Wreck of the SS Norhilda - 21st August 1917
The NORHILDA was proceeding north to the Tyne making 7 knots following the line of War Channel Buoys, the wake of a torpedo was seen just before it struck at 4.15 p.m. The explosion blew a large hole on the starboard side, abaft the engine room and No 3 hold, well below the water. The NORHILDA began to sink immediately by the stern, the crew taking to the port lifeboat, but this unfortunately capsized before it got clear of the ship, and went down with her at 4.20 p.m.
All the crew, except the 2nd engineer who was missing, believed killed in the explosion, jumped into the sea and floated around for around 30 minutes before being picked up by the s.s. MERGERISON II, then transferred to the armed drifter BOY PADS and landed at Scarborough. The ship’s confidential papers were lost with the vessel.
The NORHILDA was torpedoed by UC-17. She was steaming from Harwich to the Tyne with cargo in ballast. Norhilda, 1,175grt, 21 August 1917, 5 miles SE from Scarborough, torpedoed without warning and sunk by submarine, 1 life lost.
The Scarborough Sub-Aqua Club have dived the wreck many times.
See : http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?10941
See: http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/N-Ships/norhilda1910.html
See: http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/4439.html
