Vaslav Vorovsky
Cargo Freighter · Soviet Union · Lost 1941 · The Columbia River Bar & Oregon Coast
A Soviet freighter hauling war supplies and lard that grounded and broke apart on Peacock Spit in 1941, with all 37 crew saved.
Angela T. Travis
See Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
The Soviet cargo ship Vaslav Vorovsky was carrying well-drilling machinery and cases of lard from Portland toward Vladivostok when a steering failure drove her onto Peacock Spit during a gale on April 3, 1941. All 37 crew were rescued by Coast Guard lifeboats, though Captain Tokareff initially refused to leave. The hull cracked apart in the surf over following days, and washed-up cargo, especially the lard, was gathered and used by local residents for years afterward.
Vessel
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Steel
- 365 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Steam, single screw
- Soviet state merchant fleet
Loss
- April 3, 1941
- Mechanical failure
- Peacock Spit, near Jetty A, Cape Disappointment
- Columbia River Bar / Pacific Ocean
- Portland, Oregon → Vladivostok, Soviet Union
- Well-drilling machinery and lard, part of pre-Lend-Lease U.S. aid shipments to the Soviet Union
- 37
- 0
- S. Tokareff
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- The hull cracked in multiple places and broke up on the spit; the ship and much of her cargo were declared a total loss, with cargo washing ashore and salvaged locally.
- Not established
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Position
- 46.28° N 124.07° W
- Approximate position
- Cape Disappointment, Washington
Position approximates Peacock Spit near Jetty A, Cape Disappointment, where the ship grounded.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (74/100)
Builder, launch year, and precise tonnage of this vessel are not established in the sources reviewed.
Loss narrative, cargo, rescue details.
Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum
Confirmation of loss date and local salvage of cargo.
