Big stories about big squids: The story of the Britannia and the birth of a wartime urban legend

2020/05/04 by John A. Dyer · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Maritime and Coastal Archaeology #Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

paper · doi:10.1177/0968344519877664

openalex publication_date 2020/05/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

A popular urban legend from World War II involves the survivors of a sunken British troopship being attacked by a giant squid. The story of R.E.G. Cox and the giant squid he claimed that attacked him can be found in a wide variety of written and online sources. This article explores the origins of this urban legend, looks at its spread, and debunks it through both historiographical research and a brief scientific examination of relevant marine life.

Cited by

• List of giant squid specimens and sightings [wikipedia]

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