S.S. Llama
S.S.Llama 31/10/1915
Displacement: 3189 grt.
Length: 97.0 m. Beam: 12.8 m. Draught: 9.0 m.
Propulsion: 2 x boilers. 1 x 3 cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw,
Machinery: Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co. Ltd, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Complement:
Men Lost: 0
Armament: No
Displacement: 3189 grt.
Length: 97.0 m. Beam: 12.8 m. Draught: 9.0 m.
Propulsion: 2 x boilers. 1 x 3 cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw,
Machinery: Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co. Ltd, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Complement:
Men Lost: 0
Armament: No
Steal steamship built as S.S. Brilliant by Armstrong & Mitchell Co. Ltd., Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1980 for Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft - APG - Waried - Esso Tankschiff Rhederei, Hamburg
Lloyds Register 1891-92
In 1915 the ship was renamed S.S. Llama and taken over by Standard Oil (Panama Transport Co). and registered in New York.
Lloyds Register 1914-15
The Loss
Derby Daily Telegraph - Monday 01 November 1915
THE GALE
Lloyd's Kirkwall message to-day says: American steamer Llama, New York to Copenhagen, cargo oil, stranded on Skae Sherries, Westray Firth, yesterday morning. All tanks holed except numbers 6 and 7. Twenty-seven of crew landed here. Captain and remainder of crew standing by vessel. A steamer is in attendance.
THE GALE
Lloyd's Kirkwall message to-day says: American steamer Llama, New York to Copenhagen, cargo oil, stranded on Skae Sherries, Westray Firth, yesterday morning. All tanks holed except numbers 6 and 7. Twenty-seven of crew landed here. Captain and remainder of crew standing by vessel. A steamer is in attendance.
The Scotsman - Tuesday 02 November 1915
OIL STEAMER ASHORE AT ORKNEY The United States steamer Llama, New York for Copenhagen with oil, stranded on Skae Skerry, off the Orkneys, on Sunday. Part of the crew landed at Kirkwall and the remainder are standing by the vessel, which appears to be somewhat extensively damaged. It is hoped that the steamer will be refloated. '
OIL STEAMER ASHORE AT ORKNEY The United States steamer Llama, New York for Copenhagen with oil, stranded on Skae Skerry, off the Orkneys, on Sunday. Part of the crew landed at Kirkwall and the remainder are standing by the vessel, which appears to be somewhat extensively damaged. It is hoped that the steamer will be refloated. '
Aberdeen Evening Express - Wednesday 03 November 1915
WRECK OF AN AMERICAN OIL TANKER.
Exciting Experiences, Several Vessels to the Rescue.
CREW LANDED IN ABERDEEN.
Exciting Experiences, Several Vessels to the Rescue.
CREW LANDED IN ABERDEEN.
When Captain Scott, of the Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland Shipping Company's steamer St Rognvald, steered this vessel up the Aberdeen Harbour channel in heavy torrent rain about seven o'clock this morning he had on board a bigger crew than usual, but they were not connected with his ship, the extra number being some thirty of the crew of the American steamer Llama, a vessel about 6000 tons, wrecked off the Noup Head in the North Isles. The crew had been taken safely to Kirkwall by a tug, after several vessels, summoned by the S.O.S. wireless had rendered assistance, and from there they were brought Aberdeen at the first opportunity, en route for Liverpool, to sail o one liners to New York, where their vessel was registered, and where they had embarked. They left Aberdeen by an early forenoon train, and prior to their departure related their experiences a representative of the " Evening Express."
Third Officer's Story.
Mr C. Jensen, third officer, who was in charge of the company, stated that the Llama, which belonged the well-known Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, was vessel of 6000 tons bound for Copenhagen with a cargo of oil. "All went well," said, "on our voyage across the Atlantic from New York, for the weather was fine and clear, but when the Shetland Islands it was stormy, and struck a rock the Skerries, about eight miles south of Noup Head and stuck fast. We sent out the ' S.O.S.' wireless signals for assistance, fearing the vessel might be badly holed through the action the waves, which bumped the ship about badly. Before long the answer to our calls came in the form of two vessel*, and they endeavoured pull off. All their efforts failed, however, all the lines broke. " Some time afterwards another vessel appeared the scene and also the tug-boat Plover. Additional lines were put aboard our ship, and the attempt to pull us off the rock was repeated. Once again, however, was failure, line after line being broken. We had a big ship and it appeared be stuck fast. There was another danger, too, that the vessel was leaking, and the oil was finding its way out from the bulkhead compartment to other parts of the vessel. If it had reached the fires probably would have been an explosion which would have blown everything and set fire the wreckage.
Rescue of the Crew.
" Seeing we could nothing more to save the ship, we took our boats, leaving the leaking vessel, and put all our clothes and other possessions aboard the tug. We were then taken to Kirkwall. Captain Clinch, with the first and second officers, chief engineer, first and second assistants, and wireless operator remained behind overnight, and next day another attempt was made to get the vessel off. There was a heavy swell running, bumping our ship on the rocks, and with the bulkhead leaking badly it appeared almost hopeless to continue trying to do more. When the oil reached the engine-room it was about time to leave the vessel, fearing something serious might happen if the oil got in contact with the hot ashes, so the whole those who had remained left the ship and joined the others at Kirkwall. 'We came on here to Aberdeen, but left the captain, five officers, and the wireless operator Kirkwall see if nothing further could be done to salve the vessel. It very doubtful if she will ever be got off the rocks; it looks she would become a total wreck. We are, however, thankful that nobody was lost or hurt."
Registration of Crew.
Seeing that the majority of those who had been landed were not British subjects, one the first things they had to do was be registered as aliens at the Aberdeen Central Police Office in Lodge Walk. This was done presence of H. G. Wells, Bridge Street, the American Consul in Aberdeen, and after that they prepared for their departure from the city, the consul seeing that they were provided with what was necessary for their train journey to Liverpool and arranging for their passage to New York.
Third Officer's Story.
Mr C. Jensen, third officer, who was in charge of the company, stated that the Llama, which belonged the well-known Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, was vessel of 6000 tons bound for Copenhagen with a cargo of oil. "All went well," said, "on our voyage across the Atlantic from New York, for the weather was fine and clear, but when the Shetland Islands it was stormy, and struck a rock the Skerries, about eight miles south of Noup Head and stuck fast. We sent out the ' S.O.S.' wireless signals for assistance, fearing the vessel might be badly holed through the action the waves, which bumped the ship about badly. Before long the answer to our calls came in the form of two vessel*, and they endeavoured pull off. All their efforts failed, however, all the lines broke. " Some time afterwards another vessel appeared the scene and also the tug-boat Plover. Additional lines were put aboard our ship, and the attempt to pull us off the rock was repeated. Once again, however, was failure, line after line being broken. We had a big ship and it appeared be stuck fast. There was another danger, too, that the vessel was leaking, and the oil was finding its way out from the bulkhead compartment to other parts of the vessel. If it had reached the fires probably would have been an explosion which would have blown everything and set fire the wreckage.
Rescue of the Crew.
" Seeing we could nothing more to save the ship, we took our boats, leaving the leaking vessel, and put all our clothes and other possessions aboard the tug. We were then taken to Kirkwall. Captain Clinch, with the first and second officers, chief engineer, first and second assistants, and wireless operator remained behind overnight, and next day another attempt was made to get the vessel off. There was a heavy swell running, bumping our ship on the rocks, and with the bulkhead leaking badly it appeared almost hopeless to continue trying to do more. When the oil reached the engine-room it was about time to leave the vessel, fearing something serious might happen if the oil got in contact with the hot ashes, so the whole those who had remained left the ship and joined the others at Kirkwall. 'We came on here to Aberdeen, but left the captain, five officers, and the wireless operator Kirkwall see if nothing further could be done to salve the vessel. It very doubtful if she will ever be got off the rocks; it looks she would become a total wreck. We are, however, thankful that nobody was lost or hurt."
Registration of Crew.
Seeing that the majority of those who had been landed were not British subjects, one the first things they had to do was be registered as aliens at the Aberdeen Central Police Office in Lodge Walk. This was done presence of H. G. Wells, Bridge Street, the American Consul in Aberdeen, and after that they prepared for their departure from the city, the consul seeing that they were provided with what was necessary for their train journey to Liverpool and arranging for their passage to New York.
Orcadian - Saturday 20 November 1915
A quantity of wreckage is reported at Westray. which has come, it is supposed, from the United States steamer Llama, which was lost recently on the Skea Skerries.
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A quantity of wreckage is reported at Westray. which has come, it is supposed, from the United States steamer Llama, which was lost recently on the Skea Skerries.
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Hamilton Daily Times - Wednesday 10 November 1915
STEAMER LLAMA SUNK. Washington, Nov. 11.—The American steamer Llama, seized and run on a reef by a British prize crew last week, has been washed off are reef and has sunk. The American Consul at Kirkwall reported today only one of the Llama's masts was visible above the water. The Department is investigating the circumstances of the vessels seizure.
STEAMER LLAMA SUNK. Washington, Nov. 11.—The American steamer Llama, seized and run on a reef by a British prize crew last week, has been washed off are reef and has sunk. The American Consul at Kirkwall reported today only one of the Llama's masts was visible above the water. The Department is investigating the circumstances of the vessels seizure.
The Wreck
There is no UKHO Wreck Card for the S.S. Llama. The wreck was located by local Westray diver Tom Bain in the 1980s. In 1999 the local dive boat M.V Jean Elaine put the first sport divers on the wreck after being shown the position by fisherman Jock Kent. The wreck sits in 14m of water and is very broken up. The most prominent part are the two large boilers with the triple expansion engine, on its side just behind. The un-named bell was recovered the following year.
Westray and Skea Skerries, Chart 2180a, Orkney Islands - Northern Sheet (UKHO)
Lloyds Casualty Returns Oct-Dec 1915
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The bell from the S.S. Llama Photos: Callum Beveridge
Survey
A survey was conducted around Skea Skerries using both magnetometer and side scan sonar. Two very large anomalies were detected with the magnetometer and a smaller anomaly to the west. The two large hits were the S.S. Llama to the south of the skerry and S.S. Scandinavic on top of the skerry. The smaller hit turned out to be a large steel rudder.
Side Scan Sonar survey proved difficult due to the weather conditions but wreckage was seen.
Side Scan Sonar survey proved difficult due to the weather conditions but wreckage was seen.
Images SULA Diving/C. Johnson
