Category Archives: War Losses

Vessels lot due to war

S.T. Tarantula FD170

Technical

Official Number: 99542
Yard Number: 41
Completed: 1891
Gross Tonnage: 155
Net Tonnage: 57
Length: 100.5 ft
Breadth: 20.5 ft
Depth: 10.7 ft
Built: Mackie & Thomson, Glasgow
Engine: C.2-cyl by Muir & Houston, Glasgow
Built: Mackie & Thomson, Glasgow

History

9.10.1891: Launched by Mackie & Thomson, Glasgow (Yd.No.41) for The British Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as TARANTULA.
3.12.1891: Registered at Hull (H175).
12.1891: Completed (William L. Robins, manager).
4.1.1901: In Humber estuary in calm conditions in collision with steam trawler MADRAS (H134) which also collided with steam trawler MOLOPO (H484); MADRAS subsequently foundered without loss of life.
15.11.1912: Sold to James Alexander Robertson, Fleetwood.
18.11.1912: Hull registry closed.
19.11.1912: Registered at Fleetwood (FD170).
7.12.1912: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood (James A. Robertson, manager).
2.1913: Sold to Charles James Smith, Scarborough.
26.2.1913: Fleetwood registry closed.
2.1913: Registered at Scarborough (SH184).
1913: Sold to The Dogger Bank Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Scarborough (Richard W. Crawford, manager).
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 64 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
1915: Sold to Scarborough Fishing Co, Scarborough.
9.1916: On North Sea grounds (Sk. J. Heritage).
24.9.1916: At 8.30 pm. U-boat (U.57) captured FISHER PRINCE (SH207) 20 miles NE of Scarborough. Put one Lieutenant and eight German crew onboard and cruised in company with U.57. At 10.00 pm. captured OTTER (SH70) and HARRIER (SH36). At 10.15 pm. captured and crew took to boat. At 11.25 pm. captured MARGUERITE (SH214). At 11.55 pm. captured SUNSHINE (SH241).
25.9.1916: At 0.55 am. captured GAMECOCK (SH191). At 1.00 am. captured LOCH NESS (HL71). At 4.00 am. disabled engines of FISHER PRINCE and all German crew left. At 4.30 am. 20 miles NE of Scarborough sank NIL DESPERANDUM (SH186) with bombs. Submarine continued to tow the boats until 5.15 am. when crew were put aboard FISHER PRINCE. At 6.00 am. in position 20 miles NE of Scarborough proceeded to sink all trawlers that had been captured during the night. At about 7.00 am. 20 miles NE of Scarborough captured St. HILDA (HL??), 26 miles E by N of Whitby captured QUEBEC (SH208) and 23 miles NE of Whitby captured TRINIDAD (H336); sank all with gunfire after crews took to boats. At 9.50 am. captured Norwegian steamer TROMP and sent all crews aboard her from FISHER PRINCE. Sank FISHER PRINCE with gunfire.
1916: Scarborough registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Tarantula H175

S.T. Tarantula H175
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
22/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Sylvia H439

Technical

Official Number: 109094
Yard Number: 220
Completed: 1898
Gross Tonnage: 213
Net Tonnage: 85
Length: 117.6 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 11.5 ft
Built: Cochrane & Cooper, Beverley, 1898
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co, Hull

History

3.11.1898: Launched by Cochrane & Cooper, Beverley (Yd.No.220) for Armitage’s Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as SYLVIA.
21.12.1898: Completed (George T. Armitage, manager).
23.12.1898: Registered at Hull (H439).
1914: Transferred to Fleetwood (James W. Armitage, Fleetwood, manager).
6.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence trawler. Based Cromarty.
1.1918: Sold to Joseph R. E. Mordaunt, Grimsby.
26.1.1918: Hull registry closed.
30.1.1918: Registered at Grimsby (GY1112).
8.1918: Returned to owner.
10.1918: Sold to Henry Rachkind, Cleethorpes (managing owner).
9.1919: Sold to The Faroe Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby (Henry Burns, manager).
11.1921: Sold to Forward Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby.
1936: John Bannister appointed manager.
7.4.1941: Foundered off Faroe Islands in approx position 61.27N 05.48W. after being bombed and damaged by German air attack. Ten crew rescued, one man lost*.
22.7.1941: Grimsby registry closed “Sunk by enemy action 7/4/41”.

*Lost: W.A. Templeman, Grimsby

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Sylvia H439

S.T. Sylvia H439
Picture courtesy of the Mike Thompson Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
21/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
07/08/2021: Updated history.

s.v. Sunrise FD147

Technical

Official Number: 97926
Completed: 1891
Gross tonnage : 56
Net Tonnage: 56n
Length: 69.3 ft
Breadth: 18.7 ft
Depth: 9.05 ft
Rig: Ketch – trawling
Built: ??, Galhampton

History

1891: Completed by ??, Galhampton for Edward J. Wren, 77 Bevan St, Lowestoft, as SUNRISE.
16.9.1891: Registered at Lowestoft (LT432).
1911: Sold to Thomas Fairclough, 107 Mount Street, Fleetwood (The Sunrise Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood) (John N. Ward, manager).
5.5.1911: Lowestoft registry closed.
18.5.1911: Registered at Fleetwood (FD147).
1912: Magnus B.J. Wedum appointed manager.
3.10.1913: Tonnage altered to 24.46net. New Fishing Certificate issued.
10.3.1918: Fishing 18 miles SE from Maughold Head, stopped by U-boat (UC75) and sunk by bombs. Crew took to boat.
13.3.1918: Fleetwood registry closed.

Additional information courtesy of Adrian Corkill (Dictionary of Shipwrecks off the Isle of Man)

The Manx fishing smack Marguerite, under Skipper Tommy Lee, was bound from Bangor for Douglas. At 5 pm on 9th March 1918, she encountered a German submarine when she was about midway between Anglesey and the Isle of Man. On seeing Marguerite the submarine began shelling her, taking her to be a decoy, as at the time the smack had no registration number and was carrying all her sail. After a couple of shots Marguerite stayed and made towards the submarine, but still the shelling continued. One of the crewmen, Dicky Lee, held up a truce signal, but was dismayed to find that the German’s fired a bullet clean through it.
Tommy Lee, meanwhile, ordered all the canvas to be lowered, and as the submarine came closer, he held up his hand and the shelling stopped. When the submarine was alongside the smack two German officers boarded her and stripped off some of the sails taking it to the submarine. This was intended to be makeshift bedding for the prisoners. They then placed a bomb on the smack and took off her three crew. Marguerite foundered 25 miles N 1/4 E of Beaumaris.
The submarine submerged and lay on the seabed for several hours before cruising off in search of its next victim. The submarine commander then asked to see Tommy Lee and proceeded to conduct a lengthy interrogation through the use of an interpreter. When the commander discovered the smack was not being used for military purposes and was from the Isle of Man (home to many thousands of German prisoners of war), he was much more sympathetic to the crew.
When again the submarine surfaced the fishing smack Sunrise, of Fleetwood, was halted and went the same way as Marguerite, by use of a bomb 18 miles southeast of Maughold Head. This was twenty three hours after the Marguerite had been sunk. Together, the crews of Sunrise and Marguerite, seven in number, were bundled into Sunrise’s small boat, and were set off in the direction of St Bee’s Head, 14 miles distant. The Germans had given the seamen some food and a compass to ease the journey and the unfortunate seamen eventually landed at Whitehaven.

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.

S.T. Strathgairn A251

Technical

Official Number: 137164
Yard Number: 565
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 211
Net Tonnage: 93
Length: 115.6 ft
Breadth: 22.1 ft
Depth: 12.1 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Built: Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

1915: Launched by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.565) for Aberdeen Steam Trawling & Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen (John Brown, manager) as STRATHGAIRN.
3.1915: Completed. Requisitioned by The Admiralty from the builders.
23.3.1915: Commissioned as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.1366).
24.3.1915: Registered at Aberdeen (A251). Based Dover.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Aberdeen.
1938: W. Rhind appointed manager.
1940: Fishing from Fleetwood.
14.7.1941: Mined about 20 miles SW of Barra Head. Five crew MPK*. Six crew picked up and landed at Stornoway.
19.7.1941: Aberdeen registry closed “ Vessel sunk 14.7.1941”.

(MPK* – H. Ashton; H. J. Brown; E. W. Curtis; F. C. Dawkins; T. Reid)

Changelog

07/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.

S.T. Stoic GY1015

Technical

Official Number: 109845
Yard Number: 445
Completed: 1899
Gross Tonnage: 200
Net Tonnage: 69
Length: 115.1 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull (engine made 1894 fitted 1899)
Built: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

History

19.12.1898: Launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull (Yd.No.445) for The Grimsby Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby as STOIC.
20.1.1899: Registered at Grimsby (GY1015).
1.1899: Completed (George E. J. Moody, manager).
1907: Fishing from Fleetwood.
1915: Defensively armed.
10.7.1917: Stopped by U-boat (U.53) 55 miles S by W of south point of the island of Suðuroy, Faroe Islands and sunk by gunfire. Crew abandoned in boat and later taken to Suðuroy.
14.8.1917: Grimsby registry closed “Sunk by a Submarine”.

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
06/08/2021: Amended position for loss.