The Project.
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SMS Meteor
The German minelayer Meteor, was the ex British steamship 'Vienna' that had been seized at the start of WW1. Meteor was then disguised as a Russian merchant ship, and was armed with hidden guns, torpedo tubes, and converted to carry mines.
Meteor was on her second patrol and was instructed to lay mines in the Moray Firth. These were laid on the 7th August 1915 (see chart).
Meteor was on her second patrol and was instructed to lay mines in the Moray Firth. These were laid on the 7th August 1915 (see chart).
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SMS Meteor SMS Meteor route and Royal Navy patrol lines
The following day SMS Meteor was stopped by the Armed Boarding Vessel HMS Ramsey. SMS Meteor got into a good position and as the the boarding party were leaving HMS Ramsey the Meteor opened fire sinking her.
Most websites and Wikipedia only credit SMS Meteor with the Danish sailing vessel ''Jason'' and HMS Ramsey on this patrol but her mines also accounted for losses of HMS Lynx, HMT Jasper, SS Jacona, SS Princess Caroline, SS Wilston, and the steam trawler S.T. Commander Boyle. The minesweeping sloops HMS Lilac and HMS Dahlia were also damaged by mines laid by SMS Meteor.
As well as the ships lost or damaged, a total of 206 seamen, both Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, lost their lives due to the minefield.
Position and number of mines
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Location of the wrecks on the minefields
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Project METEOR Expedition August 2024 (Phase 1)
The dive team and MV Clasina crew. Photo: Charlie Comrie.
At the end of August 2024 a team of divers embarked MV CLASINA in Fraserburgh, to dive and attempt to identify the ships lost as a result of the SMS METEOR minefield.
Expedition Leader - Richard Harpin.
Researchers - Kevin Heath, Wendy Sadler, Jen Smith, Rachael Kendall.
Dive Team - Richard Harpin, Alex Harpin, Iain Smith, James Porter, Joe Robinson, John Kendall, Rachael Kendall, Udi Freeze, Boris Maltsev, Steve Mortimer, Jen Smith.
Photogrammetry - John Kendall.
Crew - Bob Anderson, Tash Yates, Tom Morton , Godfrey Priest.
Videographer and Reporter - Charlie Comrie.
Over the course of 6-days, the team dived 4 sites, and positively identified 2 wrecks; HMT JASPER and SS JACONA. A third wreck was highly-likely identified as the SS WILSTON, with the fourth site re-confirmed as HMS LYNX. Details for each site can be found at the links below:
HMT JASPER
SS JACONA
SS WILSTON
HMS LYNX
Expedition Leader - Richard Harpin.
Researchers - Kevin Heath, Wendy Sadler, Jen Smith, Rachael Kendall.
Dive Team - Richard Harpin, Alex Harpin, Iain Smith, James Porter, Joe Robinson, John Kendall, Rachael Kendall, Udi Freeze, Boris Maltsev, Steve Mortimer, Jen Smith.
Photogrammetry - John Kendall.
Crew - Bob Anderson, Tash Yates, Tom Morton , Godfrey Priest.
Videographer and Reporter - Charlie Comrie.
Over the course of 6-days, the team dived 4 sites, and positively identified 2 wrecks; HMT JASPER and SS JACONA. A third wreck was highly-likely identified as the SS WILSTON, with the fourth site re-confirmed as HMS LYNX. Details for each site can be found at the links below:
HMT JASPER
SS JACONA
SS WILSTON
HMS LYNX
Project METEOR Expedition (Phase 2) ???
