Maritime record MDO20089 - Martha

Horizontal Datum: OGB
Vertical Datum: LAT
Quality of Depth: SWS
Method of Fix: SYL
General Depth: 46 metres

The MARTHA was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB80.

12-MAR-1918 Position 50 30 00N, 02 36 00W sank immediately.

16-JUN-1952 Wire drift sweep; clear 19 fathoms. Foul at 20 fathoms. Least echo sounder 21 fathoms. General depth 25 fathoms. Length 250 feet. Direction NE/SW. The shallowest part appears to lie in the centre. Position by horizontal sextant angle.

20-JUL-1961 Orientation 060/240deg fixed by decca.

26-JAN-1983 Wreck shown in decca conversion 50 27 16N, 02 38 05W.

29-JUL-1984 National grid coordinates 35 49 52E, 61 80 2N . Swept clear at 38.5, Foul at 39m. Least echo sounder depth 39.2 in general depth 46m. Scour 1m deep. Side scan sonar height 5m, length 65m, 1m scour. Lying intact NE/SW. (1)

Built: 1905 (5)
Builder: Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Co. (5)
Where Built: Greenock (5)
Propulsion: screw-driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine (5)
Horsepower: 113 (5)
Boilers: 1 (5)
Master: G Nicaise (5)

Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
LR 1917-18 No.651(M)

Position 50 27.25 N 2 38.05 W taken from <6>

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index, Extracted 23-NOV-1992 (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index (Index). SWX5030.

<3> Von Munching, L, 1968, Merchant shipping losses of Allied, neutral and central powers during and shortly after World War I, 11 (Monograph). SWX4751.

<4> 1990, Lloyds war losses, The First World War: Casualties to shipping through enemy causes 1914-1918, 205 (Index). SWX4540.

<5> 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.

<6> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition) (Monograph). SWX1.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904604 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 7 2024 8:44PM