 |
|---|
General Information
Earlier Vessels
Radioactivity
WW1 and WW2
Modern Times
Home
Contact Registry
Area Reports
Convoy Routes
Notes: Sea
Treasure Stories
Shipping News
Greatest Loss of Life
Over the years, research on sunk, wrecked or missing ships brought to light some useful, and not so useful, information. For those interested... read on.
Return to top
U-35 was the most successful U-boat of both world wars. She sunk a total of 224 ships for a total of 535,900 tons, and served under 4 captains. U-48 was the most successful of world war 2 with 51 ships to her credit for a total of 310,007 tons. U-151 was the first U-boat to cross the Atlantic during WW1. Those operating in US waters during this period were U-151, U-156, U-155, U-152, U-139, U-140 and U-117. U-155 was the former Deutschland. During WW1, submarines from U-19 onward had diesel engines and U-1 to U-18 were paraffin driven. May 2nd to 3rd 1945, 192 U-boats were scuttled in the following locations:Gelting Bay - 43. Kiel/Wik - 39. Travemunde - 32. Wilhelmshaven - 21. Flensburg -10. Hamburg - 10. Kupfermuhlen Bay - 8. Wesermunde - 8. Bremen - 5. Horup Haff - 5. Schickau Yard - 4. Neustadt - 4. Eckernforde - 3. Rendsburg - 3. Warnemunde - 3. Cuxhaven - 2. Wasserleben Bay - 2. with others at - Bremerhaven - Vegesak - Nordenham - Lubeck - Kieler Fjord and Bornholm
Operation Deadlight took place November 25th 1945 to February 12th 1946. 119 U-boats were scuttled off Malin Head, Ire. Lisahally, Ire. and Loch Ryan, Scotland. 35 U-boats were used for other purposes and discarded later. The UK government has recently awarded a contract for the salvage of these vessels, one of the reasons given is that the metals pre-date 1945 and are not contaminated. Convoy PQ-17 lost a great amount of military hardware, including 3,350 vehicles, 430 tanks, 210 aircraft and 99,316 tons of general war equipment. The steamship Pioneer was the first prop driven vessel to cross the Atlantic in October 1851. She sailed from New York to Liverpool, UK. In July 1946 a US McDonnell Phantom 1 landed on the deck of USS Franklin D Roosevelt. This was the first jet to perform such a landing. First navy jet squadron formed in 1948. Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk, accounted for the loss of 9 British and French destroyers and 8 transports. Of the known 848 civilian craft, 72 were sunk, 163 lost in collision and 45 were badly damaged. The first air flight from a ship was in 1910 from USS Birmingham From the early 1800's British warships carried small libraries in the hope that some of the crews would become more enlightened. There were 733 American cargo vessels lost to enemy action during WW2. 32 American steamers were scuttled off Normandy both during and after June 6th 1944. Of the 94 German vessels scuttled in 1921 at Scapa Flow, only 7 remain. There are 83 wrecks in and around Scapa Flow, 43 are blockships. The White Star Line merged with Cunard in the 1930's. Records relating to the White Star Line prior to the merge did not survive. However, a great deal of information still survives in books etc, it just takes a little searching. Estimated 33,000 Italian sailors lost their lives in WW2.2,513 Italian non-naval vessels lost during WW2.Tuesday, 26th September,1939 The first German aircraft to be destroyed by British Forces was a Dornier Do 18D, Forced down by Skua aircraft from 'HMS Ark Royal', in a sortie in the North Sea. It was also the first Luftwaffe loss in operations against Great Britain.
The above Dornier Do 18D Flying Boat was forced down by Lieutenant B.S. McEwen and his air-gunner Petty Officer Airman B.M. Seymour in their Skua of No 803 Squadron from 'HMS Ark Royal', north of the Great
Fisher Bank. After taking the four man crew prisoner, the destroyer HMS SOMALI sank the plane by gunfire. (North East Diary) So as World War 2 begins to rear it's ugly head in Britain the following songs could be heard on the radio and in the pubs: Jeepers Creepers - Begin the Beguine - You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby - Two Sleepy People - My Own - Beer Barrel Polka - If I Didn't Care - Little Sir Echo - Run Rabbit Run - There'll Always be an England - Woodchopper's Ball - Over the Rainbow - Blue Skies Around the Corner - It's in the Air - The Umbrella Man - Undecided - Hold Tight, Hold Tight - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - We'll Meet Again - An Apple For the Teacher - Wings Over the Navy - Le Fiacre - We're Going to Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line - Tears on my Pillow - Deep Purple - J'attendrai. (North East Diary)
and in the cinemas:
Goodbye Mr Chips with Robert Donat and Greer Garson.
Pygmalion with Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard.
Pinocchio by Walt Disney.
Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon.
Gone with the Wind with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.
Stage Coach with John Wayne and Claire Trevor.
Babes in Arms with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.
Roaring Twenties with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Priscilla Lane.(North East Diary)
August 1939 the British Admiralty starts to requisition Hull's trawler fleet and in September, 140,000 hospital patients are discharged and 187,000 to 190,000 new and old beds are made ready for casualties.
(North East Diary)
War Grave !!...In September 1914 the German submarine U-9 torpedoed and sunk cruisers HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue off Holland. The total loss of life was about 1,500 souls. I am led to believe that in the 1950's the British Government sold the wrecks to a German Salvage Co of Stahl and Eisen. The Aboukir was blasted to pieces and scrap salvage was landed in Holland. Plate armor from the vessel was taken to Germany for use in hospital x-ray protection. "Rest in peace you guys, you are not forgotten on this web site"
War related losses Baltic Sea 1941 Russia - 217 vessels, 126 were naval vessels remainder were civilian. Estonia - 71 vessels, 2 naval. Germany - 52 vessels, 35 naval. Latvia - 32 vessels, 4 naval. Sweden - 4 civilian vessels. Finland - 3 naval. Lithuania - 3 vessels. 1 naval.
Thursday, 31st May,1945 - Twenty-three merchant ships arrived in the Clyde, the final Russian convoy. This was the last of a total of 75 convoys comprising a total of 1,500 merchant ships that were escorted to and from North Russia by the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, who also had to provide air cover for them. (North East Diary)
June 6th 1944 - Allied forces landed in Normandy, France, in the largest amphibious operation ever undertaken. The naval force consisted of 138 bombarding ships - 221 escorts - 287 minesweepers - over 4,000 landing craft of all sizes - 423 ancillary ships and craft and 1,260 merchant ships. 79% of the combatant ships sailed under the White Ensign. On the first three days, 38 convoys, comprising 743 ships, had been sent across the Channel; and by the tenth day 500,000 men and 77,000 vehicles had been landed.
April 17th 1986 - The 335 year war between Holland and the Isles of Scilly ended.
FROM THE UK COAST GUARD "There appear to be some misconceptions about what finds need to be reported, what the function of the Receiver of Wreck is, and what the process of reporting is. We would like to take this opportunity to dispel some commonly held myths: All wreck brought ashore in the UK must by law (Section 236 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995) be reported to the Receiver of Wreck. It is not up to the finder to decide whether the item recovered is significant or important. This is the job of the Receiver of Wreck. The basic premise for the legal duty to report wreck, is that all wreck material has an owner who retains title, however long the material has been wrecked. The owner may for instance be an individual, an insurance company, a shipping company or a dive club who may still have an interest in the wreck. By reporting the material, you are giving them the opportunity of having their property returned. The Receiver of Wreck, on receiving a report, researches the ownership of the wreck. When an owner is found, he or she can decide if they want their property back. Finders who act within the law have salvage rights. If the owner decides he or she would like the material back, they must first settle salvage with the finder. This is primarily based on the value of the material, and reasonable costs incurred. In many cases the material is unclaimed, i.e. the owner cannot be found, or no longer has an interest in the wreck. Generally unclaimed wreck belongs to the Crown. It is the duty of the Receiver of Wreck to dispose of unclaimed objects appropriately. Often the finder is given title to the material in lieu of salvage. However, in the case of historically important material, artefacts may be purchased by a museum, so that they are properly conserved and made accessible to the public. The finder will receive a salvage award from the price paid for the object by the museum. Remember, there are substantial penalties for not reporting wreck. If you do not report your wreck finds you are liable to pay a fine of up to £2,500 for each offence. You will forfeit any salvage rights, and will have to reimburse the owner, or the person, entitled double the value of the find. You have nothing to lose by reporting your find since you will either be entitled to a salvage award, or will be given title to the find in lieu of salvage. It is surely not worth risking a criminal record - report your find! Proposed Wreck Amnesty
Another matter which you may want some clarification on, is the proposal for a Wreck Amnesty. Such an amnesty would, for a limited time, offer the opportunity to report undisclosed finds without fear of prosecution for not reporting them under s. 236 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. If such an amnesty occurs, it will be widely publicised within the diving community. It is impossible to predict when such an Amnesty might occur, although it remains under active consideration. In the meantime the Receiver of Wreck can assure finders who have been slow in reporting their finds, that they will receive a sympathetic response if they have material they have yet to report.
Contact Us
Report of Wreck & Salvage forms are available directly from the Receiver of Wreck, from Coastguard Stations, and from MCA Marine Offices. If you would like further information, advice or just some forms, please contact the Receiver of Wreck office on 023 8032 9474, by email at Veronica_Robbins@mcga.gov.uk or by post at Bay 1/05, Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG............fron the UK CG - July 2000.
Return to top
Builders Measure - Up till about 1873 the tonnage of a vessel was called Builders Measurement (BM). This was more than likely based on the number off casks the vessel could carry. After this date displacement tonnage was used and from about 1926 on the actual weight is calibrated. Data on some vessels is shown in BM, but over time this number has been converted in some references to actual tons, and may not be true. e.g. a vessel shown as 100BM is not automatically 100 tons.| Tonnage | Length | Beam | Draft | 100 | 52ft | 19ft | 7.5ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 66 | 24 | 9.5 |
| 300 | 76 | 27 | 10.5 |
| 400 | 84 | 30 | 12 |
| 500 | 92 | 33 | 13 |
| 600 | 98 | 35 | 14 |
| 700 | 102 | 37 | 15 |
| 800 | 104 | 37.5 | 15 |
| 900 | 107 | 38 | 15.25 |
| 1000 | 109 | 39 | 15.33 |
| 1100 | 110 | 40 | 15.5 |
| 1500 | 120 | 44 | 16 |
| 2000 | 152 | 60 | 18 |
| Type | History |
|---|---|
| Argosy | Large pre-18th century trading vessel |
| Azogue | Spanish mercury carrying vessel |
| Barkentine | 3 or more masts, normally square rigged |
| Bergantina | Small vessel powered by oars or sail, used in the Mediterranean between 14th and 16th centuries |
| Brigantine | Two masted vessel, square rigged |
| Budgerow | A cabined passenger vessel used mainly on the rivers of India |
| Caravel | Small sailing vessel of the 15th and 16th century. Used mainly by the Spanish and Portuguese |
| Carrack | Similar to a galleon but not so sturdy and slower. Used mainly as a merchant. Square rigged |
| Cog | A broad beam trading vessel used mainly in Europe between the 13th and 15th centuries |
| Dhow | Small lateen rigged sailing vessel used mainly in the Indian Ocean |
| Drifter | Normally used for fishing, uses the tides and winds to cause it to be carried along |
| Flute | A vessel used strictly for cargo or personnel transportation. Designed as a large vessel with a flat bottom. Normally armed |
| Galera | A Spanish galley type warship |
| Galleass | A hybrid craft, half sail and half oared. Long and narrow. Could carry up to 50 guns. Able to operate in calm weather. Galley slaves were chained to the benches |
| Galleon | Large sailing vessel, normally square rigged, used between the 15th and 17th century. |
| Galley | A low, long vessel propelled either by oars or sail. These are the vessels associated with the ancient times of Greece and Rome. Still in use between 1500 and 1600 |
| Hulk | Large, bulky trading vessel. Also refers to an abandoned decaying vessel |
| Junk | Far Eastern sailing vessel with a flat bottom, high stern and square bow. Mainly used by the Chinese |
| Ketch | Two masted vessel, fore and aft rigged. Could be used as a persuit vessel |
| Longship | Oar powered Viking ship with one square sail constructed for speed |
| Lorcha | Sailing vessel with a western style hull and Chinese style rigging |
| Packet | Inter-port mail and package carrier |
| Patache | A swift dispatch vessel |
| Pink | A small square rigged vessel |
| Pinnace | Small two masted vessel often used for carrying messages between the larger vessel of the fleet |
| Saettia | Small lateen rigged Venetian sailing vessel |
| Schooner | Two masted vessel on which the sails are not square rigged |
| Ship | Fully rigged vessel |
| Sloop | Single masted vessel, fore and aft rigged with at least one jib. Used mainly now for racing |
| Snow | European two masted trading ship, popular between 16th and 9th centuries. These vessels had a particular shaped bow |
| Tanker | Vessel constructed for the transportation of bulk solid or Liquid goods |
| Tern Schooner | American term for 3 masted schooner rigged fore and aft. Used to identify and register type of vessel |
| Trawler | A vessel used to trawl for fish |
| Urca | Storeship |
| Viking Knorr | Old Norse merchant vessel usually with one mast and a square sail |
| Xebec | Small 3 masted vessel used from the 16th to 19th centuries in the Mediterranean |
| Yacht | A vessel that can be described as specially built for racing or private pleasure and is not restricted to wood or sail. The term originated with the Dutch |
Return to top
Radioactivity in the atmosphere has increased over time with the continual testing of atomic bombs of all types. Steel makers need vast amounts of air to make steel so it would follow that steel made nowadays contains certain amounts of radioactivity. Prior to dropping the first A bomb in 1945, steel was radioactive free, and the only source of this 'clean' steel left lies in pre 1945 wrecks that lie on the seabed. Nuclear Submarines: There are at least six nuclear reactor powered submarines lying in the seabed, two American and four Russian. The American submarines are USS Scorpion lost Southwest of the Azores in 1968 and USS Thresher lost off New Hampshire in 1963. The Russian submarines are K-8, November Class, lost in 1970 in the Bay of Biscay, K-219, Yankee Class, lost in 1986 North of Bermuda (2 reactors and 16 nuclear missiles), K-27, scuttled in the Kara Sea and K-278 (Komsomolets) Mike Class, lost 1989 in the Norwegian Sea (2 nuclear warheads).Return to top
| Letter | Yard |
|---|---|
| S | Schickau Yard at Danzig |
| G | Germaniawerft at Kiel |
| V | AG Vulcan at Hamburg |
| B | Blohm & Voss at Hamburg |
| H | Howaldswerke at Kiel |
| Nationality | Lost |
|---|---|
| American | 99 |
| British | 169 |
| Dutch | 9 |
| French | 60 |
| German | 44 |
| Italian | 54 |
| Japanese | 134 |
| Russian | 37 |
87% of above were lost in action.
| Year | Vessels Lost | Tonnage |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 221 | ...755,237 |
| 1940 | 1,059 | 3,991,641 |
| 1941 | 1,299 | 4,328,558 |
| 1942 | 1,664 | 7,790.697 |
| 1943 | 597 | 3,220,137 |
| 1944 | 205 | 1,045,629 |
| 1945 | 105 | ...438,821 |
| Totals | 5,150 | 21,570,720 |
| Year | Loss |
|---|---|
| 1939 | ...9 |
| 1940 | ..24 |
| 1941 | ..35 |
| 1942 | ..87 |
| 1943 | 237 |
| 1944 | 242 |
| 1945 | 151 |
| Total | 785 |
Other WW2 Losses
Germany2 Battleships - 2 Battlecruisers - 3 Pocket Battleships - 2 old Battleships - 2 Heavy Cruisers - 5 Light Cruisers - 44 Destroyers - 86 Light warships/Raiders - 1,377 Minor warships - 550 Landing Craft.
Japan10 Battleships - 20 Aircraft Carriers - 38 Cruisers - 134 Destroyers - 119 Submarines
Britain/Commonwealth4 Battleships - 2 Battle Cruisers - 5 Aircraft Carriers - 5 Auxil Carriers - 33 Cruisers - 169 Destroyers - 90 Submarines - 138 Light warships/AMC's - 1,307 Auxil warships - 1,326 Landing Ships/Craft
American2 Battleships - 5 Aircraft Carriers - 6 Escort Carriers - 10 Cruisers - 99 Destroyers - 52 submarines
German Submarine bases during WW2
Brest - 1st and 9th FlotillasLa Pallice - 3rd Flotilla - Standard North Atlantic type
St Nazaire - 6th and 7th Flotillas - Type V!!C boats
Lorient - 2nd and 10th Flotillas - Type IXC boats
Bordeaux - 12th Flotilla - Minelayers, supply and re-fueling operations
Bergen and Trodheim. The British tried to blow uo the base at Bergen but failed. The one at Trondheim, named Dora 11, was left standing and converted into the stongest warehouse in the world.(tks to Knut Saetervik - Trondhein, Norway).
Novaya Zemla - Used from 1943 onward as a base for attacks on Russia/UK convoys. Located on northern tip.
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| IA | High Seas U-Boat |
| IIA | Coastal U-Boat |
| IIB | Coastal U-Boat |
| IIC | Coastal U-Boat |
| IID | Coastal U-Boat |
| III | High Seas - Planned but not built |
| IV | Planned but not built |
| V | Planned but not built |
| VI | Planned but not built |
| VIIA | High Seas U-Boat |
| VIIB | High Seas U-Boat |
| VIIC | High Seas - 769 tons - 9,000 miles range - 885ft/deep |
| VIID | High Seas U-Boat |
| VIIE | Planned but not built |
| VIIF | Planned but not built |
| VIII | Projection only |
| IXA | Ocean going U-Boat |
| IXB | Ocean going U-Boat |
| IXC | Ocean going, 1,120 tons - 16,000 miles range - 1,020 ft/deep |
| IXD1 | Ocean going U-Boat |
| IXD2 | Ocean going U-Boat |
| XA | High Seas Minelayer - Not built |
| XB | High Seas Minelayer/Supply vessel |
| XI | U-Cruiser not built |
| XII | Fleet U-Boat - Planned - not built |
| XIII | Small combat - projected only |
| XIV | Fuel transport |
| XV | Torpedo transport - not built |
| XVI | Torpedo transport - not built |
| XVII | Walter research boat |
| XVIII | Walter High Seas boat |
| XIX | Fuel freighter - not built |
| XX | Oil Transport |
| XXI | Ocean going Electro boat |
| XXII | Small battle boat - not built |
| XXIII | Small Electro boat |
| XXIV | Large battle boat - projected only |
| XXV | Coastal boat - projected only |
| XXVI | Walter High Seas turbine |
| XXVIIA | Small U-Boat - Hecht |
| XXVIIB | Small U-Boat - Seehund |
| XXVIII | Coastal U-Boat - Steam turbine |
| Type | Information |
|---|---|
| Holland | 1 built. 75 tons. 1 T/T |
| Holland | 4 built between 1901 and 1913. 105 tons. 1 T/T |
| A-Class | 13 built between 1902 and 1920. 2 T/T. Petrol driven. 1st 4 were 165 tons rest were 180 tons. |
| B-Class | 11 built between 1905 and 1919. 280 tons. 2 T/T. 1 x 12 pdr gun. 1917 converted to surface patrol vessels |
| C-Class | 38 built between 1906 and 1921. 280 tons. 2 T/T. |
| D-Class | 10 built between 1908 and 1921. 550 tons. 3 T/T. 1 x 12 pdr gun. Diesel driven |
| E-Class | 58 built between 1912 and 1921. 660 tons. 4 T/T. 1 x 12 pdr gun. |
| F-Class | 4 built between 1913 and 1920. 353 tons. 3 T/T. |
| G-Class | 15 built between 1915 and 1923. 700 tons. 5 T/T. 1 x 3 inch gun. |
| H-Class | 53 built between 1915 and 1924. 364 tons. (1 to 20) rest 440 tons. 4 T/T. |
| J-Class | 7 built between 1915 and 1930. 1,210 tons. 6 T/T. 1 x 4 inch gun |
| K-Class | 28 built between 1916 and 1923. 14 at 1,880 tons and 14 at 2,600 tons. Steam driven. 10 T/T. 2 x 4 inch guns. Surface speed 23 kts. |
| L-Class | 73 built between 1917 and 1938. 890 tons. 50 to 73 were 960 tons. Varied from T/T's to guns to mines. |
| M-Class | 4 built- ex K-Class. 1,600 tons. 4 T/T 1 x 12 inch gun. 1 x 3 inch gun. |
| N-Class | 1 built between 1914 and 1922. 1,270 tons. 6 T/T |
| O-Class | Built 1926 onward. 1,311 tons. 8 T/T. 1 x 4 inch gun |
| P-Class | Called U-Class during WW2 |
| R-Class | 12 built between 1918 and 1923. 420 tons. 6 T/T. U-boat hunters. Submerged speed of 13 kts. |
| S-Class | 3 built between 1914 and 1915. 265 tons. 2 T/T. All sold to Italian navy. |
| S-Class | Later version WW2 vessels |
| T-Class | 1938 onward. Used during WW2 |
| U-Class | Smaller version if T-Class. Used WW2 |
| V-Class | Used during WW2 |
| W-Class | 4 built between 1914 and 1918. 340 tons. 2 T/T. All sold to Italy |
| X-Class | Midget submarines |
| X-1 | Laid down in 1921, took 4 years to build. 3,600 tons. 6x 21inch T/T. 4 x 5.2 inch guns, twin turret. Ordered scrapped in 1931. |
| X-2 | Similar to X-1 |
| XE | Experimental |
Return to top
Last Official SOS
" The OAK (Bahamian registry 13,000 tons gt, 21,951dwt, 155.22meter/509.25ft motor bulk carrier, built in 1981, operated by Diana Shipping Agencies S.A.) broadcast a Morse Code (CW) SOS message late 31st December 1997, 1,260 kilometers/790 miles West of Ireland. Official use of Morse Code formally ended January 1st 1998. The OAK was sailing from Canada to Liverpool, England, with a crew of 26 Greek and Philippine citizens when its cargo of wood shifted in a storm and the ship lost power. Winds of Beaufort Force 10, 48 to 55 knots, were reported. The crew jettisoned between 300 cubic meters/390 cubic yards od 400 cubic meters/520 cubic yards of its lumber cargo overboard after the ship developed a 40 degree list and the vessel lost power. The OAK's 500 kilohertz message was heard by Bob Baker at Stonehaven Radio/GND in the United Kingdom and relayed the British Coast Guard at Falmouth, England. The signal was received at Lands End Radio/GLD. "We haven't had a Morse distress message for years," said Gerry Woode, a Coast Guard spokesman. "It was almost too perfect." OAK's message stated "SOS. SOS. SOS. This is OAK. Position 53.16.N 24.59.W. Stop engine. We need assistance" The broadcast of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was also picked up. The ANGLICAN PRINCE (St Vincent and Grenadine registry 1,455 dwt tug, built in 1980, operated by Klyne Tugs (Lowestoft) brought the ship to the Gladstone Dock in Liverpool on January 4th 1998." I am a little confused here, in February 1999, US media stated "now the end has officially come to the SOS system". Were Europe and the US working on different time frames ???
LOSSES 1996 and 1997
The Institute of London Underwriers state that 89 vessels of over 500 tons were lost in 1997 and 113 in 1996. These numbers may rise a little as other vessels are declared a constructive total loss.