Maritime record MWX2413 - Venezuela

Information from United Kingdom Hydrographic Office:
General Depth: 30 metres. Survey shows unknown wreck with area of small wreckage lying 30m away. Dimensions: length 70-75m, height 6m, scour 1.2m Orientation: 090/270degrees . In 1984, a diver described the site as 250-300ft long with stern half upside down with steel propeller. Letters retrieved from hull are used to suggest identity is not British. Possibly the VENEZUELA or the EMPIRE CRUSADER. (1)
Probable remains of EMPIRE CRUSADER, bombed and sunk by German aircraft en route Seaham to Devonport. Sank 15M west of St Catherine's Point.
UKHO Survey History:
17-MAR-1941 Position 19 deg Needles light 6M or 50 35.03N 001 41.19W. Height above bottom 17ft. 16-SEP-1980 Examined in position 50 35.21.5N 001 41.39W. Least E/S depth 23.7 in general depth 30 metres. Scour 1.2 metres. Lying 090/270 degs, 70-75 metres long. Further small pieces of wreckage lying about 30 metres, 310 deg from main wreck.
15-AUG-1984 Wreck dived on in 50 35.20N 001 41.40W. Vessel about 250 to 300 feet long with steel propeller. Lies in 32 metres gen depth. Letter B found alongside wreck together with other items such as telegraph, portholes, log.
19-SEP-1984 Letters B, U, R and G have been retrieved from port side of stern of wreck. Wording on telegraph - halve - indicates vessel was probably not British. No signs of coal cargo. Close-stowing anchor in hawse. Stern half of wreck is upside down.
26-AUG-1987 Reported to be positively the wreck of the Venezuela - name in brass letter on stern.
Method of Fix: EDM General Depth: 26 metres Quality of Depth: SWS Horizontal Datum: OGB Vertical Datum: LAT Orientation: 160340 (1) Built: 1907 Builder: Bow, McLachlan and Co. Ltd. Where Built: Paisley Owner: Cia Argentina de Nav. Propulsion: screw driven 6 cylinder triple expansion engine HP: 84 Boilers: 2 (2)(3) A neutral ship torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB59 en route from Swansea to Rouen via Falmouth.(2)(3) 05-APR-1943 Least echosounder 71 feet.(1) 19-SEP-1975 A small, twin-engine coaster lying E/W and much broken up. The highest part is a boiler about 13ft above seabed.(1) 17-AUG-1981 Lying about 160/340 degs approx. 60 metres long. An amount of debris about 10-15 metres NW of wreck.(1) 04-AUG-1984 Identified as the VENEZUELA from gun retrieved from wreck.(1) Some wrought iron linkage and two threaded engine oiler raised from this wreck off the Isle of Wight. (Droit A/098).(6) A steam valve recovered from this wreck, position 50 35.71N 001 43.12W. (Droit A/3390).(6) Additional sources: LR 1917-18 No.194(V)Position 50 N 1 W taken from (
Position 50 35.78 N 1 43.39 W taken from (9)

gross tonnage

<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> Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames Section 2, Isle of Wight (BB) (Monograph). SWX4988.

<4> Von Munching, L, 1968, Merchant shipping losses of Allied, neutral and central powers during and shortly after World War I, p56 (Monograph). SWX4751.

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

<7> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 135 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<8> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 294 (p203) (Monograph). SWX1.

<9> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979 (Monograph). SDO10496.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2008 10:55AM