On March 24, 1878, the British Ship HMS Eurydice sank off the Isle of Wight. HMS Eurydice was a Royal Navy ship, a wooden-hulled screw frigate. The sinking of the Eurydice was a tragic maritime disaster resulting in the loss of 317 lives.

The ship had been returning to Portsmouth, England, from the West Indies when it encountered a violent storm off the Isle of Wight. The storm caused the ship to capsize and sink rapidly. Despite rescue efforts by nearby ships and shore-based lifeboat crews, only two of the crew members survived.

The sinking of the HMS Eurydice was one of the worst peacetime naval disasters in British history and led to significant changes in naval design and safety protocols. The tragedy served as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by sailors at sea and prompted improvements in ship construction and safety procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.