Wrecks of the Tyne

HMS Dolphin (ex-Pandora) 

Nationality:  British
Purpose: Transport
Type of wreck: Cargo
Propulsion: Steamer
Date built: 1902
Status: Live

Details
Weight (tons): 3099 grt
Dimensions: 50 x 24 x -- m
Engine: 1 x 3 Cyl. triple expansion engine

An animation of a simplified triple-expansion engine.
High-pressure steam (red) enters from the boiler and passes through the engine, exhausting as low-pressure steam (blue) to the condenser.
Power: 2200 h.p.
Speed: 11
Yard no.: 490
IMO no.: 115319

About the loss
Cause sunk: Mine
Date sunk: 23/11/1939


SS Mars 

Nationality:  British
Purpose: Transport
Type of wreck: Cargo
Propulsion: Steamer
Date built: 1898 
Status: Unknown

Details
Weight (tons): 3856 grt
Dimensions: 103,6 x 14,4 x 6,1 m
Engine: Triple expansion engine

An animation of a simplified triple-expansion engine.
High-pressure steam (red) enters from the boiler and passes through the engine, exhausting as low-pressure steam (blue) to the condenser.
Power: 302 n.h.p.
Speed: 11
Yard no.: 237
IMO no.: 1106649

About the loss
Cause sunk: Ran aground (wrecked)
Date sunk: 17/03/1905

History
The British SS Mars, on a voyage from Barry to Vladivostock with coal, was wrecked off Rurui, La Perouse Strait.


MV Muristan

Nationality: British
Purpose: Transport
Type of wreck: Cargo
Propulsion: Motor vessel

Details
Weight (tons): 4756
Dimensions: 114,91 x 15,85 x -- m

About the loss
Cause sunk: Torpedo
Date sunk: 09/05/1943

History
1922 Turkistan SS Co, Swansea; 1926 TAKAO MARU, Kawasaki Kisen KK, Kobe; 9.5.43 torpedoed and sunk by USS WAHOO 38.57N 141.49E.


MV OsloFjord

Nationality: Norwegian
Purpose: Transport
Type of wreck: Passenger ship
Propulsion: Motor vessel
Date built: 1938
Status: live

Details
Weight (tons): 18673 grt
Dimensions: 180 x 22 x 10,4 m
Engine: 2 diesel engines
Power:
Speed: 19.5
Yard no.: 932

About the loss
Cause sunk: Mine
Date sunk: 01/12/1940
No. casualities: † 1 500

History
18.673 ton five-deck trans-Atlantic passenger liner, able to carry 860 passengers and 310 crew, built 1938. Oil engines. 590ftx73ft. In ballast after refit as troopship, Liverpool to Newcastle. Sunk: 1 December, 1940, when back broken by German acoustic mine, beached close to Tynemouth.


Eugenia Chandris

Nationality: Greek
Purpose: Transport
Type of wreck: Cargo
Propulsion: Steamer
Date built: 1920 
Status: Live

Details
Weight (tons): 5317 grt
Dimensions: 130,5 x 16,3 x 8,1 m
Material: Steel
Engine: Triple expansion engine

An animation of a simplified triple-expansion engine.
High-pressure steam (red) enters from the boiler and passes through the engine, exhausting as low-pressure steam (blue) to the condenser.
Power: 522 n.h.p.
Speed: 12
Yard no.: 17
IMO no.: 5604796

About the loss
Cause sunk: Collision
Date sunk: 15/03/1943

History
Known by local divers as the Chandris, she was steel,5,300tons, Greek-registered steamship, with dimensions of 129.56m length, 16.45m beam and 8.1m draught.

She was built as the Staddikk by Herima Dockyard Co. in 1920 and owned at the time of loss by J.D. Chandris.
Her single steel propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that developed 552hp using two boilers. Her machinery was built by the of Kobe Steel Works Ltd. and she also had two decks.

The Eugenia Chandris was on passage from St. john, New Brunswicks for the Tyne, when she foundered and wrecked on 15 March 1943, after mistaking the buoy marking the safe channel Tyne entrance and collided with the steamship Exmouth, then again with the stern end of the wrecked Oslofjord.

The Eugenia chandris's cargo when she sank was like a diver's dream come true, because as well as carrying a general cargo,which included foodstuff, sheet of steel of varying sizes, timber, 300drums of trichlorethylene, 4,874 drums of carbide, 437 cases ordnance stores,9,000 case of ammunition (thousands of empty, brass, pom-pom shell case, hundreds of large, empty brass,shell cases, million of live .303 rifle bullets), truck radiators and large lead batteries, she also carried thousands of 14kg aluminum ingots and tons of 15kg copper ingots.

It was rumored that the copper ingots were transferred from another vessel while at sea. Between 23 and 26 September 1970 her No.1 and No.2 holds were inspected by the S & NI Diving Team. They were found to be full of sand. It was impossible to ascertain if any ammunition remained and no further attempts were made to check her out.


SS Eston

Nationality: British
Purpose: Transport
Type: Cargo
Propulsion: Steamer
Date built: 1919
Status: Live

Details
Weight (tons): 1487 grt
Dimensions: 73 x 11 x 4,8 m
Material: Steel
Engine: Triple expansion 3-cylinder engine by Earle's of Hull, single screw

An animation of a simplified triple-expansion engine.
High-pressure steam (red) enters from the boiler and passes through the engine, exhausting as low-pressure steam (blue) to the condenser.
Power: 172 n.h.p.
Speed: 10 knots
Yard no.: 250

About the loss
Cause lost: Mine
Date lost: 28/01/1940
Casualties: † 18 rank 477


Janet Clarke Wreck (St Mary's Island)

Information
St. Marys Island. A small island to the north of Whitley bay with a light house and causeway running from the mainland where there is a pay and display car park. The area is a voluntary marine reserve. To dive kit up in the car park and walk across the causeway ( covered at high water, take care not to step off sides ). To dive the northeast side and the wreck of the Janet Clark keep to the right of the island and move around the rocks until just left of a large concrete pillar. The area has a group of small reefs and gullies with the wreck lying about 50m out, bow's on to the island in line with the two middle chimneys on the main light house building. The Janet Clark, a small steamer is well scattered but worth a look. To the northwest of the island are more reefs and gullies, these can be reached by turning left from the causeway and following the rocks around to deeper water. Max depth is approx 9m and is best dived after westerly winds


Hortense Lee (a.k.a Cider Wreck)

Information
Locally known as the Cider Wreck, or the "55" or even its main name the SS Hortense Lee.
The official identity is unknown but locall diver  identify it as the Renen. Its other name "Cider Wreck" refers to the large amount of cider bottles found in and around the wreck.
Other divers believe that this site is the wreck of the SS Hortense Lee, a small Norwegian steamship lost after a reported collision with another vessel on the 21/9/1919.