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USS Cyclops Disappearance

The largest Navy ship to vanish without a trace. 309 crew. No SOS. No wreckage. No bodies. No explanation. The Cyclops sailed into the Bermuda Triangle in 1918 and was never seen again. The Navy's greatest peacetime loss.

1918
Bermuda Triangle, Atlantic Ocean
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USS Cyclops is the Navy’s greatest mystery.

The Ship

Massive vessel:

  • 542 feet long
  • 309 crew and passengers
  • Coal collier
  • Fully loaded
  • Returning from Brazil

The Voyage

March 1918:

  • Left Barbados
  • Heading to Baltimore
  • One stop made
  • Then vanished
  • No distress call

The Disappearance

Complete mystery:

  • No SOS sent
  • No wreckage found
  • No bodies recovered
  • Massive search
  • Nothing

The Investigation

What was ruled out:

  • German submarine
  • No enemy claimed
  • Storm unlikely
  • Structural failure?
  • Mutiny theory

Possible Causes

Best theories:

  • Catastrophic failure
  • Cargo shift (manganese ore)
  • Structural weakness
  • Sudden capsizing
  • None confirmed

The Legacy

Impact:

  • Largest peacetime loss
  • Bermuda Triangle connection
  • Two sister ships vanished too
  • Mystery remains
  • 100+ years unsolved

Sources

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