LAUNCHED: 1869, November 18 → FATE: Now preserved in dry dock in Greenwich, England.

Daigo Fukuryu Maru — Japanese fishing boat
First victim of a hydrogen bomb died of radiation poisoning because the ship was too near the test zone. On on March 1, 1954, the boat was contaminated by nuclear fallout from the US's Castle Bravo thermonuclear test on Bikini. On Sept. 23, 1954, the ship's radio operator, Aikichi Kuboyama, succumbed. LAUNCHED: 1947 → FATE: Now on display in Tokyo at the Tokyo Metropolitan Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall in Yumenoshima Park.

Daimlier — German motorboat
The first commercial motor boat. Based upon a boat powered by a petrol engine tested on the Neckar river in Germany in 1886 by Daimler and Maybach. LAUNCHED: 1886 → FATE: Unknown.

Page 6

Darling, HMS — British torpedo boat destroyer
First destroyer-type ship. Created to defend against torpedo boats. She was described at the time as the "fastest boat ever" having achieved a speed over 28 knots. LAUNCHED: 1893, November 18 → FATE: Scrapped in 1912.

(Another )

David, CSS — American Confederate torpedo boat
A cigar-shaped boat with explosives on the end of a spar projecting forward from her bow. Surface vessel designed to operate very low in the water, resembling a submarine. LAUNCHED: 1863 → FATE: Unknown.

(Another )

Demologos — American paddle steamers with a catamaran hull
First warship to be propelled by a steam engine. Designed by Robert Fulton, with the steam engine between a double hull, no other ship like her was ever built. (See "Another IMAGE" for cross view of her structure.) LAUNCHED: 1815 → FATE: Accidentally blown up in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on June 4, 1829.

Derbyshire, MV — British cargo ship, oil-ore
Largest British ship ever to have been lost at sea. All 42 crew members and two wives were lost with the ship during Typhoon Orchid in 1980. LAUNCHED: 1976, June → FATE: Sank south of Japan September 9, 1980.

Deutschland — German pocket battleship
Lead ship of her class serving in the German Kriegsmarine before and during World War II. Renamed Lützow in November of 1939, because Adolf Hitler feared loss of a ship named Deutschland would make for bad propaganda. LAUNCHED: 1931, May 18 → FATE: Sunk in the Baltic sea July 20, 1947.

Deutschland, SMS — German battleship
First of five Deutschland class pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Kaiserliche Marine between 1903 and 1906. With the launching of the big-gun English HMS Dreadnought battleship, the SMS Deutschland became obsolete. LAUNCHED: 1904, November 18 → FATE: Scrapped in 1920.

Deutschland, submarine — German submarine
First submarine to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She was a blockade-breaking German merchant submarine used during World War I. LAUNCHED: 1916, March 28; converted 1917 June → FATE: Broken up at Morecambe, England in 1922.

Devastastion, HMS — British Devastation-class ironclad
The first ocean-going capital ship not carry sails, and the first with the entire main armament mounted on top of the hull rather than inside it. Originally conceived as a ocean-going breastwork monitor, she was redesignated as 2nd Class Turret ships in 1886 and finally as 2nd Class Battleships by the 1900. LAUNCHED: 1874 → FATE: Was scrapped in 1908.

Page 7

Discovery — British three-masted barque
The ship that carried Scott and Shackleton on their first successful journey to the Antarctic. She was locked in the ice of the Antarctic for two years. The ship was eventually freed in February, 1904 by the use of controlled explosives. LAUNCHED: 1901, March 18 → FATE: Museum ship in Dundee, Scotland.

(Another )

Doña Paz, MV — Japanese built, Philippine owned ferry
A collision with MT Vector in 1987 resulted in the deadliest ferry disaster in history in peace time; possibly 4375 lives lost. As Don Sulpicio, on June 5, 1979, she was gutted by fire (with no casualties), beached and declared a total loss. The wreck was sold, refurbished and returned to service in 1981. LAUNCHED: 1963, April 18 → FATE: Collided with the oil tanker, caught fire and sank on December 20, 1987.

Dolpin, USS — American V-class submarine
The penultimate design in the V-boat series and star in the movie Submarine D-1. The movie hi-lights the use of the Momsen lung for emergency submarine rescues as well as the training tank structures of New London, Connecticut submarine base. LAUNCHED: 1931, March 18 → FATE: Broken up in August 1946.

Dreadnought, HMS — British dreadnought battleship
First "all-big-gun" armament and steam turbine propulsion. She revolutionized naval power and started a naval arms race. LAUNCHED: 1906, February 18 → FATE: Sold for scrap in 1923.

Driver, HMS — British side-wheeler paddle sloop
First steamship to circumnavigation the globe. She was the first steamship to visit New Zealand, arriving January 1846, and was involved in the New Zealand Wars. LAUNCHED: 1840, December 18 → FATE: Wrecked on Mayaguana Island on August 3,1861.

Drum, USS — American Gato-class submarine
She is the oldest of Gato-class submarine still in existence, having received a total of 12 battle stars for her World War II service. She sank 15 ships for a total of 80,580 tons of Japanese shipping, eighth highest of all US submarines. LAUNCHED: 1941, May 18 → FATE: Currently a museum ship in Mobile, Alabama, at Battleship Memorial Park.

Duyfken — Dutch barque
First authenticated European discovery of Australia, 1606. Prior to finding Australia, she explored much of South Pacific including the "Spice Islands" as part of the Dutch East Inda Company fleet. Her replica was built in Australia. LAUNCHED: 1595, original ship; replica launched January 24, 1999 → FATE: Condemned and dismantled in July 1608; replica on display at Elizabeth Quay in Perth, Austrailia.

The number of All Countries Ships and Boats C‑D listed is 54

The contents of this page are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL).

For a full list of all ships, select HERE

First Ship on each page
Page	Ship Name (Country and Type)
1.	Caine, USS (American destroyer minesweeper)
2.	Carroll A. Deering (American schooner)
3.	Charlotte Dundas (Scottish steamboat)
4.	Color Magic (Norwegian cruise ferry)
5.	Constitution, USS (American frigate)
6.	Darling, HMS (British torpedo boat destroyer)
7.	Discovery (British barque)

All Countries Ships and Boats C‑D
1.	Caine, USS American destroyer minesweeper
2.	Cairo, USS American ironclad gunboat
3.	Calypso, RV American minesweeper
4.	Campbeltown, HMS American Wickes-class destroyer
5.	Cap Arcona, SS German ocean liner
6.	Carpathia British ocean liner
7.	Carroll A. Deering American schooner
8.	Cassin Young, USS American destroyer
9.	Cavalier, HMS British C-class Destroyer
10.	Central America, SS American paddle steamboat
11.	Cerberus, HMVS Australian breastwork monitor
12.	Challenger, HMS British corvette
13.	Champion of the Seas English clipper ship
14.	Charles W. Morgan American whaling ship
15.	Charlotte Dundas Scottish steamboat
16.	Christina O Greek luxury yacht
17.	City of Adelaide English clipper ship
18.	City of Benares, SS British steam passenger ship
19.	Claremore Queen American steamboat
20.	Clermont American steamboat
21.	Clotilda American two-masted schooner
22.	Cole, USS American aegis-equipped
23.	Color Magic Norwegian cruise ferry
24.	Colossus, HMS British third-rate ship of the line
25.	Columbia Rediviva American full-rigged
26.	Comet, PS British paddle steamer
27.	Compass Rose British Flower-class corvette
28.	Conception, MV American dive boat
29.	Constellation, USS American sloop-of-war
30.	Constitution, SS American ocean liner
31.	Constitution, USS American frigate
32.	Costa Concordia Italian cruise ship
33.	Cotopaxi, SS American bulk carrier
34.	Curacoa, HMS British light-cruiser
35.	Cusk, USS American submarine
36.	Cutty Sark English clipper ship
37.	Daigo Fukuryu Maru Japanese fishing boat
38.	Daimlier German motorboat
39.	Darling, HMS British torpedo boat destroyer
40.	David, CSS American Confederate torpedo boat
41.	Demologos American paddle steamers
42.	Derbyshire, MV British cargo ship
43.	Deutschland German battleship
44.	Deutschland, SMS German battleship
45.	Deutschland, submarine German submarine
46.	Devastastion, HMS British Devastation-class ironclad
47.	Discovery British barque
48.	Doña Paz, MV Japanese ferry
49.	Dolpin, USS American V-class submarine
50.	Dreadnought, HMS British dreadnought battleship
51.	Driver, HMS British paddle sloop
52.	Drum, USS American Gato-class submarine
53.	Duyfken Dutch barque

Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

War ships, ship tragedies, steam ships, yachts, and more

with Images and Information

All Countries Ships and Boats C‑D