10 missing ships lost without trace.

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Here is few more missing vessels.

F/V Andrea Gail below was a commercial fishing vessel that was lost at sea with all hands during the Perfect Storm of 1991. The vessel and her six-man crew had been fishing the North Atlantic Ocean out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her last reported position was 180 mi (290 km) northeast of Sable Island on October 28, 1991. The story of Andrea Gail and her crew was the basis of the 1997 book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, and a 2000 film adaptation of the same name.

Lake Huron keep its secrets well also? The SS James Carruthers below was a Canadian Great Lakes freighter built in 1913. The ship was owned by the St. Lawrence & Chicago Steam and Navigation Company of Toronto, Ontario, with the official registry number 131090. The Carruthers was lost 9 November 1913 on Lake Huron during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913. The crew of 22 perished with the vessel. Although looking at the picture the vessel seems frightfully fragile in breaking in two?

Lake Superior has a bite too? The SS Leafield below was hauling steel rails, bound for Midland, when she sank in deep water in Lake Superior, probably off the Angus Rocks in the Angus Islands, about 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Port Arthur, Ontario, on 9 November 1913 during the Great Lakes storm of 1913. Her entire crew of 18 perished. A search found no trace of the ship or crew.

SS Chicora below was a passenger-and-freight steamer built in 1892 for service on the Great Lakes. Considered to be one of Lake Michigan's finest steamers, she was lost with all hands in January 1895. She is now remembered chiefly for being mentioned by Chicago writer Nelson Algren, in Algren’s prose-poem, Chicago: City on the Make: “Who now knows the sorrowful long-ago name of the proud steamer Chicora, down with all hands in the ice off South Haven?” as well as “Sunk under the ice in the waves off South Haven, sunk with all hands for good and forever, for keeps and a single day.”

HMS Atalanta below was a 26-gun Spartan-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy launched in 1844 at Pembroke. Built as HMS Juno, she carried out the historic role in 1857 of annexing the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to the British Empire. She was renamed HMS Mariner in January 1878 and then HMS Atalanta two weeks later. Atalanta was serving as a training ship when in 1880 she disappeared with her entire crew after setting sail from the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda for Falmouth, England on 31 January 1880. It was presumed that she sank in a powerful storm which crossed her route a couple of weeks after she sailed.

Crow

 

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[KANACKI]

Hola amigos

So many ships that vanished with no clear evidence on their exact fate?

The SS City of Boston below was a British iron-hulled single-screw passenger steamship of the Inman Line which disappeared in the North Atlantic Ocean en route from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool in January 1870. The City of Boston sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia for Liverpool on 28 January 1870 commanded by Captain Halcrow. She had 191 people on board: 55 cabin passengers, 52 steerage passengers and a crew of 84. A number of the passengers were prominent businessmen and military officers from Halifax. She never reached her destination and no trace of her was ever found.



Cymric below was a British and Irish schooner, built in 1893. She joined the South American trade in the fleet of Arklow, Ireland, in 1906. She served as a British Q-ship during the First World War; she failed to sink any German U-boats, but did sink a British submarine in error.

After the war, she returned to the British and, later, the Irish merchant service. In Ringsend, Ireland, she collided with a tram, her bowsprit smashing through the tram's windows. In 1944, during the Second World War, sailing as a neutral, she vanished without trace with the loss of eleven lives.



USS Albany below, the first United States Navy ship of that name, was built in the 1840s for the US Navy. The ship was among the last of the wooden sloops powered by sail and saw extensive service in the Mexican War. Before and after her combat service, Albany conducted surveillance and observation missions throughout the Caribbean. In September 1854, during a journey along the coast of Venezuela, Albany was lost with all hands on 28 or 29 September 1854. Included among the 250 men lost were several sons and grandsons of politically prominent men.




SS United Kingdom below, which disappeared with eighty persons. She left port on 17th April 1868.



The steamship Tempest below, of the Anchor Line, was added to the increasing list of mysterious disappearances on the Atlantic. She sailed on 26th February 1857, with a crew and passengers numbering one hundred and fifty all told, and was never seen again. It was with the Tempest that the Anchor Line began its service between Glasgow and New York.



All of these ships had a story of a sad fate and reminder we are even today at the mercy of the winds and weather.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hola amigos

Here is some more.

A vessel called the Scanderia, of the Anglo-Egypterian Line, a British organisation, sailed on 8th October 1872, and nothing was ever heard of her afterwards. She had thirty-eight persons on board on leaving the port. Scanderia was chartered from the Anglo‑Egyptian Navigation Company in December 1868 by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company who fitted the vessel out for cable work by the installation of four cable tanks with a total coiling capacity of 24,381 cubic feet and company paying out and picking up machines.



City of Limerick below having forty-three persons on board, disappeared completely vanished off the face of the earth in 1881, no trace of her was ever found.



The Madagascar below was a large British merchant ship built for the trade to India and China in 1837 that disappeared on a voyage from Melbourne to London in 1853. The disappearance of Madagascar was one of the great maritime mysteries of the 19th century and has probably been the subject of more speculation than any other 19th century maritime puzzle, except for the Mary Celeste.



Neustria below was a passenger ship of the French Fabre Line. Built by Claparede and Company, Rouen, France, she was 328 feet (100 meters) long and had a beam of 40 feet (12 meters). Neustria had a compound engine and single screw, one funnel, two masts, and a straight stem, and was of iron construction. She could carry 18 first-class passengers and 1,100 passengers in steerage. She was employed on the Marseille–New York City route with a stop in Spain. In the Spanish–American War during 1898, Spain used Neustria to bring back Spanish troops from Cuba.

According to The Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation Website, the Neustria transported immigrants from Naples, Italy, via Marseilles to the Port of New York, from which they were ferried by barges to Ellis Island, from 1892 to 1908.

On October 27, 1908, Neustria sailed from New York to Marseille and vanished without a trace. She was not carrying any passengers at the time, but her entire crew of 38 was lost. Her wreck has never been found and her fate remains a mystery?



Driver was a clipper ship, constructed for David Ogden et al in 1854 at Newburyport, Massachusetts. She sailed between New York and Liverpool carrying immigrants to the US for the Red Cross Line. She was lost at sea with no known survivors after setting sail from Liverpool 12 February 1856. 377 lost their lives.



So many ships amigos. The simple reality is that even today, ships go missing all the time without a trace,” Delgado says. To wit: UNESCO estimates there are three million ships sitting on the bottom of the ocean, and Delgado theorizes we have no clue what happened to at least one million of them, nor do we know where they are

Kanacki

 

[ARC]

Now for the missing treasure ship list.

:P

 

[WaveJunky757]

Thanks for all the posts. Very informative and eerie. I’d imagine a lot of those big tankers simply just snapped in half and sunk in minutes.

AARC: I don’t think anyone would be disappointed with that (:

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Hola Amigo

I have not sailed the great lakes but imagine the waters can be very deceptive. The term lake is deceptive as it more an inland sea than a lake.

Kanacki

Most terrified I have ever been in my life was when we got caught in the middle of Lake Ontario motoring our sailboat with the mast down from Sackets Harbor, NY to Oswego, NY so we could go down the Barge Canal.

It was a calm morning and no advisories, so we decided to cut diagonally across the lake. The wind was 10 mph from the west when we left but built all morning. By noon we were burying the front 1/3 of a 34 ft/9 ton sailboat and the prop was screaming in the air repeatedly as I was trying to quarter the waves and hobby-horsing over the tops. They were easily 10 ft crest to trough, but crests only 50 ft apart. I had my wife and another couple aboard. The mast, some 400 lbs, started to work loose of its wood cradles from the pounding and at that point the woman with us lost her seating when we dropped and hit the back of her head on a fiberglass hatchway. We turned downwind and made for Mexico Bay, calling for any marinas that could accept our keel/draft. It wasn't much better down-wind as the waves were faster than our hull-speed and I had to "surf" down them diagonally and then head down so they wouldn't roll us if sideways or flood the cockpit if breaking from behind. This was the only time I ever made a VHF S?curit? call to the Coast Guard to report our position and situation and ask them to check in on us every half-hour. We were hearing "pan-pan" distress calls from fishing boats that had lost their engines. Probably from so much "sloshing" (gunk in the tank gets stirred up and plugs the filters).

I was absolutely terrified for six hours. We finally made it to Selkirk and put into the Salmon River. The waves at the light were breaking and over-running the rocks on the breakwater (image below). We had called ahead and the dock-master told ur to "gun it" coming into the channel. I said we were flat out already. We ended up surfing a crest down the length of the channel with my heart in my throat. A crowd had gathered in what was now 30 mph winds with occasional gusts. My chest looked like I had lost a seven-round bout to Mike Tyson from repeatedly hitting the wheel. Our lady guest received a possible mild concussion, but by then she had no outward signs other than a bump and they released her.

 

[KANACKI]

Most terrified I have ever been in my life was when we got caught in the middle of Lake Ontario motoring our sailboat with the mast down from Sackets Harbor, NY to Oswego, NY so we could go down the Barge Canal.

It was a calm morning and no advisories, so we decided to cut diagonally across the lake. The wind was 10 mph from the west when we left but built all morning. By noon we were burying the front 1/3 of a 34 ft/9 ton sailboat and the prop was screaming in the air repeatedly as I was trying to quarter the waves and hobby-horsing over the tops. They were easily 10 ft crest to trough, but crests only 50 ft apart. I had my wife and another couple aboard. The mast, some 400 lbs, started to work loose of its wood cradles from the pounding and at that point the woman with us lost her seating when we dropped and hit the back of her head on a fiberglass hatchway. We turned downwind and made for Mexico Bay, calling for any marinas that could accept our keel/draft. It wasn't much better down-wind as the waves were faster than our hull-speed and I had to "surf" down them diagonally and then head down so they wouldn't roll us if sideways or flood the cockpit if breaking from behind. This was the only time I ever made a VHF S?curit? call to the Coast Guard to report our position and situation and ask them to check in on us every half-hour. We were hearing "pan-pan" distress calls from fishing boats that had lost their engines. Probably from so much "sloshing" (gunk in the tank gets stirred up and plugs the filters).

I was absolutely terrified for six hours. We finally made it to Selkirk and put into the Salmon River. The waves at the light were breaking and over-running the rocks on the breakwater (image below). We had called ahead and the dock-master told ur to "gun it" coming into the channel. I said we were flat out already. We ended up surfing a crest down the length of the channel with my heart in my throat. A crowd had gathered in what was now 30 mph winds with occasional gusts. My chest looked like I had lost a seven-round bout to Mike Tyson from repeatedly hitting the wheel. Our lady guest received a possible mild concussion, but by then she had no outward signs other than a bump and they released her.

Hola amigo

I can relate to the pounding your hull must of had.

Here is an interesting article.

https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/understanding-sea-state-better-passage-planning-62960

Kanacki

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Hola amigo

I can relate to the pounding your hull must of had.

Here is an interesting article.

https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/understanding-sea-state-better-passage-planning-62960

Kanacki

Good article. Pity of it was there was a nice storm tri-sail in the locker - but with the mast down I couldn't use it. We lost any steadying effect of the use of a sail and just had the added weight of the horizontal mast up on a transport cradle. To do it over I should have had the mast dropped in Oswego just before we entered the canal. But our marina did it a LOT cheaper. (like $45 vs $180). And we had heard horror stories of folks waiting a full day to get it done there.

 

[Crow]

Now for the missing treasure ship list.

:P

Gidday AARC

What a hard task master,,,

Here is one possibly worth salvaging? Ever heard of a vessel called the Laurel Branch?

Talcahano Chile in October 1903 . The British cargo ship Laurel Branch, a two-masted vessel, of 2140 tons have been wrecked on a voyage from Guayaquil and Valparaiso, bound for Liverpool and intermediate ports, with a full cargo of general merchandize, including some two thousand odd tons of metals (gold, silver and tin). Here is the Lloyd's shipping records below of her last entry in 1903 lists as in steamship section.

Her total crew consisted of 33 hands all told, including the master, besides which there were four children passengers.
On the 26th of August last, at noon, she was 35 miles off Huamblin Island bearing East the course was set to pass not less than 15 miles off Cape Raper.

That overcast and rainy weather prevailed during the night, and, owing to the intense darkness, it was materially impossible to see any distance ahead, and at 1.50 a.m. on the 27th of August last, the vessel stranded, the exact position being latitude 46? 30', and longitude 75? 26', between Pringle Point to the South and Steward Bay to the North. Both names as far as I know have been replaced by Chilean names and not found on modern maps.

Due to the strong currents in the area; after the stranding and total loss of the vessel and whilst engaged in landing the passengers and crew, two of the children passengers were unfortunately drowned, owing to the life-boat capsizing.

The cargo was also lost. Which would be worth about 68 million today. Here is plan of the vessel. In 1903 they did not have technology and capacity to salvage her. Today with commodities prices it might be economically viable to salvage her cargo. Here is a plan of her cargo and deck structure. Depending on depth it might be possible to salvage her cargo. As you can see two front and rear cargo holds. But like with all such stories more research is needed to uncover more evidence to conform the alleged cargo. Cargo manifests might be found a Kew in the national archives or National Maritime museum.

crow

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Crow amigo

There may be further accounts elsewhere?

2.06.1903: gathered the survivors of the ship Arequira from PSNC lost in the storm in Valparaiso. 10.09.1903: left Coronel (Chile) ore laden to Liverpool (GB). 23.09.1903: Standed at S of Stewart Bay, Strait of Magellan (Chile). 25.09.1903: The Chilean ship Casma gathered the shipwrecked, two girls died, and landed them at Talcahuano

The Salvage Association in London received from the owners the following copy of cable from the captain in reply to inquiries made at its request:—S Ship in four fathoms water; very much exposed; back broken. Breaking up gradually. Think possible save, if attended to immediately, 100 tons wool. 100 tons metals. The association reports that it has arranged with Mesrs. Wahlen and Co., of Punta Arenas, to send their steamers at once to the vessel, to effect any salvage of cargo or ship which may be found possible. The arrangement is on " no cure no pay " terms, and leaves the salvors' remuneration, in the event of success, for settlement in London. According to a telegram from Valparaiso, dated the 5th inst., published in a London newspaper, the date of the stranding of the Laurel Branch was Aug. 28th.

You will notice it claims only 100 tons? However there was very little tin production in Ecuador in 1900. So if it was 100 tons of metal most likely 100 tons of silver? A ton of silver is worth just over $550,000 fiat US dollars in mid-August 2019. 100 tons of silver roughly 55 million if the cargo is silver. Most of all one need to find the orginal shipping manifest to clarify that.

Perhaps the company records still exist? The vessel was built for Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., owned by F. & W. Ritson, of Sunderland (known as 'Branch Line') All of their ships were named after different branches of wood such as Oak Branch, Lime branch. Almond Branch, Apple Branch,Cedar Branch, Elm branch, Elder Branch, Olive Branch, Willow Branch, Pine Branch, Laurel Branch etc...

Kanacki

 

[Crow]

Gidday Kanacki

Its seems in Kew the only records of the Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., owned by F. & W. Ritson, of Sunderland dates from 1931. So perhaps a dead end there?

However there is book below that might help below?

Crow

 

[KANACKI]

Gidday Kanacki

Its seems in Kew the only records of the Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., owned by F. & W. Ritson, of Sunderland dates from 1931. So perhaps a dead end there?

However there is book below that might help below?

Crow

Hola Crow it late

Do you remember our old friend in St John Newfoundland?

Perhaps more information to be found in the ('Newfoundland Memorial University MN archives')

Kanacki

 

[augoldminer]

"Proteus below was lost at sea to an unknown cause sometime after 23 November 1941. There are no German U-boat claims for this vessel.One suggestion, having no supporting documentation, is that the vessel's disappearance can be attributed to the Bermuda Triangle. One thing suspicious that two other of her class disappeared without trace cyclops and Neresus."

Her third sister-ship, Jupiter, was converted into the very first U.S aircraft carrier and renamed Langley. Langley was scuttled after being severely damaged by Japanese aircraft during World War II.

it is believed that the Proteus, Cyclops and Neresus sister ships suffered from issues where the I-beams that ran the length of the ship had eroded due to the corrosive nature of some of the cargo carried.

 

[Crow]

"Proteus below was lost at sea to an unknown cause sometime after 23 November 1941. There are no German U-boat claims for this vessel.One suggestion, having no supporting documentation, is that the vessel's disappearance can be attributed to the Bermuda Triangle. One thing suspicious that two other of her class disappeared without trace cyclops and Neresus."

Her third sister-ship, Jupiter, was converted into the very first U.S aircraft carrier and renamed Langley. Langley was scuttled after being severely damaged by Japanese aircraft during World War II.

it is believed that the Proteus, Cyclops and Neresus sister ships suffered from issues where the I-beams that ran the length of the ship had eroded due to the corrosive nature of some of the cargo carried.

Gidday augoldminer

The class having a 75% fatality rate indeed highlights the possibility of inherent structural weakness in the hull design . Given certain sea states and type of cargo as well as corrosive nature of some cargo, I agree with you was most likely a contributing cause of 3 of the 4 vessels sinking rapidly due to catastrophic failure.

It would not surprise me authorities knew about the structural design flaw but kept them at sea because of greed and national interests. In era when crew was deemed expendable. Not the first time this is happened, a whole class of bulk cargo ships built in 70's had structural failures where they snapped in to. The Mv Derbyshire was one such vessel.

Crow

 

[Batavia]

The disappearance of the Madagascar with treasure.


Disparition mystérieuse du navire Madagascar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar_(1837_ship)

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigo

Not a bad haul about 119 million not counting what the passengers was carrying..

Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Special thanks to Batavia for bringing to light shipwreck stories that require further research. The one belew one ia another example but not on the ocean by on a river. The wreck of the Orville St John

The American papers give an account of a dreadful accident to the steamer "Orville St John", one of the most elegant in service. She was burnt down about four miles below Montgomery, on the river Alabama, on the 5th of March, 1850.

She was on her way from Mobile to Montgomery and it supposed that there were 120 persons on board, many of whom leaped into the river and were drowned, others perished in the flames, and others were crushed by the guards of the boat falling.

The ladies threw themselves into the river and most of those on board were burnt. The only article that was saved from the vessel was the trunk of Colonel Preston.

There were a number of returned Californians as passengers, who lost their all. Colonel Rodman Price, of the United States navy, agent from California, lost his baggage with which was $ 250.000 belonging to the Government.

In addition to the money lost by Mr. Price, there was $ 10.000 belonging to Mr. Knowland, and a large sum by Mr. Schmidt.

The loss is considerable. A large portion of the sum in charge of Mr. Price was gold dust in the safe and was expected to be recovered. Another account supposes there were 50 lives lost and $ 600.000.

Regardless 250000 in 1850 could be worth a bigger amount today especially if the money was in the form of gold coins minted in 5, 10, 20 dollar gold coins. There could be a fortune buried in the mud of the river bed. If it was all in the safe it is possible it could still be somewhere in the riverbed. However that depends of it the safe was recovered or not. However a diligent search through newspaper report of day might bring to light any of that money was recovered or not?

It appears some coins was recovered full story at Newspaper archive.com

Crow

 

[KANACKI]

Gidday Amigos

Special thanks to Batavia for bringing to light shipwreck stories that require further research. The one belew one ia another example but not on the ocean by on a river. The wreck of the Orville St John

The American papers give an account of a dreadful accident to the steamer "Orville St John", one of the most elegant in service. She was burnt down about four miles below Montgomery, on the river Alabama, on the 5th of March, 1850.

She was on her way from Mobile to Montgomery and it supposed that there were 120 persons on board, many of whom leaped into the river and were drowned, others perished in the flames, and others were crushed by the guards of the boat falling.

The ladies threw themselves into the river and most of those on board were burnt. The only article that was saved from the vessel was the trunk of Colonel Preston.

There were a number of returned Californians as passengers, who lost their all. Colonel Rodman Price, of the United States navy, agent from California, lost his baggage with which was $ 250.000 belonging to the Government.

In addition to the money lost by Mr. Price, there was $ 10.000 belonging to Mr. Knowland, and a large sum by Mr. Schmidt.

The loss is considerable. A large portion of the sum in charge of Mr. Price was gold dust in the safe and was expected to be recovered. Another account supposes there were 50 lives lost and $ 600.000.

Regardless 250000 in 1850 could be worth a bigger amount today especially if the money was in the form of gold coins minted in 5, 10, 20 dollar gold coins. There could be a fortune buried in the mud of the river bed. If it was all in the safe it is possible it could still be somewhere in the riverbed. However that depends of it the safe was recovered or not. However a diligent search through newspaper report of day might bring to light any of that money was recovered or not?

It appears some coins was recovered full story at Newspaper archive.com

Crow

Hola Amigo Crow

Makes one wonder what was recovered and what was lost? How much gold these Californians was carrying privately?

Kanacki

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

treasure Ships fall I believe into 3 categories of goldbricks principle.

1. Not enough value to justify the expense. Too Cold!

2. Too deep or in territory that has laws that prohibit shipwreck hunting. Too Hot!

3. Financially viable project to search for and in a region where a deal can be made. Just right!

Problem is it very hard to find a project that just right.Thefollowing shipwreck was victim of WW2. 81 years ago was sunk off the African coast by a submarinecarrying one million ounces of Silver just over 31 tons of Silver worth today about 22 million. The follow information is from the astounding research by Batavia.

Report of an interview with the master, captain W. Eyton-Jones The Benvrackie was a steam merchant ship built in 1922 by D. & W. Henderson & Co Ltd, Partrick, Glasgow as Darian for F. Leyland & Co Ltd, Liverpool. In 1934, she was sold to Charente SS Co Ltd (T. & J. Harrison) Liverpool and in 1939, was renamed Benvrackie for the Ben Line Steamers (William Thomson & Co), Leith. She was 6434 gross tons -

"We were bound from Loch Ewe to Cape Town with a general cargo of 5.850 tons, including aircraft and silver. The ships was armed with a 12 pounder, a 4" gun, 2 Hotchkiss and a Lewis gun.



We formed up in convoy OB-312 on the 20th of April, 1941, until we dispersed and continued independently. About 100 miles off the Azores, we suspected being followed by a U-boat, as one night, we sighted a green light 2 or 3 hours after darkness had fallen. It looked as though whoever it was, wanted us to show a light to give ourselves away, but we did not do so and immediately took violent evasive action, proceeding at full speed into the weather, as there was a strong Westerly wind blowing and heavy seas...



On the 13th of May, at 06.30, about 700 miles southwest of Freetown, we were torpedoed without warning, being struck on the port side. There were two violent explosions, a few seconds only between each. There was an awful lot of strong sulphur fumes, so strong that it was impossible to get through the port alleyway. The ship began to fill rapidly and took a violent lurch when she was hit, then took a list to port and started to go down fast by the stern. We saw nothing of the submarine, nor of the track of the torpedoes, as it came from directly out of the path of the sun.



I was in the chartroom at the time and was thrown to the floor. I went out on the deck, the port lifeboats and davits were blown away, I could not see any of the other boats, so went forward and let go the raft in the rigging. As I did so, the bows of the ship rose and she plunged straight down, disappearing in less than three minutes of being struck. One life boat and two rafts had been got away. There was no time to get out a wireless message. I swam to the lifeboat and went through the wreckage for about 5 or 6 hours, picking up all the men we could find.



About 20 to 30 minutes after the ship had gone, the submarine surfaced approximately a mile away and steamed towards us. The captain of the submarine spoke to the men in the lifeboat. He was a short thick set man and spoke with a marked German accent, asking "Vat ship ?" The men told him our name... The U-boat steamed off on the surface and we saw it no more - It was the U-105, commanded by the German korvettenkapit?n Georg Schewe -

The crew, which included one marine, one naval and two military gunners with
myself, and 25 survivors from the MV."Lassels" that we picked up previous to our torpedoing, numbered 58, all in the lifeboat. But it had the capacity to carry 50, so we were very crowded. We were 13 days in the boat and sailed 520 miles. Of my crew, 10 are missing, one man died in the boat and another went mad and jumped overboard. Of the 25 survivors from "Lassels", 15 are missing. The confidential books were all thrown overboard in a weighted bag...

On the 26th of May, we were picked up by the hospital ship Oxfordshire and landed at Sierra Leone, where the treatment was so bad, I never want to see Sierra Leone again...!


Problem is it very hard to find a project that just right. Since the ship belong to UK and not being a navy wreck merchant ships are not considered a war grave even regardless of being sunk in war. The problem is cost searching for this wreck and technical difficulties salvaging at extreme depth requiring the use of expensive sophisticated salvage equipment and techniques and expertise. Having agreement with UK most likely would be split 50 50 between salver and government. Unfortunately prohibitive cost may not be able to generate enough profit margin for any such venture.

If the logbooks of the u-105 have survived we might be able to get more detailed coordinates of the site where the ship was torpedoed?

However like always research is king and many thanks to Batavia once again for his efforts and do please check out his website he posted.

Cheers Crow

 

[Speedbird]

Regarding TSS Waratah, I’ve spent half a lifetime studying that ship and thankfully I’ve become acquainted with some prominent figures in her story. The most prolific has to be Dr. Emlyn Brown of NUMA, who has spent 40 years searching for the wreck. It was believed for many years that she was carrying a cargo of gold that had been transshipped from another liner on South Africa. Her loading plan still exists and there is a section clearly marked “bullion”; tantalizing indeed. Dr. Brown was able to determine through insurance records that this cargo was silver nitrate and not gold sadly. The gold shipment hadn’t been unloaded from the other ship that day and made it safely to England. Waratah did indeed disappear with all hands and barely any wreckage.

If anyone has any questions about Waratah, I’d be happy to answer them. She’s near and dear to me.

Regards,

Joe