1917

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• The Novington, a vessel laden with a cargo of timber, from Archangel, Russia, via Lerwick for the Tyne, England sank off Scarfa Skerry, Ness of Sound during or before 1917.

January

• 2nd
  The Norwegian steamer D/S Bestik,(MNQJ), of Kristiania, was torpedoed with no warning by the German submarine UC 76, out of Lerwick. 10 men lost.
• 19th
  The worst snowstorm for over 30 years with freezing temperatures hits Shetland. The wind was from the south-east and snow-drifts in Sandness were over 12 feet deep.

February

• 13th
  British fishing vessel King Alfred, (159GRT), sunk by a German submarine 75 miles south of Fair Isle. The skipper was taken prisoner.
• 24th
  Cargoship Glen Isla sunk near Bressay

March

• 1st
  Norwegian barque Norma (KDSF), of Lillesand, sunk by German submarine UC 76, 20 nautical miles north of Shetland.
  Norwegian steamer D/S Gurre, (MKHV), of Bergen, on tour Bergen- Lerwick with a cargo of steel, was torpedoed with no warning, by the German submarine U 66, near Lerwick. 19 men were lost.
• 9th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Dana (MBPV), of Bergen, torpedoed by German submarine UC 76, at Sumburgh Head.
• 10th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Skreien, (JSQC), of Trondheim, was sunk by the German submarine U 81, east of Lerwick. 5 men lost their lives when gunfire was opened at the lifeboats.
• 12th
  The British E class submarine HMS/M E49 struck a mine, or mines, and sank between the isles of Balta and Huney after leaving Baltasound, Unst, with the loss of all on board.
  The british ship Lucy Anderson, (4073GRT), sunk by a German submarine 55 miles east - southeast from Noss Head.
• 25th
  The Norwegian steamer, D/S Laly, (MKPQ), of Kristiania, sunk by the German submarine U 81, east of Shetland. 19 men lost.
  Norwegian steamer D/S Garant, (MBVG), of Kragerø, sunk by German submarine U 81, east of Shetland. The whole crew of 14 men lost.

April

• 1st
  The Norwegian ship S/S Najade, (KFRV), of Kristiania, a large steel full - rigged sailship, was sunk by the German submarine U 59, at Fair Isle. The whole crew of 21 lost their lives
• 2nd
  Norwegian barque S/S Sagitta, (WJKM), of Kristiansand was sunk by the German submarine U 78 east of Shetland.
• 4th
  The Wladimir Reitz, a steel hulled steamship, of Copenhagen, Denmark, laden with a cargo of oilcake, was sunk by a German submarine at a position approx 40 miles NW by N of Foula.
• 6th
  The Lord Kitchener, a steam fishing trawler, of Hartlepool, England was captured by a German submarine and sunk using explosives. The location of capture and/or sinking is disputed, but a wreck located generally SW of Foula has been suggested as a possibility.
• 17th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Gerda, (JRDP), of Bergen was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UC 55 at Sumburgh Head.
• The Robert, a steamship, of Copenhagen, Denmark, from Gothenburg, Sweden for Hull, England with 2050 tons of general cargo, was topedoed without warning by the German submarine UC-76 and sank approx 14 miles E of Fair Isle.
• 18th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Bergensgut, (WJLF), of Bergen was torpedoed with no warning, by the German submarine UC 76, out of Lerwick. 10 men lost their lives.
• 21st
  The British fishing vessel Jedburgh (GY451), (165GRT), was sunk by a German submarine 35 miles north - northwest from Foula.
• The Yeovil (GY575), a steam fishing trawler, of Grimsby, England was sunk by a German submarine at a position approx 35 miles NNW of Foula.
• 22nd
  The Norwegian steamer D/S Giskø, (HKFD), of Ålesund, sunk by the German submarine U 21 east - north - east of Out Skerries.
  Norwegian steamer D/S Godø, (MBWS), of Ålesund, sunk by the German submarine U 41 near Out Skerries.
  Both ships were owned by P. A. Musæus, Ålesund.
• 23th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Stegg, (HPMT), of Kristiania, sunk by German submarine U 41, east of Lerwick.

May

• 7th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Tore Jarl, (MGRT), torpedoed by the German submarine UC 49 south of Sumburgh Head.
• 17th
  The Sceptre (LK1062), a wooden hulled fishing vessel of Quendale, Dunrossness was destroyed by fire while lying at anchor in the Bay of Quendale, with the crew were ashore.
• 25th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Glyg, (JMNS), of Haugesund was sunk by the German submarine UC 33 north west of Muckle Flugga.
• The Whinlatter, a barque, of Christiania (now Oslo), Norway was sunk by German submarine attack at an unspecified position to the NW of Shetland.
• 29th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Kodan, (KFIC), of Skien, sunk by the German submarine U 28 east of Out Skerries.
  Norwegian steamer D/S Karna, (KFTB), of Skien was sunk by the same submarine east of Muckle Flugga. Both ships were owned by T. Realfsen, Skien.

June

• 2nd
  The Glasgow, Scotland registered fishing vessel Shamrock (1917) sank to the east of Sumburgh Head after being attacked by a German submarine.
• 4th
  The Norwegian barque S/S Clara, (KBTH), of Larvik, sunk by the German submarine UC 55, 28 nautical miles north of Foula.
• 7th
  Norwegian steamer D/S John Bakke, (MJSG), of Haugesund, sunk by the German submarine U 88, east of Shetland.
• 9th
  The British ship Clan Alpine, (3587GRT), was torpedoed with no warning and sunk by a German Submarine 40 miles northeast of Muckle Flugga. 8 men lost their lives.
  The Swedish ship "Ada" was torpeoed by the German Submarine U 61 near Fair Isle.3 men lost.
• 11th
  The Norwegian steamer D/S Breid, (HPRQ), of Porsgrund was torpedoed with no warning by the German submarine UC 41, 10 nautical miles east of Noss Head.
• 21st
  The British ship Black Head, (1898GRT), was torpedoed by a German submarine and sunk 52 miles east - southeast of Out Skerries.
  Norwegian steamer D/S Laatefos, (MJSB), of Kristiania was torpedoed with no warning by the German submarine U 19 east of Lerwick.
• 23rd
  The Star (1917), a wooden hulled sailing vessel with a general cargo, of Denmark, was stopped by a German submarine, who forced her crew to abandon ship before sinking her with gunfire, at an unspecified location north of Shetland.
• 30th
  Destroyer H.M.S. Cheerful sunk by mine 2 miles East of Cunningsburgh. 41 of the crew were saved, 25 were lost.

July

• 1st
  The British ship Don Emilio, (3651GRT), was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine 10 miles northwest by west from Eshaness.
• 2nd
  The British fishing vessels General Buller,(72GRT), and Hamnavoe, (57GRT), were sunk by a German submarine 26 miles east - southeast from Sumburgh Head.
• 6th
  The Norwegian passenger and cargo ship, BDS's D/S Flora, (MDJS), of Bergen, was torpedoed by the German submarine U 52, 10 nautical miles north east of Lambaness. The ship was in route Seidisfjordur (Iceland) - Bergen, but was directed to Lerwick for British inspection.
• 9th
  The Prince Abbas, (2030GRT), a steamship, of London, England, from the Tyne, England for Lerwick with a cargo of coal, was torpedoed with no warning by the German submarine U-52 and sunk 29 miles east of Fair Isle. Two lives lost.
• 12th
  Norwegian steamer D/S Balzac, (MJRH), was torpedoed with no warning by the German submarine UC 55 south east of Lerwick.
• 13th
  Author William Porteous, serving in the RNR, dies of meningitis at Queyfirth, Northmavine
• 29th
  The British ship Adalia, (3847GRT), was sunk by a German submarine 53 miles northeast of Muckle Flugga. One man lost.
• 30th
  The British ship Manchester Inventor, (4112GRT), was sunk by a german submarine 80 miles northeast of Muckle Flugga.

August

• 6th
  The British ship Rosemount, (3044GRT), was torpedoed by a German submarine and sunk 45 miles norteast by north from Muckle Flugga. One man lost.
• 10th
  The British ship Bragdon,(1996GRT), was torpedoed with no warning by a German submarine 75 miles east by south from Muckle Flugga. 12 lives lost.
• 20th
  The Kirkland (LO 282), a steam fishing trawler, of London, England, on Naval service, sank after striking a mine near Fogla Skerry, Papa Stour. Only one crewmember was saved.
• 21st
  The British ship Oslo, (2296GRT), was torpedoed with no warning by a German submarine and sunk 15 miles east by north from Out Skerries. 3 lives lost.

September

• 10th
  The British ship Parkmill, (1316GRT), went on a mine and sunk 1 1/4 mile from Kirkabister Lighthouse, Bressay.
• 12th
  The Asia (H829), a steel hulled fishing trawler, of Hull, England, struck a mine approx 1 mile off Bressay Lighthouse. Seven of the crew were lost.
• 15th
  The British ship Santaren, (4256GRT), Was torpeded and sunk by a German submarine 40 miles northeast of Muckle Flugga. Captain and Chief Officer were taken prisoners.
  The British ship Rollesby, (3955GRT), was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine 80 miles east - northeast of Muckle Flugga.
• 17th
  The British ship Queen Amelie, (4278GRT), was torpedoed by a German submarine and sunk 19 miles northeast of Muckle Flugga.
• 18th
  The British ship Josep Chamberlain, (3709GRT), was torpedoed with no warning by a German submarine 50 miles north by west from Muckle Flugga. 18 lives were lost, and the Captain and one gunner were taken prisoners.

October

• 19th
  The Slavonic, a steamship, laden with a cargo of timber, for Lerwick en route to Newcastle, England, either struck a mine or was torpedoed by a German submarine 6 cables SSW of the Bard of Bressay, and sank within 30 minutes while under tow. All of the crew were saved.
• 21st
  The Flynderborg, a steamship, in ballast, of Copenhagen, Denmark, from Bergen, Norway and for Leith, Scotland was sunk by the activities of a German submarine off the Bard of Bressay. All of the crew were saved. The Anglo Dane, a steamship, laden with a cargo of coal, of Copenhagen, Denmark, was mined or torpedoed off Bressay Lighthouse, and the Elderborg, a steamship, in ballast was mined 3 miles SE of Bressay Lighthouse.
• 24th
  The Woron, a steamship, of St Petersburg, Russia was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-40 at an unspecified location off the south entrance to Lerwick Harbour.

December

• 12th
  The British ship Leonatus, (2099GRT), went on a mine and sunk 2 miles east by south from Kirkabister Lighthouse, Bressay.
  The Plymouth, Devon, England or Aberdeen Scotland (the records are in dispute) iron and steel steam fishing trawler Amadavat, (171GRT), went missing, presumed to have gone on a mine and sunk to the east of Shetland, possibly off Bressay and sunk with the loss of all nine crew, on or around this date.

1916 < - > 1918