SS Bengrove was a collier registered in Liverpool, England. Thousands of people on shore saw her explode and sink in the Bristol Channel on Sunday 7 March 1915.[2]
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Bengrove |
| Owner | Joseph Hoult & Co |
| Port of registry | Liverpool |
| Builder | Craig, Taylor & Co, Stockton |
| Yard number | 139 |
| Launched | 24 February 1910 |
| Completed | April 1910 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | sunk by torpedo, 7 March 1915 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 3,840 GRT, 2,389 NRT |
| Length | 345.0 ft (105.2 m) |
| Beam | 51.2 ft (15.6 m) |
| Depth | 25.4 ft (7.7 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Installed power | 342 NHP |
| Propulsion |
|
The ship left Barry at about 4:00 am under sealed orders, carrying a cargo of 5,000 tons of coal. Later that day,[3] in the Bristol Channel, about five miles off the coast of Ilfracombe, an explosion occurred under the ship amidships. The ship sounded her siren and the crew entered the lifeboats. The siren was heard on shore and the Ilfracombe coast guard sent lifeboats to the area. There were 21 other steamers in the area at the time of the explosion and six of them offered assistance to the foundering ship. All 33 crew were saved and taken to Ilfracombe pier. Early reports were unsure what had caused the explosion. There was speculation that the ship had struck a mine or torpedo.[2] The cause was later determined to have been a torpedo fired by German U-boat U-20.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ "SS Bengrove ? [+ 1915]". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Thousands on shore see ship blown up". The New York Times. 9 March 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 19 October 2007 – via Times Machine.
- ^ "British merchant ships lost to enemy action Part 1 of 3 – Years 1914, 1915, 1916 in date order". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
- ^ "Ilfracombe Shipwrecks". Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
- ^ "British World War I merchant ship losses – B". Retrieved 25 October 2007.[dead link]
Bibliography
edit- Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. I.–Steamers. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1914. BEN.
- Mercantile Navy List. London. 1914. p. 58 – via Crew List Index Project.
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