The Story of USS Cyclops – The U.S Navy Ship Lost without Trace
The disappearance of the USS Cyclops and her 306-member crew in 1918 remains one of the greatest unsolved maritime mysteries of all time.
The incident also marks the single biggest loss of life in US Naval History, not directly involving combat at sea. Despite several U.S. Navy investigations, nobody knows what happened to this ship or where it went.
However, this article will discuss some possible theories. First, let’s explore the ship’s background and technical specifications.

Background of the USS Cyclops
USS Cyclops was a proteus-class collier constructed by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, Philadelphia for the U.S. Navy. She was named after the Cyclops, one-eyed giants mentioned in Greek mythology. She was the second US Naval ship to have this name.
In the 20th century, naval warships were powered by coal, not fuel oil. Ships such as the Nevada, New York-class battleships, and Montgomery-class cruisers depended on colliers to keep them steaming. Colliers transported thousands of tonnes of coal in a single journey. Using clamshell buckets, they could transport around 2 tonnes to the decks of other vessels.
USS Cyclops displaced 19,360 tons when fully loaded with coal. Though its job was simple, it was not mechanised, and operating it was labour-intensive, requiring a crew of over 300. Cyclops was 540 feet long and 65 feet wide and could attain a speed of 15 knots.
Operational History of USS Cyclops
Cyclops entered service in 1910 and operated with the Naval Auxiliary Service, Atlantic Fleet. The following year, she traversed the Baltic to supply naval ships and returned to Norfolk, Virginia. After that, she operated from Newport, Rhode Island, to the Caribbean. When the U.S. occupied Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914-1915, she supplied coal to ships patrolling the region and helped evacuate the refugees.
When the U.S. declared war on Germany and its allies in 1917, support ships like the Cyclops came under naval command and became key assets. The administrative changes affected its crew, as now, instead of civilians, it was operated by naval officers.
She was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service in 1918. She then ventured into Brazilian waters to power British vessels in the South Atlantic.
USS Cyclops’ Last Voyage
Her last mission was on 28 January 1918, when Cyclops transported 9960 tonnes of coal to the South American Patrol Squadron in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She spent a few days unloading her cargo and picked up a cargo for her return voyage, comprising around 11,000 tonnes of manganese ore, a metal used to produce iron and steel, as U.S. entry into war spurred demand for raw materials needed for war production.
She began her journey from Rio de Janeiro on 16 February 1918, reaching Salvador on 20 February. Two days later, she left for Baltimore, Maryland, with no scheduled stopovers.
The ship was said to be overloaded when she left Brazil since her maximum capacity was 8000 long tonnes. Before leaving the port, Commander Worley submitted a report mentioning that a cracked cylinder was not operational. The survey board confirmed this and suggested that the vessel should return to the U.S. for repairs.
On its way home, Cyclops made an unplanned stop in Barbados on 3 March as the water level was over the Plimsoll line, indicating the vessel was overloaded. Cyclops then left for Baltimore on 4 March and, according to rumours, was seen on 9 March by the Tanker Amolco close to Virginia; however, this claim was denied by Amolco’s captain.
In any case, Cyclops never reached Baltimore and was never seen again. Its wreck was also not found. Nobody knows what happened to the unlucky collier and its crew.
Newspapers called it the strange disappearance.
As days passed and Cyclops did not reach its destination, it was feared that the ship was lost. Many theories circulated in American newspapers on 15 April 1918 after the U.S. Navy’s announcement.
On 1 June 1918, Cyclops was declared officially lost by the Navy’s Assistant Secretary. Among the crew lost was African-American mess attendant Lewis H. Hardwick, father of Herbert Lewis Hardwick, a famous welterweight boxer and winner of world championships.
The last message from the ship said ‘Weather Fair, All well’. On the nine-day voyage, something went terribly wrong, and the strangeness of the USS Cyclops vanishing was talked about for quite some time.
In a feature published some years later, Santa Fe Magazine said that generally, a wooden bucket or a cork life preserver is found after a ship is lost; however, nothing of this sort was found after Cyclops disappeared. She vanished as if a giant sea monster had pulled her deep into the ocean.
One sensational theory placed the USS Cyclops among more than 100 ships and planes, which vanished in the Bermuda Triangle, an area bounded by Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico. Its disappearance was also attributed to extraterrestrial beings or aliens, the lost city of Atlantis, giant sea monsters, UFOs, etc.
Per a contemporary New York Times Account, what made it all the more mysterious was that the captain of the USS Cyclops never sent a distress signal. Secondly, nobody on the ship responded to radio calls from hundreds of American ships in the area. Also, the crew did not lower the lifeboats, but the question was why and how.
There were no powerful storms nor strong winds which could cause the USS Cyclops to flounder, so the Times suggested that German U-boats or underwater mines might have targeted Cyclops, a theory not supported by the U.S. Navy then.
Where did the USS Cyclops Vanish: Major Theories
Improper loading of manganese broke the ship into two
The most acceptable explanation is given by Conrad A. Nerwig, who was a crew member onboard the USS Cyclops. However, he was lucky to have left the ship after it reached Rio de Janeiro. He wrote an article in 1969 for the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, fifty years after the accident, recounting his experience on the ill-fated vessel.
Nerwig said that the ship probably sank due to improper loading of the manganese ore. He said that the ship’s heavier-than-usual cargo was stored amidships. The uneven weight distribution stressed the ship’s hull, and the rough waters could have split it into two parts. This would have caused water to rush in and pull the vessel underwater, leaving no time to lower the lifeboats.
This happened because the only crew member knowledgeable about storing manganese was the ship’s executive officer, who was put under arrest in his quarters after an argument with the ship’s captain, George W. Worley.
Nerwig also talked about Captain Worley, saying his officers and men disliked him due to his unfriendly, bullying and problematic nature, which got him into frequent arguments onboard.
However, the question arises as to why no crew members survived the accident. According to many, the ship sank at night when only ten per cent of the crew was awake and on duty.
If the ship sank rapidly and pulled into the water depths due to its heavy cargo while many crew members were sleeping below the decks, they would not have time to process what was happening, let alone go and lower the lifeboats.
Fell prey to an enemy attack
Another theory suggests that the USS Cyclops fell victim to a torpedo attack after leaving Barbados. However, no records or findings prove that U-boats were in the area when the ship went missing.
Also, looking at how Germany admitted to several other ship sinkings, like that of the passenger vessel Lusitania in 1915, which took more than a thousand lives, it is not likely that Germany would try to cover up their role in the loss of a cargo ship.
The Disloyal Captain
A few people opine that Captain Worley betrayed the Navy and handed the USS Cyclops to the Germans. Worley was originally from Germany, and so were many of his crew members, making people question his loyalty to the Navy.
It is thought that he secretly handed over the ship to Germans as he was still loyal to his homeland after the First World War began.
As with the blame for the torpedo attack, Germany went through its records after the war ended to see if there was any truth in the rumours about Worley handing the vessel to the Germans, but they did not find anything to support this claim.
Engulfed by the Bermuda Triangle
It has also been suggested that the USS Cyclops was lost in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, which swallowed many ships and planes that ventured into the dangerous area between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico.
Though some think it is a conspiracy theory, many believe it to be a strange place where even stranger things can happen.
To add to the eerie happenings, both of Cyclops sister ships, the USS Nereus and the USS Proteus, vanished with all hands in the Triangle during the Second World War. When the USS Nereus vanished, she was travelling on the same route as the USS Cyclops.
Conclusion
Since there is no wreck to explore, the reason the USS Cyclops was lost remains a mystery. This has led to many theories involving giant sea monsters, the captain’s betrayal, and the Bermuda Triangle.
Cyclops is the last major U.S. Navy ship to be discovered. Given the recent run of newly found warships, such as the USS Indianapolis, Cyclops may also be found sooner or later. It was a huge vessel, and given its manganese cargo, it would have a magnetic signature.
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About Author
Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.
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The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
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