The MS Stockholm became famous when she collided with the SS Andrea Doria off the coast of Nantucket on July 25th, 1956. During the collision, the Stockholm knifed into the Andrea Doria’s starboard side and left a gaping wound. The Andrea Doria sank in less than 12 hours. The Stockholm’s icebreaker bow sheared off in the collision, but nevertheless, the ship remained afloat. The injured Stockholm made it back to shore under her own steam, without her bow, and carrying with her 500 Andrea Doria survivors.
In September of 2020, a group of divers including Sea Rovers, Steve Gatto, Tom Packer, and Joe Mazraani, discovered the bow wreckage of the MS Stockholm. Gatto and Packer, who have been diving the Andrea Doria since the 1980s and share arrest rights to the wreck with John Moyer, were the first to see the Stockholm’s bow in more than 65 years. Moyer was integral to the discovery and the search for the bow is part of the salvage holders ongoing efforts to explore and preserve the history of one of the world’s most famous maritime collisions. Surprisingly, the bow is remarkably intact, and was easily identified by the Stockholm’s unique anchors, reinforced hull plating, and general size and shape. The divers will share photos and reveal, for the first time, underwater video of the bow as she rests today.