The USS Cyclops Unsolved Mystery

The USS Cyclops unsolved mystery continues to stump individuals interested in U.S Naval history and mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle zone, as well as the many individuals affected by the loss of the individuals that were on the ship.
Many years prior to the onset of World War I, the USS Cyclops was one of the ships constructed for the Navy of the United States. It was given the name "Cyclops"after the race of massive giants that is often discussed in the mythology stories from the Greeks as it was a very large ship. While this massive water vessel was the second to actually display the identification of"Cyclops", it is the one that is remembered the most. This is because in the beginning of March in the year of 1918, the entire ship along with 306 individuals disappeared forever.


The loss of the USS Cyclops has been deemed as the largest loss that has ever occurred as far as ships directly under the control of the U.S Navy is concerned. This is especially true considering the ship was not engaged in any type of combat when it disappeared. Despite tremendous efforts from a large assortment of organizations worldwide, there has never been any trace of evidence that the ship wrecked. This ship was originally commissioned on the 1st day of May in the year of 1917. She traveled extensively to various locations of the world including France, Nova Scotia, and across the waters of Brazil. In February of 1918, the ship left from Rio de Janeiro.


Four days after setting sail from Rio de Janeiro, the water vessel arrived in Bahia. A couple of days later, a large supply of manganese ore were stocked on the ship and it left from the port in Bahia for Baltimore, Maryland. No stops were scheduled for the USS Cyclops. It has been established that the vessel was nearly 3,000 tons over her standard capacity. Additionally, it was established that the cylinder of the engine had a distinctive crack and it was not as functional as it should have been for standard operation. However, the crew elected to wait until their arrival in the United States to undergo repairs. A large tanker by the name of"Amolco" reported seeing the massive ship on the 9th day of March near the area of Virginia. That evening, a vicious storm was stated to have occurred in the area of Virginia Cape.


The USS Cyclops failed to arrive in Baltimore as scheduled. Naturally, an extensive search operation was put into place and failed. No wreckage was discovered - none at all. There were no traces of human life or loss on the waters that the ship traveled. The investigation performed rendered a final statement by the Naval Administration of the United States. It stated:


"Many theories have been advanced, but none that satisfactorily accounts for her disappearance"


One of the most common theories surrounding the disappearance of the ship involves the Bermuda Triangle zone. Many individuals claim that if the vessel was in danger in the area of the Bermuda Triangle that the navigational crew would have contacted someone with a call of distress. Unfortunately, the year that this happened was 1918. Naturally, the communication systems onboard ocean liners were not as technologically advanced of those we have today. Speculations state that the ship may have sunk due to being overloaded and malfunctions occurring with the engine. Others believe that the magnetic issues that are known to the Bermuda Triangle zone may have resulted in the ship to travel on a course that was incorrect and something strange and unusual occurred. We may never solve this mystery, but two things are certain - the USS Cyclops disappeared without a trace and it was traveling across the mysteriousBermuda Triangle zone.