Barque Urania
Urania 28/03/1917
Displacement: 1688 grt.
Length: 77.7 m. Beam: 11.9 m. Draught: 6.8 m.
Propulsion: Barque rigged.
Machinery: n/a
Complement: 20
Men Lost: 7
Armament: No
Displacement: 1688 grt.
Length: 77.7 m. Beam: 11.9 m. Draught: 6.8 m.
Propulsion: Barque rigged.
Machinery: n/a
Complement: 20
Men Lost: 7
Armament: No
The steel three masted barque built by Stephen & Sons Ltd. - Alexander Stephen, Glasgow in 1891.
The Loss
The SV Urania was sailing from New York to Nyborg, Norway with a cargo of phosphate of lime.
On the 25th March 1917 Urania arrived in Kirkwall for contraband control.
On the 25th March 1917 Urania arrived in Kirkwall for contraband control.
The Urania left Kirkwall at 15.00 on the 28th March 1917. At 17.00 the ship was off Mull Head and the log was streamed and a course for Nyborg, was set. The sea was moderate W.S.W.
At 20.00 the log showed 10 miles but the ship was making little headway.
There was a large explosion at the stern port quarter blowing the stern away. Seven crew were killed including the captain, mate and steward who were in the aft cabin. Thirteen crew abandoned the Urania in the ships small boat and made for Copinsay.
At 04.00 the Norwegian vessel ''Fremad I'' picked the crew up off Mull Head.
The estimated position for the sinking, given by the survivors, was 10 miles north 88 deg east of Auskerry. No U boat had been sighted prior or after the explosion.
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A report from the Admiralty Port Officer Kirkwall on 1st April 1917 stated:
Report on Norwegian sailing vessel ''Urania'' blown up outside Kirkwall.
Submitted for information with reference to my telegrams 345 & 348.
2. I am of the opinion that the position given is incorrect and the vessel is somewhere
within a radius of five miles from Auskerry. This would place her within the area
in which s.s. ''Ruby'' and H.M.S. ''Carnation'' were mined.
Signed F.E.E. Brock
Vice-Admiral Commanding
Orkney & Shetland
( ADM 137/1888 - Secret packs of the Commander in Chief Grand Fleet Volume VIII )
At 20.00 the log showed 10 miles but the ship was making little headway.
There was a large explosion at the stern port quarter blowing the stern away. Seven crew were killed including the captain, mate and steward who were in the aft cabin. Thirteen crew abandoned the Urania in the ships small boat and made for Copinsay.
At 04.00 the Norwegian vessel ''Fremad I'' picked the crew up off Mull Head.
The estimated position for the sinking, given by the survivors, was 10 miles north 88 deg east of Auskerry. No U boat had been sighted prior or after the explosion.
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A report from the Admiralty Port Officer Kirkwall on 1st April 1917 stated:
Report on Norwegian sailing vessel ''Urania'' blown up outside Kirkwall.
Submitted for information with reference to my telegrams 345 & 348.
2. I am of the opinion that the position given is incorrect and the vessel is somewhere
within a radius of five miles from Auskerry. This would place her within the area
in which s.s. ''Ruby'' and H.M.S. ''Carnation'' were mined.
Signed F.E.E. Brock
Vice-Admiral Commanding
Orkney & Shetland
( ADM 137/1888 - Secret packs of the Commander in Chief Grand Fleet Volume VIII )
Bi-Monthly Mine Sweeping Reports
The reports from the Admiralty all seem to indicate the belief that the SV Urania had struck a mine in the same field that sank the S.S. Ruby and damaged H.M.S. Carnation but Urania had been sunk by torpedo fired by UC-42.
Bi-Monthly Minesweeping Reports 1-15 April 1917
UC-42 KTB (Otto Heinrich Tornow)
Translation
28. III. 17
5 pm Barometer 745.
Rainbow in SW
Wind SW 5
Moving sea.
7 pm Ahead land in sight 10 miles. three-masted barque (about 7 miles ) sails NW course to Auskerry Island. Planned get to to good position.
Bark shoots a white star in front of Copinsay lighthouse . Identification code , instead Auskerry Lighthouse a spotlight appears.
8.30 pm About 5 miles NE ftom Copinsay ------------The barque shortens its sails and turns the boat abeam right on me.
Strong red colour under thick clouds in the West.
9 pm Attack above water tube 1 without dividing apparatus. approximately 600m, hit in the stern, the ship sinks stern first in just under a minute. approx. 2800 t fully loaded.
Nationality and name unknown.
9 21 pm Two destroyers approaching from starboard. leave underwater course 90 deg.
28. III. 17
5 pm Barometer 745.
Rainbow in SW
Wind SW 5
Moving sea.
7 pm Ahead land in sight 10 miles. three-masted barque (about 7 miles ) sails NW course to Auskerry Island. Planned get to to good position.
Bark shoots a white star in front of Copinsay lighthouse . Identification code , instead Auskerry Lighthouse a spotlight appears.
8.30 pm About 5 miles NE ftom Copinsay ------------The barque shortens its sails and turns the boat abeam right on me.
Strong red colour under thick clouds in the West.
9 pm Attack above water tube 1 without dividing apparatus. approximately 600m, hit in the stern, the ship sinks stern first in just under a minute. approx. 2800 t fully loaded.
Nationality and name unknown.
9 21 pm Two destroyers approaching from starboard. leave underwater course 90 deg.
The Wreck
UKHO wreck card 469
A wreck was located by Netsurvey in position 59°00,408'N 02°10,156'W. This wreck was near a PA (position Approximate) for the bow of the S.S. Loch Maddy sunk in 1940.
When first located it was assumed from the MBES to be the obvious bow section of a vessel but further research by SULA Diving of WW2 KTBs proved the bow of Loch Maddy sank 24 miles SW of this position (UKHO wreck Card 1311)
Further research showed this wreck was most likely SV Urania and the MBES supported the theory showing a substantial wreck with no obvious boilers or engine.
The wreck was dived twice in 2010, once by divers from MV Karin and again with two divers from the MV Invincible.
From the Wreck Card 469
17.8.10 WK DIVED BY DIVERS FROM MV KARIN. FOUND TO BE A SAILING VESSEL WITH CLIPPER TYPE BOW, PROBABLY URANIA. 2 MASTS OFF PORT SIDE, WITH MASTS FOOTING LOCATED ON WK. (K HEATH, TELECON 17.8.10) IDENTITY AMENDED. NCA.
A wreck was located by Netsurvey in position 59°00,408'N 02°10,156'W. This wreck was near a PA (position Approximate) for the bow of the S.S. Loch Maddy sunk in 1940.
When first located it was assumed from the MBES to be the obvious bow section of a vessel but further research by SULA Diving of WW2 KTBs proved the bow of Loch Maddy sank 24 miles SW of this position (UKHO wreck Card 1311)
Further research showed this wreck was most likely SV Urania and the MBES supported the theory showing a substantial wreck with no obvious boilers or engine.
The wreck was dived twice in 2010, once by divers from MV Karin and again with two divers from the MV Invincible.
From the Wreck Card 469
17.8.10 WK DIVED BY DIVERS FROM MV KARIN. FOUND TO BE A SAILING VESSEL WITH CLIPPER TYPE BOW, PROBABLY URANIA. 2 MASTS OFF PORT SIDE, WITH MASTS FOOTING LOCATED ON WK. (K HEATH, TELECON 17.8.10) IDENTITY AMENDED. NCA.
MBES SV Urania (netsurvey/UKHO)
Crew Lost
Efforts are underway to find the identity of those lost on SV Urania.
Nils Jensen, Master
Nils Jensen, Master
