Disappearances and
Strange Occurrences - 1926 to 1950
The books listed give sources and references except where noted
1926
PORTA
NOCA - An island taxi ferry operating by Cuba
"The Bermuda Triangle" -
Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 79
"Without a Trace" - Charles
Berlitz
Listed as a passenger ship lost between
the Isle of Pines and Havana.
1926, March - The week of the 14th - 22nd
SUDUFFCO - A freighter shipping from New Jersey
to Los Angeles.
"Among the Missing" - Jay Robert Nash
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 44.
"The Bermuda
Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
Lists the cargo as "mixed"
consisting mostly of steel pipe.
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer, Page 78
"Without a Trace" - Charles
Berlitz
Listed as a freighter sailing south from
Port Newark.
1928, November top
VESTRUS
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer
1931, June
CURTISS ROBIN MONOPLANE - Piloted by
Herbie Pond a suspected rum runner.
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz
An aircraft that disappears off Palm
Beach, Florida with 2 persons.
1931, October
STAVENGER -
Also spelled STAVANGER
"Without a Trace" - Charles
Berlitz
Lists the date only as 1931. A freighter
lost south of Cat Island with 43 people.
1932, April
JOHN AND MARY
"Among the Missing" - Jay Robert
Nash
"The Bermuda Triangle
Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz
Listed as a schooner found abandoned 50
miles south of Bermuda
1935 top
AIRPLANE - Unknown, crashes just offshore at Daytona Beach
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 53.
1935, August
LA DAHAMA - Sailing yacht that was sinking and had her crew
rescued by the AZTEC. Everyone on the AZTEC
watched the LA DAHAMA sink, however, days later the LA DAHAMA was found by the REX
abandoned.
"Psychic In the Devil's
Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 45.
"The Bermuda Triangle" -
Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 113.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
1935,December
WACO BIPLANE - Havana to the Isle of Pines.
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 33.
WRIGHT WHIRLWIND
AIRPLANE
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz
Flying from Havana to the Isle of Pines.
1938, March
ANGLO -
Australian freighter
"Without a Trace" - Charles Berlitz
Lost southwest of the Azores with 39
persons.
1940, February 3
top
GLORIA COLITA - Abandoned 125 foot schooner found 150 miles
south of Mobile, Alabama (Gulf of Mexico)
.
"Among the Missing" - Jay
Robert Nash
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 46.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
Cargo listed as lumber.
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz
States the date as 1940 only, lists the
name as "GLORIA COLITE" found 200 miles south of Mobile, Alabama.
1941, March 12
MAHUKONA
"The
Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 72
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz
Lists the date only as 1941 also states
that it was a freighter renamed the SANTA CLARA prior to some wreckage
found 600 miles east of Jacksonville,
Florida.
1941, November
PROTEUS,
U.S.S. - Sister ship to the CYCLOPS and the NEREUS. Sailing from St.
Thomas to Atlantic seaports. Lost with all hands.
"Among the Missing" - Jay
Robert Nash
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 47.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
Cargo listed as possibly being bauxite.
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz
Lists the route as from St. Thomas to
Norfolk, Virginia.
1941, December
NEREUS, U.S.S. - Sister ship to the CYCLOPS and the PROTEUS. Vanished on the same route as the PROTEUS,
St. Thomas to Atlantic
seaports, Lost with all hands.
"Among the Missing" - Jay
Robert Nash
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 47.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
Cargo listed as possibly being bauxite.
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz
Lists the route as from St. Thomas to
Norfolk, Virginia.
1942, November top
PAULUS - Passenger
ship.
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz, page 24
Listed as a passenger ship en route from
the West Indies to Halifax
1943
MARTIN MARINER AIRPLANE
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz
Lost 150 miles south of Norfolk,
Virginia with 19 persons.
1944, October 22
RUBICON - Cuban cargo freighter found abandoned off the coast Florida. 90
gross tons. All hands missing, ship seaworthy with
all personal effects still on board.
"Among the Missing" - Jay Robert
Nash
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 47.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 179.
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz
Listed as a freighter found abandoned
off the Florida coast with no one on board except for a dog.
1944, December
NAVY BOMBER AIRPLANES - Five of them
which seem to disappear a year before Flight 19.
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 34.
1945 top
VALMORE
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 82.
A two masted schooner.
1945, January
B-25 AIRPLANE
"Without a Trace" -
Charles Berlitz, page 24.
Lost between Bermuda and the Azores with
19 people.
1945, Summer
BOMBER AIRPLANE - A small bomber
with 2 people on board. Took off from Cecil Field, Florida.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent
Thomas Jeffery, page 129.
1945, July 18
NAVY
PRIVATEER AIRPLANE - PB-4YW, 4 engine.
"Limbo of the Lost-Today"
- John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 14.
"Without a
Trace" - Charles Berlitz, page 24.
Lost between Miami, Florida and the
Bahamas
1945, December 5
FLIGHT 19 - Five Grumman
TBM Avenger Torpedo Bombers. - At about 2:10 p.m. on
the afternoon of 5 December 1945, Flight 19,
consisting of five TBM Avenger Torpedo Bombers departed from the U. S. Naval Air Station,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
on an authorized advanced overwater navigational training flight. They were to execute
navigation problem No. 1, which
is as follows: (1) depart 26 degrees 03 minutes north and 80 degrees 07 minutes west and
fly 091 degrees (T) distance
56 miles to Hen and Chickens Shoals to conduct low level bombing, after bombing continue
on course 091 degrees
(T) for 67 miles, (2) fly course 346 degrees (T) distance 73 miles and (3) fly course 241
degrees (T) distance 120 miles,
then returning to U. S. Naval Air Station, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In charge of the flight was a senior qualified flight instructor, piloting one of the
planes. The other planes were piloted by
qualified pilots with between 350 and 400 hours flight time of which at least 55 was in
TBM type aircraft. The weather over
the area covered by the track of the navigational problem consisted of scattered rain
showers with a ceiling of 2500 feet within
the showers and unlimited outside the showers, visibility of 6-8 miles in the showers,
10-12 otherwise. Surface winds were
20 knots with gusts to 31 knots. The sea was moderate to rough. The general weather
conditions were considered average
for training flights of this nature except within showers.
A radio message intercepted at about 4 p.m. was the first indication that Flight 19 was
lost. This message, believed to be
between the leader on Flight 19 and another pilot in the same flight, indicated that the
instructor was uncertain of his position
and the direction of the Florida coast. The aircraft also were experiencing malfunction of
their compasses. Attempts to establish
communications on the training frequency were unsatisfactory due to interference from Cuba
broadcasting stations, static, and
atmospheric conditions. All radio contact was lost before the exact nature of the trouble
or the location of the flight could be
determined. Indications are that the flight became lost somewhere east of the Florida
peninsula and was unable to determine
a course to return to their base. The flight was never heard from again and no trace of
the planes were ever found. It is assumed
that they made forced landings at sea, in darkness somewhere east of the Florida
peninsula, possibly after running out of gas.
It is known that the fuel carried by the aircraft would have been completely exhausted by
8 p.m. The sea in that presumed area
was rough and unfavorable for a water landing. It is also possible that some unexpected
and unforeseen development of weather
conditions may have intervened although there is no evidence of freak storms in the area
at the time.
All available facilities in the immediate area were used in an effort to locate the
missing aircraft and help them return to base.
These efforts were not successful. No trace of the aircraft was ever found even though an
extensive search operation was
conducted until the evening of 10 December 1945, when weather conditions deteriorated to
the point where further efforts
became unduly hazardous. Sufficient aircraft and surface vessels were utilized to
satisfactorily cover those areas in which
survivors of Flight 19 could be presumed to be located.
One search aircraft was lost during the operation. A PBM patrol plane which was launched
at approximately 7:30 p.m.,
5 December 1945, to search for the missing TBM's. This aircraft was never seen nor heard
from after take-off. Based
upon a report from a merchant ship off Fort Lauderdale which sighted a "burst of
flame, apparently an explosion, and passed
through on oil slick at a time and place which matched the presumed location of the PBM,
it is believed this aircraft exploded
at sea and sank at approximately 28.59 N; 80.25 W. No trace of the plane or its crew was
ever found.
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Restored Avenger |
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Avenger at Midway 1942 |
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John
Wallace Spencer
"Mystic Places" - Time Life Books
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 8.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 131.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche - Good information.
"The Zone of Silence" - Gerry Hunt
MARTIN MARINER PBM AIRPLANE - Vanishes
while assisting in search for Flight 19, probably due to fuel explosion in mid air.
Witnesses report seeing a large flash of explosion in the general area of the plane.
The plane had a couple of nicknames....the "flying gas can" being one.
"Limbo of the Lost-Today"
- John Wallace Spencer
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery
1945, December 27 top
VOYAGER II - A 70 foot schooner.
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 82.
1946
ENCHANTRESS -
58 feet.
"Psychic In the Devil's
Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 48.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 105.
1946, December 5
CITY
BELLE - A 120 foot schooner found abandoned.
"Psychic In the Devil's
Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 48.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 173.
1947
SUPERFORTRESS AIRPLANE - No
confirmed sources.
"The Bermuda
Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
1947, July 3
C-54 AIRPLANE -
Took off from Kindley Field, Bermuda en route to Morrison Army Airfield, Palm Beach,
Florida.
"Limbo of the Lost-Today"
- John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 14.
1948, January 30
STAR TIGER AIRPLANE - Airliner sister ship to the STAR
ARIEL, both are Tudor IV, 4 engine model.
"Among the Missing" - Jay
Robert Nash
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 17.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 143.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
1948, March top
AL SNYDER - Disappears in The Triangle.
"The Bermuda
Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
TENDER, BOAT -
A 16 foot tender for the EVYLYN K disappears.
"The Bermuda
Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
1948, December 28
DC-3A AIRPLANE - Known as
"The Holiday Plane" this twin engine plane disappears within 50 miles
south of Miami, Florida.
"Limbo of the Lost-Today"
- John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 19.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery, page 143.
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer, page 139.
1949
DC-3 AIRPLANE -
Possibly the same as referenced above.
"The Bermuda
Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery
1949, January 17
DRIFTWOOD - 36 foot cabin
cruiser.
"The Devil's
Triangle" - Richard Winer
STAR ARIEL AIRPLANE -
Sister ship to the STAR TIGER. A 4 engine Tudor IV that
disappears en route from
Bermuda to Jamaica.
"Among the Missing" - Jay
Robert Nash
"Limbo of the Lost-Today" - John Wallace Spencer
"Psychic In the Devil's Triangle" - James Paul Chaplin, Page 17.
"The Bermuda Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer
1950, March top
GLOBEMASTER C-124
AIRPLANE
"The Bermuda
Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
1950, June
SANDRA - A 350 foot freighter sailing from Savannah, Georgia to Puerto Cabello,
Venezuela with 300 tons of insecticide.
"The Bermuda
Triangle" - Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved" - Lawrence David Kusche
"The Devil's Triangle" - Richard Winer
1950, July 9
DC-3 AIRPLANE - The plane was being used for missionary work by the New Tribes Mission group.
12/1999
