100
BEST
WRECK
DIVES
It's bound to get more controversial now as Kendall McDonald takes on the difficult task of ranking the top 40 wrecks
40 DAKOTA
4332-ton British steamer intended to win Blue Riband record Atlantic crossing, built 1874. 400ft x 43ft. 900hp compound steam engines. Cargo: 218 passengers, 1800 tons general, including much earthenware, Liverpool for New York. Position: 53 25.20N; 04 20.40W. Depth: 20m.
Sunk: 9 May,1877, when helm was put the wrong way, sending ship onto rocks of East Mouse, Anglesey. All saved by lifeboat.
Diving: Broken in three. Boilers form highest point. Sections of hull lean against East Mouse rock. Winches and propshaft clear. Frames in place. Full bottles of wine and many cups have been recovered. Plates scattered over wide area. Beware strong bottom currents.
Launch: Amlwch.
39 RIVERSDALE
2805-ton steel single-screw British steamer, built 1906. 317ft x 46ft. Armed with a 12-pounder. 249hp triple-expansion engines. Cargo: 4000 tons coal, Tyne to Savona, Italy. Position: 50 11.73N; 03 44.07W. Depth: 41m.
Sunk: 18 December, 1917, when being towed off after being beached following torpedoing by UB-31. One man was lost during the salvage operation.
Diving: Owned by Torbay BSAC. Upright and 11m proud. Bow broken away. Recent salvage attempt on coal cargo. Bell has been raised. Prop is iron.
Launch: Salcombe.
38 KENDAL CASTLE
3885-ton British steamer, built 1910. 350ft x 50ft. Armed. 353hp triple-expansion engines. Cargo: In ballast, Le Havre for Cardiff. Position: 50 21.63N; 03 24.62W. Depth: 48m.
Sunk: 15 September,1918, by two torpedoes from UB-103 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Paul Hundius, while at periscope depth four miles off Berry Head. Sank immediately with all 18 crew.
Diving: Upside-down, bow cracked open, 12m proud. Bow damage caused by torpedoes, otherwise intact and remarkably well preserved. Beware fishing nets.
Launch: Dartmouth.
37 HMS CARANTAN
407-ton French submarine chaser, taken over by Royal Navy at fall of France, built 1939. 116ft x 18ft. Armed with 75mm field gun, one 2-pounder, two 20mm Oerlikons, four machine guns and depth charges. Position: 50 34.95N; 01 56.18W. Depth: 32m.
Sunk: 21 December, 1943, when capsized in south-westerly gales off Anvil Point, Dorset, while escorting submarine HMS Rorqual, Portland for Portsmouth. Six of Free French crew of 23 saved.
Diving: Owned by Swanage skipper Eddie Bennet, who has raised big gun from bow. Both propellers lifted. Lies on port side on rock and slate bed. Hull has twist in middle. Parts of the superstructure remain, as does much ammunition.
Launch: Swanage.
36 AEOLIAN SKY
10,715-ton Greek cargo and container motor vessel, built 1978. 490ft x 72ft. Cargo: General in holds and on deck, dangerous chemicals in drums, London for Dar-es-Salaam. Position: 50 30.55N; 02 08.33W. Depth: 18m.
Sunk: 4 November,1979, when in tow after collision with West German mv Anna Knuppel, which holed her in Number 1 hold. All crew were saved.
Diving: Mostly intact except for bow, which was blown off during cargo salvage attempts. Lies on port side on limestone seabed. Beware accidentally entering this huge wreck when visibility is poor. Much cargo remains in sealed containers in holds. Salvage Association acting for owners.
Launch: Poole, Swanage.
35 STASSA
1685-ton Panamanian steel steamship,
built 1951. 248ft x 38ft. Cargo: Timber, Archangel for Limerick. Position: 57 44.04N; 06 58.02W. Depth: 20m.
Sunk: 19 July, 1966, four days after running ashore on Renish Point, South Harris, and being towed by lifeboat into Rodel Bay.
Diving: Almost intact, lying on starboard side. Masts and funnel on seabed beside her lie towards shore. Some timber still in holds. Highest point 10m proud of flat sand. Well dived.
Launch: Rodel.
34 JAMES BARRIE
666-ton British steam trawler, built 1949. 180ft x 30ft. Cargo: In ballast, Hull for Icelandic fishing grounds. Position: 58 48.78N; 03 02.15W. Depth: 38m.
Sunk: 29 March, 1969, when under tow by lifeboat after refloating from reef in Pentland Skerries. All saved.
Diving: Raved about by Scapa Flow veterans. Almost intact, 16m proud. Bronze propeller raised. Upright on seabed of stones.
Launch: Widewall Bay.
33 BLACK HAWK
7191-ton US Liberty ship, built 1943. 441ft x 57ft. Gun on stern. Cargo: In ballast, Cherbourg for Fowey. Position: In two parts: stern at 50 26.17N; 02 25.30W, bow at 50 36.68N; 02 12.43W. Depth: stern in 48m, bow 12m.
Sunk: 29 December, 1944, by torpedo from U-772, which blew off stern. Forepart stayed afloat but was towed into Worbarrow Bay and beached.
Diving: Bow is a shallow dive over tangled wreckage which has twice been dispersed by explosives. Stern is huge, lying on its starboard side with gun still bolted to platform. Bronze prop has been raised.
Launch: stern at Weymouth, bow at Kimmeridge.
32 HMS HOOD
14,150-ton battleship, built 1891. 380ft x 75ft. Well armed. Position: 50 34.10N; 02 25.22W. Depth: 18m.
Sunk: 4 November, 1914, as blockship for southern entrance to Portland Harbour, designed to stop U-boats entering or firing torpedoes into Channel Fleet anchorage. Both seacocks and explosives were used to sink her, but she rolled to port and capsized onto seabed.
Diving: Upside-down with kelp covering bottom plates 2m under surface. Rusting side plating collapsing, leaving dodgy entrance holes. Swarming with fish. Beware fierce currents.
Launch: Castletown.
31 P-555
1062-ton US Navy submarine, formerly S-24, built 1922. 219ft x 21ft. Armed with four 21in bow torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes and one 3in AA gun. Lease-lend to Royal Navy 1942. Position: 50 30.87N; 02 33.43W. Depth: 39m.
Sunk: 25 August, 1947 by Royal Navy as ASDIC target after US Navy decided it did not want her returned.
Diving: Upright and complete, 6m proud. Bow to east. Gun in place.
Launch: Weymouth.
Appeared in DIVER - October 1999.
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