Unsinkable Sam, also called Oscar, is the famous ship-cat legend said to have survived three sinkings, though firm evidence for parts of the story is lacking.

North Atlantic / Gibraltar / Belfast

Story

The traditional story says Oscar survived Bismarck, HMS Cossack and HMS Ark Royal, earning the nickname Unsinkable Sam.

The archive also notes the evidentiary problem: contemporary reports support an Ark Royal cat, but firm links to Bismarck and Cossack are lacking.

Unsinkable Sam is archived as a famous animal war legend with its factual boundary clearly preserved.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Unsinkable Sam
• Wikimedia Commons: Unsinkable Sam