Historedia
EuropeEvent

German liner SS Schiller wrecks off the Isles of Scilly with heavy loss of life

When
1875
Where
Retarrier Ledges; Isles of Scilly
Episodes
4

The German ocean liner SS Schiller struck the Retarrier Ledges in the Isles of Scilly on 7 May 1875, resulting in 335 fatalities. The vessel, built in Glasgow in 1873, was operating on its regular route from New York to Hamburg when thick fog obscured visibility in the English Channel.

Episodes

  1. 7 May 1875 · Retarrier LedgesWreck on the Retarrier Ledges

    SS Schiller struck the Retarrier Ledges in the Isles of Scilly on 7 May 1875, causing the ship to sink with 335 fatalities.

  2. 7 May 1875 · Isles of ScillyPassenger Panic and Fatalities

    Pandemonium broke out on deck as passengers fought to get into the lifeboats, resulting in 335 fatalities.

  3. Later years · Isles of ScillyWreckage Investigation

    In later years, the wreckage was investigated by Todd Stevens and Richard Larn, with few artifacts declared to the local museum.

  4. Two World Wars · Isles of ScillyWartime Sparing of Scilly

    Orders were given in the two World Wars to spare the Isles of Scilly from attacks by German forces.

Background and detail

Background. SS Schiller was a 3,421-ton German ocean liner, one of the largest vessels of her time. Built in Glasgow in August 1873, she plied the Atlantic routes for two years without major incident. The ship was engaged to sail from New York on 27 April 1875, calling at Plymouth and Cherbourg on her route homeward to Hamburg.

Wreck. On 7 May 1875, the ship hit the Retarrier Ledges in the Isles of Scilly. Captain Thomas slowed due to poor visibility in thick sea fog as she entered the English Channel. The captain attempted to reverse off the rocks, but heavy seas flung the liner onto the rocks by its broadside three times, staving in the hull and causing the ship to list dangerously.

Aftermath. Pandemonium broke out on deck as passengers fought to get into the lifeboats. The wreck resulted in 335 fatalities. In later years, the wreckage was investigated by Todd Stevens and Richard Larn. In recognition of the assistance given by the inhabitants of the Scilly Isles, orders were given in the two World Wars to spare the Isles from attacks by German forces.

People involved

Sources

  1. SS Schiller Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-02

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.