Hunt to be launched for World War II shipwrecks off Donegal coast
British salvage company plans underwater search for two passenger ships sunk in North Atlantic by German U-boats in 1940
The hunt is on for two British passenger ships sunk by Nazi submarines off the Donegal coast more than 80 years ago.
SalvOcean Ltd, a British-based deepwater marine salvage and recovery company, has applied to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority for a licence to search for and survey the wrecks of the City of Simla and the MV Accra.
The City of Simla, a 10,000-tonne steam-powered ship, was carrying 350 people when it was struck by a German U-boat some 72km (44 miles) off Malin Head on 20 September 1940. Three people lost their lives in the attack, with many of the survivors picked up and landed at Derry a couple of days later.
The City of Simla was one of three ships travelling in a convoy that were sunk by a German U-boat commanded by Wolfgang Lüth; the New Sevilla and Boka were also sunk.
The MV Accra was a similarly sized passenger liner that was torpedoed and sank by a German U-boat around 515 km (320 miles) west of Bloody Foreland on 27 July 1940. Four crew members and one passenger were lost in the attack, with a further 19 crew and passengers drowning when their lifeboat capsized in choppy seas. The remaining 464 passengers and crew were picked up and later landed at Liverpool.
SalvOcean has applied for permission to carry out non-intrusive surveys of both wreck sites, including sending an underwater robot equipped with cameras down to carry out visual surveys if and when they fine the wrecks.
It is seeking to survey up to 178 square kilometres (70 squares miles) off Malin Head in its search for the City of Simla, while the proposed survey area for the MV Accra is considerably larger at 678 square kilometres (260 square miles).
While there's no official indication of the cargo the stricken ships were carrying, SalvOceans says it may seek to recover the goods – acknowledging that would require a separate application and licence.
Britain shipped significant quantities of gold bullion and other precious metals to Canada and the United States during World War II, particularly during the early years of the war. Shipments were surrounded in secrecy, and there is no information to say that either of these particular ships were carrying bullion.
Famously, the SS Laurentic was carrying a secret cargo of more than 3,200 gold bars when it struck a German mine and sank in Lough Swilly during World War I. All but 22 of those bars were recovered by naval salvage teams at the time.
The Irish National Monuments Service has advised that the shipwrecks are located outside Irish territorial waters – which extends 12 nautical miles/22km from the coast.
The City of Simla lies within the boundary of the Republic of Ireland's 200 nautical miles (370km) Exclusive Economic Zone, while the MV Accra is outside the EEZ but is on the continental shelf.
SalvOcean says it will provide the National Monuments Service with pertinent survey data to allow it to update its records.
The City of Simla wreck site lies in spawning and nursery grounds for important hake, herring, mackerel, prawns, haddock and flatfish like plaice and sole. SalvOcean has carried out environmental assessments and says the survey operations will have no impact upon marine habitats.
SalvOcean has sought a three-year licence, allowing it time to plan and execute the surveys in favourable sea and weather conditions.
The application, details of which were published in the local press earlier this month, is under consideration by the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, and the public has until 5 September to make observations.