Maritime record MDO20005 - Elmcrest (Auguszta Foherczegno)

Remains of 1940 wreck of English cargo vessel, located 14 nautical miles SSE of the Bill of Portland. The ELMCREST foundered after being torpedoed en route from Kingston-upon-Hull for Wabana in ballast. Constructed in 1911 of steel, as the Austro-Hungarian vessel AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO, registered in Fiume [now Rijeka in Croatia], she was a steam-powered vessel. This site was formerly suggested as the possible remains of HMS DELIGHT (now suggested as lying in the position recorded at 1571860) but has been positively identified as the ELMCREST by her bell.

Wreck site charted as HMS DELIGHT (POSSIBLY), in 55m general depth; dimensions of site 110m x 60m. Seabed environment of gravel. (9)

Seen to be located approximately 14 miles SE of the Bill of Portland. (10)

Wreck charted as ELMCREST without qualification, and seen to be located approximately 14 nautical miles SSE of the Bill of Portland, and approximately 2.5 nautical miles SE of the nearest point of the 12-mile limit of the UK Territorial Sea. (11)

1944: Wreck reported variously in 50 17.18N 002 19.30W or 50 17.00N 002 20.00W. (12)

1965: Examined in 50 17.06N 002 19.19W (OSGB). Least echosounder depth 155ft in general depth 179ft. No scour. Weak sonar returns. (12)

1993: Examined in 50 17.05N 002 19.165W (WGS 84). Least echosounder depth 49.4m in general depth 55m. No scour. Dimensions 110m x 60m x 5.2m. Well broken up, orientated 160/340. Ferrous content by magnetometer reading indicated as 5800 tons. (12)

2003: Located, not examined. (12)

2009: Confirmed as ELMCREST by recovery of bell. (12)

A brass porthole of low quality, medium-sized, intact except for the missing glass and deadlight, recovered from a wreck named as the ELMCREST, 13 miles south of the Bill of Portland, no position given. (Droit 260/06) (13)

A copper alloy bell, well polished, and inscribed 'ELMCREST' on one side, recovered from this wreck approximately 15 miles south of the Bill of Portland. A previous name on the other side has been erased and is now illegible, but she was previously called AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO, later IZGLED. (Droit 403/09) (14)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

Ex-AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO. Was attacked in convoy by German motor torpedo E-Boats which sank this vessel with a torpedo. (1)(2)

The British steamship ELMCREST was torpedoed and sunk by German motor torpedo boats on 04-JUL-1940, en route Hull to Wabana. (3)

ELMCREST, Hull for Wabana, in ballast, torpedoed by E-boat 13 miles south of Portland. (4)(5) Wreck lies in 50 11N 002 21W. (4)

Sources (1) to (5) inclusive state the tonnage as 4343 tons; (6), while giving the same account of the loss of the vessel, states the tonnage as 5032.

Ex. AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO, owned by "Levante", Magyar Keleti Gozhajozasi RT, registered in Fiume, Austro-Hungarian nationality. After 1919 she retained her home port but her nationality was Italian, owned by the Soc. Di Navigaziona Marittima Levante, under the name AUGUSZTA FOERCZEGNO. From 1923 she was named IZGLED, passing through three Yugoslav owners, registered in Dubrovnik, until 1940, when she was sold on as ELMCREST.

In July 1940 she was torpedoed by S20, bound from Hull to Wabana in ballast. Tonnage given as 5056 tons gross. Photograph of vessel as IZGLED. (7)(8)

Dimensions: 115.2m x 16.2m; 5032 tons.

Built as AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO; IZGLED, 1923; ELMCREST, 1940. Torpedoed by S-20 13 miles south of Portland, en route from Hull for Wabana in ballast. (16)

NB: At the time of building the vessel's port of registration was known as Fiume, and lay within the Austro-Hungarian empire. This is now Rijeka in Croatia, and the nationality has been double-indexed accordingly.

The names AUGUSZTA FOHERCZEGNO and AUGUSZTA FOERCZEGNO, as cited in (7)(8), have been quoted as alternative names for this vessel. The modern spelling of FOHERCEGNO has also been incorporated as another variant, in order to assist retrievability. (15)

Built: 1911 (1)(2)(3)(7)(16)
Builder: W Dobson and Co. (1)(2)(3)(7)(16)
Where Built: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1)(2)(7); Walker-on-Tyne (16)
Engine HP: 342 (1)(2)(3)
Boilers: 3 (1)(2)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine (1)(2); triple-expansion engines (3)(7)
Official No.: 167414 (17)
Crew: 38 (1)(2)(3)
Crew Lost: 16 (1)(2)(3)
Owner: Crest Shipping Co. Ltd. (1)(2)(3)(6)(7)(17)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
LR.1939-40 No.38961€

<1> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index (Index). SWX5030.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1571737 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<2> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<3> Hocking, Charles, 1990, Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam, 211 (Monograph). SWX4536.

<4> 1989, Lloyds war losses: the Second World War 3 September-14 August 1945, 96 (Index). SWX4997.

<5> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, 7 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<6> Young, John M, 1989, Britain's sea war : a diary of ship losses, 1939-1945, 43 (Monograph). SDO20525.

<7> http://www.papernet.hu/?l=sdetails&lang=hun&i=1279 > accessed on 24-JUL-2007, no longer live, and now located at the link at (8) (Digital archive). SDO20681.

<8> http://www.hajoregiszter.hu/hajoadatlap/auguszta_foherczegno/1279/gyujtemenyek/15760/en, accessed on 24-JAN-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20682.

<9> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 07-MAY-2008 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<10> 1977, Admiralty Chart 2454, Examination of Admiralty Chart 2454, 07-MAY-2008 (Cartographic materials). SDO14746.

<11> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 24-JAN-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<12> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18497 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<13> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 2006 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<14> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 2009 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<15> NRHE Compiler's comments, 24-JAN-2013 (Verbal communication). SDO19863.

<16> Miramar Ship Index www.miramarshipindex.org.nz, accessed on 29-JAN-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20161.

<17> Miramar Ship Index www.miramarshipindex.org.nz, accessed on 30-JAN-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20161.

<18> https://thewreckoftheweek.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/no-12-the-swiss-navy/, accessed 10-MAY-2018 (Digital archive). SDO20683.

<19> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1571737 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2024 2:13PM