Maritime record MWX2319 - Hartburn

Whilst carrying 950 tons of cargo was hit by a torpedo amidships on the starboard side at 1am which had been fired by the German submarine UC-62. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two boats, the vessel sinking at 1.30am. When the survivors were picked up by the Italian SS ANTONIO it was found that three men were missing, presumed drowned. The remainder were later transferred to a patrol vessel and landed at Weymouth. The W/T code books and confidential papers were sunk by the master. (1)(2)

Built: 1900 Builder: Blyth SB Co. Ltd. Horsepower: 257 Boilers: 2 Propulsion: screw driven 3 cylinder triple expansion engine Armament: 1 x 12pdr. 12cwt. stern mounted Owner: A Capel and Co. Master: A N Shelton Crew: 26 Crew Lost: 3 Construction: p.deck 25ft; b.deck 78ft; f.castle 34ft; 1 x deck; machinery by T Richardson and Sons, Hartlepool Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: PRO Kew Adm. 137/2963

gross tonnage

Position 50 30.7 N 2 6.42 W taken from (10)

HARTBURN, 2,367 tons, flagged as armed. Sunk by torpedo from submarine on 15 October 1917, 10 miles south of Anvil Point, with the loss of 3 lives. (4)

HARTBURN, 2,367 tons, 92.3m x 13.1m, built in 1900 (5) for Tyne & Blyth SS Owing Co. Ltd (6). Mined by submarine (UC-62), 10 nautical miles south of Anvil Point, bound from Manchester for St. Helen's Roads with hay and vehicles, 15-OCT-1917. (5)

'The steamer HARTBURN was on a voyage from Manchester to St Helens. On the night of 15 October 1917, at 1am, disaster struck. According to her master, Captain Albert Shelton, "She was suddenly struck by torpedo by submerged submarine without warning, or mined, I cannot say which. Ship began to sink at once, but slowly, and boats were lowered but not manned until upper deck was awash, when the ship was abandoned. Ten minutes later the ship sank." He continued his report, "The vessel was making water so rapidly that it was not considered possible to start the pumps. A portion of the cargo caught fire, just as the boats got clear." HARTBURN, having sustained serious damage on her starboard side amidships, went down by the head, disappearing from view after 30 minutes.' (8)

Built: 1900 (1)(2)(5)(6)
Builder: Blyth SB Co. Ltd. (1)(2)(5)
Where Built: Cowpen Quay (5)
HP: 257 (1)(2)
Boilers: 2 (1)(2)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine (1)(2)
Armament: 1 x 12pdr. 12cwt. Stern mounted (1)(2)
Construction: poop-deck 25ft; bridge-deck 78ft; forecastle 34ft; 1 x deck (1)(2)
Machinery: T Richardson and Sons, Hartlepool (1)(2)
Official No.: 110356 (6)
Master: A N Shelton (1)(2) Albert Shelton (4)
Crew: 26 (1)(2)
Crew Lost: 3 (1)(2)
Owner: A Capel and Co. (1)(2)(6)
Former owners: Tyne & Blyth Steam Ship Owning Company Ltd. Newcastle (1900-1915) Richards, Turpin & Company Ltd. Swansea (1915-1917) (8)

<1> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<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, p177 (Index). SWX4540.

<4> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, p70 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<5> Tennant, A J, 1990, British Merchant Ships Sunk by U boats in the 1914-1918 War, p38 (Monograph). SWX4539.

<8> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979, 104-105 (Monograph). SDO10496.

<9> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/0327 (Unpublished document). SWX254.

<10> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition) (Monograph). SWX1.

<11> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 29 and 1362 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1148733 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6-7> Miramar Ship Index www.miramarshipindex.org.nz, accessed on 17-OCT-2014 (Digital archive). SDO20161.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2024 10:29AM