News
Divers locate wreck of British ship which sank 113 years ago off Taiwan
Divers have found the wreck of a British steam ship that sank in April 1901 off Tungyin Island, part of modern-day Taiwan, which they think may have been carrying loot from the British army’s Relief of Peking eight months beforehand.
The 7,382-ton SS Sobraon had only been launched in Greenock 14 months previously and was on its way back to London from Shanghai via Hong Kong when she struck rocks off the remote island just after 3am on April 24, 1901.
The 210 crew and passengers managed to take to the lifeboats and get ashore on a night that the Board of Trade inquiry in London said was “very dark and cloudy”, but the SS Sobraon eventually foundered and was declared “a total wreck”.
Today the island is a heavily fortified outpost of Taiwan that is 90 miles northwest of the Taiwanese port of Keelung but only 25 miles from the coast of China. The site of early-warning radar facilities and missile batteries, high security has for decades limited recreational diving off the island.
Given the islands’ position on an important trade route, the loss of the SS Sobraon shocked British maritime authorities so much that London paid for the construction of a lighthouse that still stands on the same site today.
Diving conditions at the site are also challenging, with local tides and weather patterns meaning that underwater searches can only be carried out between June and September, according to Jimmy Fan, a member of the Taiwanese team that located the wreck.
“The tides are very strong and we had to wait for the winds to come from the south, and even when we were in the water the visibility was only 2 feet,” said Mr Fan.
The ship had originally been found by Lin Cheng-yang, of the Taiwan Ocean Security Conserve Association, last year, but artefacts that could identify the vessel could not be recovered.
This year, divers brought up metal taps, part of a hatch cover, railings and the nozzle of a fire hose.
“The ship is at a depth of about 30 metres [98 feet] and is badly broken up,” Mr Fan said. “Many storms in the years since it sank have broken the wreck up, but we were able to see some of the hull plating, we found one of the two masts and one of the two propellers.”
The official inquiry into the loss of the ship, which was owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., said the vessel was carrying 800 tons of cargo. Accounts from the time suggest that the majority of the cargo, apart from some silk, was lost.
“We’re interested in finding out what the ship was carrying as it may still be in the wreckage,” said Mr Fan. “This boat was one of the most modern in the world at the time, if had only been built one year earlier, and it had left Shanghai heading for London.”
Mr Fan believes that the ship may have been carrying the spoils of the British military intervention in Beijing to lift the siege of 11 foreign legations during the Boxer Rebellion.
The aftermath of the action has been described as a frenzy of looting, with each of the allied nations accusing the other of being the worst pilferer of priceless items of China’s cultural heritage. The British force reportedly held “loot auctions” at the legation, with the proceeds shared out among the troops.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Gear News
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Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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