Maritime record MWX2001 - Black Hawk (stern)

Remains of an American cargo vessel, torpedoed by U772 in 1944, stern disintegrated, whilst forepart stayed afloat longer and drifted closer to Worbarrow Bay. Dispersed by the Navy in 1965.

Surveying/Salvage History:
04-DEC-1963 Large wreck in 2 halves. Stern 30 feet beam with gun on poop. Stands 30 - 40 feet proud of bottom in 25.5 fathoms bow located within 30 yards to the NE. Position 50 26 12N 002 25 16W.

20-JAN-1964 Dispersal operations carried out on 12 and 13-NOV-1963.

18-MAY-1965 Oropsea sweep not cleared. Foul at 18 fathoms. Least echo sounder 104 in 150 feet no scour seabed sand.

26-JUN-1975 Wreck, dived on. Possibly a Liberty Ship.

03-DEC-1983 Wreck shown in 50 26 04N 002 25 18W. 24-JUL-1987 See 50 24 44N 002 26 02W. Reported to be stern half of SS BLACK HAWKE.(1)

The Black Hawk was a US Liberty Steamship, hit by a torpedo off Portland Bill on 29 December 1944. The DCF MAD records the stern of the vessel as ' hugh lump, with the prop now missing, the stern lies on it's starboard side.' (2)

Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:

This site has been adopted by Winfrith Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC 1083) under the Nautical Archaeology Society "Adopt-a-Wreck" scheme.

Horizontal Datum: OSGB (1)
Vertical Datum: LAT (1)
Quality of Depth: echosounder (1)
General Depth: 45 metres (1)
Method of Fix: Decca (1)

04-DEC-1963: Large wreck in 2 halves. Stern 30 feet beam with gun on poop. Stands 30-40 feet proud of bottom in 25.5 fathoms bow located within 30 yards to the NE. (1)

20-JAN-1964: Dispersal operations carried out on 12 and 13-NOV-1963. (1)
18-MAY-1965: Oropsea sweep not cleared. Foul at 18 fathoms. Least echosounder depth 104 feet in 150 feet; no scour; seabed sand. (1)
26-JUN-1975: Wreck, dived on. Possibly a Liberty Ship. (1)
03-DEC-1983: Wreck shown in 50 26 04N 002 25 18W. (1)
24-JUL-1987: See 50 24 44N 002 26 02W. Reported to be stern half of SS BLACK HAWKE. (1)

1999: Noted as stern portion of SS BLACK HAWKE. Stern is huge, on starboard side with a gun still bolted onto its platform. The bronze propeller has been raised. (7)(8)

2003: Lies in 50 25.201N 002 25.334W (WGS 84). (7)(8)

Charted as BLACK HAWK (AFT SECTION). Seen to be located approximately 4.5 miles SSE of the Bill of Portland. (7)

Her stern lies in 48m south of Portland Bill. (6)

A small brass portlight, bought at auction in Bridport on 25-JUN-2010. The reporter thinks the object might come from the BLACK HAWK, although there is no evidence to base this on. (Droit 244/10) (10)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

Whilst part of convoy TBC-21 on passage from France via the Isle of Wight the BLACK HAWKE was torpedoed by German submarine U772 (Rademacher) on 29-DEC-1944 at 13.37pm when some 5 miles south of Portland Bill.The explosion took place opposite No.5 hold on the port side and her stern disintegrated. At the same time the after magazine blew up and a large crack appeared on her starboard side at No.3 hold, running from the deck to below the waterline. The after end of the ship flooded immediately, putting her in a very stern-down attitude and she was abandoned by her crew. Only the cook was killed and the rest were picked up an hour later by HMS DAHLIA. (2)(3)

. . . Survivors landed at Brixham at 18.30. (3)

29-DEC-1944: BLACK HAWK, American ship, 7,191 tons, Cherbourg for Fowey in ballast, attacked by submarine in 50 28N 002 28W. Vessel taken in tow and beached in Worbarrow Bay, where she was used for experimental purposes. (5)

29-DEC-1944: In convoy TBC-21 as the last ship in the starboard column, bound from Cherbourg to the Isle of Wight and Fowey, BLACK HAWK was attacked by U322 7 miles SE of the lighthouse on Portland Bill. The U-boat in question was sunk shortly after the attack [see 904592 for the remains of the U-boat thought to have been her attacker, xxxx for the documentary evidence relating to U322 and 900926 for the documentary evidence relating to U772, both of which have been suggested as the attacking vessel].

The BLACK HAWK was struck by a single torpedo on the port side at No.5 hatch, which set off the aft magazine, which caught fire. The ship began to sink by the stern, but the engines were secured at once. A crack appeared at No.3 hold, permitting water to enter in that hold and No.4 hold and the engine room, so that only the forward two compartments were still afloat. Half an hour later the personnel abandoned ship and were picked up by HMS DAHLIA, landing at Brixham at 20.30. Four men were injured, the cook dying in hospital. (9)

Built: 1943 (3)(6)(9)
Builder: Delta Shipbuilding Co. (3)(6)(9)
Where Built: New Orleans (3)(6)(9)
Master: William Bunch (6); William L Bunch (3); William Leroy Bunch (9)
Armament: 1 x 5in; 1 x 3in; 8 x 20mm guns (9)
Crew: 41 (6)(9); 68 (3)
Armed Guard: 27 (6)(9)
Passenger: 1 (An army officer) (3)(6)
Crew Lost: 1 (3)(6)
Owner: United Fruit SS Co., New Orleans (9)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
TLS p79;
ACW p33;
Dive Guide to Weymouth and Portland, p29;
Dorset Shipwrecks, p62

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

<2> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<3> 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.

<4> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1990, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (2nd Edition), 122 (Monograph). SWX5640.

<5> 1989, Lloyds war losses: the Second World War 3 September-14 August 1945 (Index). SWX4997.

<6> Shovlar, S, 1996, Dorset Shipwrecks, A comprehensive guide to the shipwrecks of Purbeck and Poole Bay. , 213-215 (Monograph). SWX8036.

<7> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 01-FEB-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<8> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18557 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<9> https://uboat.net, accessed on 01-FEB-2013 (Digital archive). SDO20542.

<10> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 2010 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<11> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 14 (Monograph). SDO16406.

Armed American steamship – Captain William L. Bunch. Detail in Dive Dorset: 138 p:110;
GPS; 50 26.17N; 02 25.30W. Also good detail in Larn: Torpedoed by German Submarine U-772 while part of convoy TBC-21. Chef cook killed but the remainder of the crew were picked up by HMS Dahlia. Wreck, Worbarrow Bay, Weymouth. (Clarke:12/7/1944 & photograph) The Liberty Ships: p:79 & Burnett: p:62.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 832473 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2024 3:17PM