Maritime record MWX2093 - Avanti (Advanti)

Remains of English cargo vessel, torpedoed 2 February 1918 by the German submarine UB 59 approximately 4 miles ESE of St Albans Head. She was a steel-hulled steamer, en route from Bilbao to West Hartlepool with a cargo of iron ore. Also known as Advanti.

The Avanti was built in 1912 by Akt. Burmeister andamp; Wain, Copenhagen. She was screw-driven by a three-cylinder triple expansion engine and carried a single 12pdr gun. She had a crew of 24 (of which 22 were lost). Her Master was Master: T Davies. (1 & 2)

She was hit by a torpedo about midships fired by the German submarine U-59 at 6am. The vessel broke in half and sank at once. The senior gunner was able to give the best account of the loss, since the master and deck officers were lost. He stated that he was thrown into the air from off the stern by the explosion, pitched onto a raft that had been blown overboard, and then found himself in the water. A number of the crew were seen swimming and clinging to wreckage, but only one man, a Spaniard, reached the raft with the gunner. At about 8am they saw the periscope of a submarine approach them, but it moved away almost immediately. At about noon that day they were picked up by a patrol vessel and landed at Poole. Everything sank with the ship. (2) The AVANTI was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U59. was carrying 3000 tons of iron ore.(1)

Surveying History:

14-FEB-1945 Good sonar contact in position 50 30 09N, 01 55 08W.(1)

18-MAY-1965 Located in 50 29 50N, 01 55 05W. Least echo sounder depth 108 in general depth 132 feet. No scour. Seabed - coarse sand and gravel. Consider this same wreck as reported in 50 29 54N, 01 55 12W.(1)

22-JAN-1981 Examined in 50 29 51.2N, 01 54 51.5W. Least echo sounder depth 34.6 in general depth 42m. Lying 045/225 degs, virtually upside down with bows north. Identified by present owner, Mr P Barrett, as the AVANTI.(1)

30-JUN-1988 50 29 55N, 01 55 12W. Stands 4.5m high and lies 017/197 deg. Length 110m. Local fisherman estimates wreck is charted 200 - 300m SE of actual position. (1) An 8 brass porthole has been reported from this wreck, 8 miles south of Poole. (Droit A/382).(6) A damaged brass sextant recovered from this wreck approximately 7 miles SSE of Peveril Point (Droit A/3175) (6) Additional source: PRO Kew Adm 137/2963 LR 1917-18 No.1762(A).

Gross tonnage

Position 50 29.9N 1 55.11W taken from (8)

The wreck of the AVANTI lies in about 40m of water, in 50 29.90N, 001 55.11W (WGS84). Her boilers, the highest parts of the wreck, have rolled and are upside down, and the engine lies in a tangle on its side. Th gun is still in the stern. The wreck is orientated 045/225 degrees. It stands 6m high on a rough seabed with a layer of shingle. The wreck was positively identified by the recovery of the ship's bell. The ships' name can also been seen in brass letters on the bow and stern. (8)

14-FEB-2009: Located in 5029.901N, 0155.107W [WGD] using DGPS. The least multibeam depth is 33.81m in a general depth of 41.5m. No scour. Minor scour leads 115m towards 250 degrees. Length 93.1m. Width 75.4m. Height 7.7m. The wreck is orientated 018/198 degrees. A strong magnetic anomaly. (9)(10)

Charted by the UKHO as 'ADVANTI' [sic], in 50 29.901N, 001 55.107W (WGS84). (9)(10)

Wreck event and documentary evidence:

The AVANTI was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U59. was carrying 3000 tons of iron ore. (1)

Hit by a torpedo about midships fired by the German submarine U-59 at 6am. The vessel broke in half and sank at once. The senior gunner was able to give the best account of the loss, since the master and deck officers were lost. He stated that he was thrown into the air from off the stern by the explosion, pitched onto a raft that had been blown overboard, and then found himself in the water. A number of the crew were seen swimming and clinging to wreckage, but only one man, a Spaniard, reached the raft with the gunner. At about 8am they saw the periscope of a submarine approach them, but it moved away almost immediately. At about noon that day they were picked up by a patrol vessel and landed at Poole. Everything sank with the ship. (2)(6)

Built: 1912 (2)(11)
Builder: Akt. Burmeister & Wain (2)(11)
Where Built: Copenhagen (2)(11)
Owner: Lambert Brothers (2)
Propulsion: screw-driven 3 cylinder triple expansion engine (2)(11)
Armament: 1 x 12pdr 12cwt (2)
Horsepower: 288 (2) 181 (8)
Boilers: 2 (2)(9)
Machinery: Gutte Hoffaung, Oberhausen (8)
Crew: 24 (2)(8)
Crew Lost: 2 (2)(8)
Master: T Davies (2)

Ownership history:
1912-1917a: Det Forenede D/S A/S. Copenhagen, Denmark
1917a-1917b: Lambert Bros Ltd. London
1917b-: British Government. London (11)

Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss

Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/0382 (Unpublished document). SWX259.

Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/3175 (Unpublished document). SWX579.

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

<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> 1990, Lloyds war losses, The First World War: Casualties to shipping through enemy causes 1914-1918, p199 (Index). SWX4540.

<4> Tennant, A J, 1990, British Merchant Ships Sunk by U boats in the 1914-1918 War, p146 (Monograph). SWX4539.

<5> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, p79 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<6> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty (Index). SWX4542.

<7> Admiralty Records, ADM/137/2963 (Monograph). SDO20160.

<8> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979 (Monograph). SDO10496.

<9> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 10-Mar-17 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<10> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18976 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<11> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, 037 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<12> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 270 (Monograph). SWX1.

<13> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 12 (Monograph). SDO16406.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904619 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 15 2024 2:25PM