Unsinkable Sam

In the years following the Second World War, a ship’s cat named Oscar, better known as Unsinkable Sam, became famous for surviving three major shipwrecks and undergoing several changes in ‘political allegiances’.

Sam’s exact origins remain shrouded in mystery. However, it is believed that the black-and-white cat belonged to a crew member of the German battleship Bismarck, which was launched in the presence of Adolf Hitler and the granddaughter of the former chancellor in February 1939 before the war broke out. Despite being a formidable vessel, the massive ship remained docked for two years after being commissioned. It's quite likely that during this period, the protagonist of our story found his way onto Bismarck.

In the spring of 1941, the battleship was used by the German military command for its maiden, and only, voyage. Accompanied by the cruiser Prinz Eugen, it ventured into the Atlantic with the intention of targeting British supply ships. However, the only casualty attributed to Bismarck was the battlecruiser HMS Hood. After this tragic event, the focus of the hunt shifted towards the German naval stronghold. Three days later, Bismarck encountered a superior enemy force, sustained significant damage, and eventually sank. Of the more than 2,000 crew members, only 115 survived—along with one cat (at least!).

In the midst of the debris of the sunken Bismarck, the cat was spotted by sailors aboard the British destroyer HMS Cossack. They retrieved the feline from the water, sheltering it onboard, and named it Oscar. The selection of this particular name was not arbitrary: the red-and-yellow Oscar flag, according to the International Code of Signals, signifies ‘man overboard’. The cat rapidly became the beloved mascot of the crew, but this is not the happy end of this story as yet.

The HMS Cossack was primarily engaged in protecting convoys crossing the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. These cavalcades were frequently targeted by German submarines aiming to disrupt the Allies’ supply networks. On 24 October 1941, a convoy that included the HMS Cossack was en route from Gibraltar to Liverpool and came under attack. The destroyer fell victim to a German U-boat torpedo. The attack resulted in the loss of approximately 150 British sailors. Although efforts were made to tow the crippled ship to safety, another mishap led to its eventual sinking to the depths of the ocean.

However, Oscar the cat survived this catastrophe as well. Along with the surviving sailors, he found himself aboard the destroyer Legion and was eventually transported to Gibraltar. There, he briefly set foot on land and enjoyed a respite for several weeks. It seems that during this time, he acquired the moniker that would cement his place in history: his new owners named him Unsinkable Sam.

However, Sam's time in Gibraltar was short-lived, and by November of the same year, he found himself on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Ironically, the unsinkable feline’s new home was a direct participant in hunting down his first ship, Bismarck. Predictably, the Ark Royal was a prime target for enemy submarines in part due to its connection to the incident. Up until November 1941, the ship had successfully evaded serious damage. However, as autumn drew to a close, it was attacked by the U-81 submarine. For the third time in less than a year, Unsinkable Sam endured another shipwreck. And it doesn’t even bear mentioning that the cat was rescued once again.