An Cosantóir

Skylight and lifeboat cradle on the SS Gairsoppa 28 | Tales of BY: JAMES SCANNELL PHOTOS: PUBLISHED WITH KIND PERMISSION OF ODYSSEY MARINE EXPLORATION INC. In September 2011 Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc, based in Tampa, Florida, announced that it had confirmed the identity and location of the SS Gairsoppa, some 4,700m beneath the surface of the North Atlantic approximately 300 miles off the coast of Ireland. The 412ft, 5,237 ton, single-screw, steel- hulled vessel was sunk on February 16th 1941 by the German submarine U-101 while en route from India to Britain. Her cargo included silver bullion valued at £600,000 at 1941 prices (£150million in 2012). Odyssey uses innovative methods and state-of-the-art Republic in 1,700ft of water and successfully recovered over 50,000 coins and 14,000 artefacts. In May 2007 they recovered 500,000 gold and silver coins from a colonial-era site code- named 'Black Swan', followed two years later by the discovery of Admiral Balchin's HMS Victory. In 2010 Odyssey won the salvage contract for the Gairsoppa. deep-sea technology and is a world leader in deep-sea shipwreck exploration. It also allows the general public to share in the excitement of deep-sea exploration by making treasures and artefacts available for viewing through its website, exhibits, books, television, merchandise, educa- tional programmes and its virtual museum (www.odysse- sysvirtualmuseum.com). Odyssey's shipwreck operations are the subject of the Discovery Channel television series 'Treasure Quest', which began in 2009. In 2003 Odyssey discovered the American Civil War-era SS Tyne, built the vessel as the SS War Roebuck for the British Ministry of War in 1919 but a month after her launch in August she was renamed SS Gairsoppa and joined the British India Steam Navigation Company's fleet, working the waters of the Far East, Australia and East Africa. In 1940 the Gairsoppa was enlisted in the service of the Brit- SURVIVAL AND SUNKEN TREASURE OFF THE IRISH COAST ish Ministry of War Transport and in December of that year, under the command of Capt GH Hyland, commenced her final voyage, from Calcutta to the UK, with a cargo of pig iron, tea, general cargo, and about 240 tons of silver bullion bars. At Freetown, Sierra Leone, the Gairsoppa joined convoy SL-64. As the convoy reached the northern latitudes the Gairsoppa, laden down with its heavy cargo, was forced to reduce speed due to high winds and heavy ocean swells. On February 14th, with supplies of coal running low and unable to keep up with the convoy, the Gairsoppa was forced to leave the convoy and sail independently, with Capt Hyland plotting an independent course for Galway. Around 8am on February 16th the Gairsoppa was circled by a German Focke-Wulf FW200 Condor aircraft and at around 1030pm that evening she was spotted by U-101 commanded by Kaptänleutnant Ernst Mengersen, who mounted an attack from the starboard side. One torpedo struck the No 2 hold and the resulting explosion brought down the foremast and with it the ship's radio aerials, which prevented distress signals being sent out. With the ship sinking by the bow, the order to aban- don ship was given. Great difficulty was experienced launch- ing the lifeboats due to the combination of the ship still being under power and a heavy swell. One lifeboat, commanded by Second Officer RH Ayres, Under the contract the company will retain 80% of the value of the silver bullion salvaged. Palmer's Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Newcastle-Upon- drifted astern and narrowly missed the ship's rotating propeller blades when the stern rose in the air as the vessel started to go down by the bow. According to Ayres the ship was on fire for'ard and aft and he heard the sound of machine-gun fire from the submarine, which had apparently surfaced but did not detect them. Ayres threw out a sea anchor and waited until daylight. All that remained of Captain Hyland and his crew of 82 (European officers and Indian ratings) and two gunners were eight Europeans and 23 Indians, two of whom had been taken off the only other lifeboat sighted. Ayres hoisted a reef sail and headed eastwards. While a An Cosantóir May 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie

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