A Curious Case of a “Phantom” Burning Ship
On the night of November 2nd, 1957, just after midnight, a Japanese freighter was en route to Seattle, Washington, when the bridge crew saw an orange glow on the horizon. On closer inspection, the crew discovered that the glow was the result of a somewhat large fishing vessel completely engulfed in flames.
Diverting course, the Japanese freighter began to search for possible survivors. Within hours, the ship was joined by American Coast Guard vessels, a pair of patrol planes from the Canadian Armed Forces, and other fishing vessels that volunteered to assist in the search. But after 5 days and 6,100 square miles, no survivors were found, nor were any bodies recovered. But this is where things get interesting….
Unsolved Mysteries of the Burning Ship
One of the items recovered was a ruptured fuel tank with charred wooden fittings that carried the faint scent of naphtha, a type of fuel not commonly used by fishing vessels in the U.S. or Canada. Another unusual fact was that no fishing vessels had been reported missing by American or Canadian authorities. Nor were there any missing person reports made or insurance claims filed.
But the real kicker? Before the fishing vessel was completely destroyed, the Japanese crew were able to write down a string of letters from the hull before it was consumed. However, these letters did not match up with any registration numbers of U.S. or Canadian fishing boats active at the time. But what does this have to do with the military? Well, you see….
The Soviet Connection Theory
There is a popular theory suggesting that the “Phantom” burning ship was actually a Soviet vessel deployed to support a Soviet submarine. In fact, the Royal Canadian Navy had been tracking a Soviet submarine near Vancouver Island just days before the burning trawler was discovered. The Soviets had a habit of using fishing vessels to track NATO vessels as well as support their own in clandestine operations.
There is a possibility that the trawler was on one such mission, and when completed, the crew was picked up by the submarine, and the ship was destroyed to cover its tracks. But to this day, the identity of the fishing vessel and the fate of its crew remains unsolved.
~NC
