Maritime record MWX2207 - Carantan (Chasseur 5)

The French motor gun boat was escorting a British submarine in heavy seas when she capsized three miles south of Durlston Head. The submarine radioed the Senior Naval Officer at Poole who requested the Swanage lifeboat to put out at 10.30am. In an increasing SW gale and poor visibility, it took the lifeboat three-quarters of an hour to reach the scene, where they found three sailors clinging to the keel, two of whom were in a very shocked and exhausted condition. Four others had meanwhile been rescued by the submarine using heaving lines, but 16 were still trapped within the vessel. Some of the faces could be seen looking out of the portholes. With no tools to break into the hull and it utterly impossible to board the slippery upturned vessel, the situation was hopeless. A suggestion that the submarine should ram it in an attempt to right her was considered too dangerous. The lifeboat returned to shore for tools but later found the vessel had sunk. (2)(3) A plate recovered from this wreck, named as CHASSEUR, off Poole. (Droit A/2404).(14)

Built: 1940 Propulsion: Screw driven Owner: Free French Navy Date of Loss Qualifier: A Built in 1940 as a French submarine chaser, she was commissioned as a Royal Navy vessel on 08-JUL-1940 but in DEC-1942 was taken over by the Free French. She was sunk during a SW force 9 gale having capsized. (2)

Survey History:
06-NOV-1968: Reported lost 099deg 2m from Anvil Point, or 50 35 09N 01 54 27W. Only parts of engine and hull remain.

17-SEP-1970: Mr Bennett purchased wreck from the consul general of the French government.

16-DEC-1981: Confirm that wreck had been lifted and moved to charted position with view to complete salvage in near future. Guns on board of rare type and to be donated to Imperial War Museum. Request that new position to remain in confidence.

21-AUG-1984: More than 20 depth charges have been found on this wreck, as well as smoke canisters and 75mm and 40mm ammunition in boxes in ready-use lockers. HMS VERNON team has been requested to assist by removing these hazards as wreck is used for training dives.

09-AUG-1989: A large gun from this wreck has been landed at Swanage Pier.

16-OCT-1990: Reported that explosive is exuding from mortars located in stern, and depth charges on seabed at stern of wreck are badly corroded. Seabed is rocky slate. Wreck is fairly well broken up with superstructure standing approximately 3m high in general depth 32m. 2 Oerlikon cannons remain, one on and one just off wreck. Props missing. (1) Various shell cases recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.56N 001 56.14W. (Droit A/174).(4) 1 ammunition box plate recovered from this wreck, off Durlston Head. (Droit A/1126).(4) A 2.5 shell/bullet charge recovered from this wreck off Swanage, and burnt. (Droit A/2211).(4) A plate recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.95N 001 56.18W. (Droit A/2232).(4) A ships horn and 6 plates recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.95N 001 56.16W. (Droit A/2287).(4) A screw and nuts recovered from this wreck off Poole. (Droit A/2498).(4) 2 x 2lb shell cases and 2 x .303 bullets recovered from this wreck, off Anvil Point. (Droit A/2545).(4) A shell case recovered from this wreck, 1 mile S of Anvil Point, position 50 35N 001 57W. (Droit A/2598).(4) A spoon recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.95N 001 56.18W. (Droit A/3021).(4) A gauge recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.56N 001 56.14W. (Droit A/3768).(4) A shell case recovered from this wreck, position 50 34.95N 001 56.18W. (Droit A/3820).(4)

Net tonnage

Position 50 34.99N 1 56.21W taken from (15)

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

<2> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

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

<5> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/4282 (Unpublished document). SWX675.

<6> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/3021 (Unpublished document). SWX575.

<7> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2545 (Unpublished document). SWX530.

<8> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2498 (Unpublished document). SWX525.

<9> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2232 (Unpublished document). SWX490.

<10> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2211 (Unpublished document). SWX488.

<11> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/1126 (Unpublished document). SWX393.

<12> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of wreck 286/00 (Unpublished document). SWX126.

<13> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, 074 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<14> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty (Index). SWX4542.

<15> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979 (Monograph). SDO10496.

<16> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 18 (Monograph). SDO16406.

CARENTAN or wrong CARANTAN – Built in 1940 as a French submarine chaser. (Very interesting story). More Swanage than Portland/Weymouth. (Clarke: GPS; 50 34.96N; 01 56.16W) & (Larn:) See note, there is confusion with the Chasseur 5 details can be found in Farr: p:100.

Record last edited

Jan 6 2020 11:55AM