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wreck rap Text by Rosemary E. Lunn Photos by Rick Ayrton Dateline: Saturday, 26 May 2018 Destination: SS Kyarra Chart co-ordinates: 50°34,90N; 01°56.59W “Crikey,” I thought, “one hundred years ago today that German U-boat was awfully close to the English coast.” I suddenly felt a bit vulnerable. World War I happened right here—just off the peaceful Dorset shore, not in some far-off French trench. A century ago today, I could well be on a sinking ship. Or dead. In reality, I was sitting, fully kitted up, on Spike—a British dive char- ter boat—waiting for Pete, the Skipper, to yell, “It's time to dive!” Kyarra Wreck Turns 100 Years Old The journey out from Swanage Pier and across the bay had taken 20 minutes, and now we were bobbing up and down over “Her name was taken Thirty metres (98ft) beneath me Denny and Brothers, to a high the wreck site, waiting for slack lay the once elegant Kyarra—a standard (her deck was made water. I stared across the sea to from the aboriginal word twin-masted, schooner-rigged of teak). The Kyarra's passenger land and Anvil Point, a mere mile for a small fillet steel steamer. She had been built accommodation was luxurious; away, thinking about the ship I at the start of the last century in she had 42 First Class Cabins, and was about to dive. of possum fur.” Dunbarton, Scotland, by William her interior and exterior fittings WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PUBLIC DOMAIN 6 X-RAY MAG : 87 : 2018 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO wreck rap START HERE Scenes from the wreck (above) of the Kyarra (left); Dorset coast (right) retrieve them and made 1914. Eleven years after she had been the news.” launched, the Kyarra was requisitioned and leased in Brisbane by the British “The Kyarra became Government to be a WWI hospital ship. She became HMAT A55, or “His Majesty's known as the ship Australian Transports.” HMAT ships were made of brass” used to transport various Australian Infantry Divisions to their respective over- History seas destinations. When they were not The Kyarra was launched transporting military, HMAT ships would on 2 February 1903, and carry goods to Britain and France. she proved to be a prof- The Kyarra was painted white, and red itable, successful, luxury crosses were added to her hull to indi- liner for the Australian cate that she was a hospital ship. Her United Steam Navigation job was to transport Australian medical Company. The 127m units to Egypt, and we know she carried (416ft) long ship also had a major contingent of Queensland nurses WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PUBLIC DOMAIN the capacity to trans- on one voyage. were made from solid brass. She had brass port 7,164 cubic metres (253,000 cubic Five months later, in March 1915, the portholes, door handles, navigation lights feet) of general cargo in her fore deck Kyarra was converted yet again. This gun mounted on her stern as a defence the ship for a return to Britain. and name plates. Even the bench end- and aft deck holds. She sailed between time, she served as a troopship and against U-boats. In May 1918, the Kyarra was in London. supports on her deck were made of brass. Fremantle, Western Australia (where she helped land ANZAC expeditionary troops On 4 January 1918, the 6,953-ton She was fully loaded with general cargo Diver Peter Hayton said: “One of my was registered), and Sydney, New South in the Dardanelles. She also saw service Kyarra was decommissioned —the worth GB£1,500 (about GB£100,000 in dive buddies found the most coveted of Wales, carrying both fare-paying passen- in the Gallipoli campaign. Commonwealth control lease had ended. today's money), which was bound for prizes: the Kyarra name from the bow, in gers and cargo. In 1917, the Kyarra became a casualty- Captain Albert Donovan took command Australia. Items included bottles of cham- very large brass letters. It took weeks to Her life changed on 6 November clearing ship, and had a 4.7in quick-firing of her on 19 January 1918, and readied pagne, red wine, stout and vinegar, bales 7 X-RAY MAG : 87 : 2018 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO wreck UB-57 CAPTAIN LOHS rap The captain of UB-57, Oberleutnant Johannes Lohs, died at sea, aged 29. Lohs sailed from Zeebrugge on 3 August 1918. The last contact he made with base was on the evening of the 14 August 1918. At the time UB-57 was homeward bound. She was believed to be in the area of the Sandiette Bank, east of the Straits of Dover. It is thought UB-57 hit a mine. Lohs' body subsequently washed W31 MARINER High Pressure Compressor ashore, and today he is buried in the Charging Rate: 105 or 140 lt/min Ysselsteyn Cemetery, Netherlands. Working Pressure: 225/310 bar Dimensions (CM): W44 L81 H52 Weight: 65 kg W32 CANOPY Between 25 March 1917 and 13 High Pressure Compressor August 1918, Oberleutnant Johannes Charging Rate: 180, 250 or 300 lt/min Working Pressure: 225/310 bar Lohs damaged 16 ships (89,369 tons) Dimensions (CM): W70 L100 H130 Alkin and Aykom Weight: Compressor Distributors and sunk 77 ships (150,665 tons) dur- 280, 290 or 300 kg ing 13 patrols. C & R Testing Ltd Unit 1, Owenshaw Mills, Old Cawsey, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax HX6 2AF 07.20, another 07.40, a third 08.00 and Telephone: +44 (0) 1422 410 466 | Email: [email protected] yet another 08.50. It would be reasona- Website: www.candrtesting.co.uk bly fair to say she was torpedoed some- Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9.00 am - 17:00 pm where between 07.00 and 09.00. Saturday and Sunday - Closed There are conflicting reports over the fatalities. One states there were nine fatalities. Another states that six men inSCUBA_April17_07_CR_Testing.indd 1 th 28/02/2017 16:59 8 edition the boiler room were killed when it was VII EDYCJA flooded. A third states that five crew INTERNATIONAL SHIPWRECK FESTIVAL of silk and cloth, French perfume, rolls of Johannes Lohs, through the periscope lino, sticks of red sealing wax, medical of UB-57. supplies, cigarettes, silver purses, men's February 9, 2019 big pocket watches and ladies gold UB-57 wrist-watches. She was also carrying 35 UB-57 was part of the Flanders Flotilla, University of Warsaw, Poland civilian passengers. sailing from Zeebrugge. Her captain www.festiwalwrakowy.com Her captain, William Smith, had orders had some very good ideas on U-boat which stated that the Kyarra should sail warfare and new tactics, and in April to Plymouth and embark about 1,000 1918 Lohs received the Pour le Mérite. war-wounded Australian soldiers and Lohs was having a successful patrol. repatriate them. On 22 May, he had sunk the 423-ton On 24 May 1918, she left Tilbury in steamer Red Rose, and on 23 May, he Essex and zigzagged down the Channel had sunk the P&0 Liner Moldavia (she heading for Devonport, Devon. It was to had been converted into an armed be her last voyage. merchant cruiser of some 9,500 tons). On the morning of Sunday, 26 May, Now the Oberleutnant was stalking the the Kyarra had cleared the Isle of Wight Kyarra. and was moving fast through calm seas We do know that Lohs torpedoed the around Anvil Point (she could do about Kyarra amidships, on her port side just VIII 15 knots). Sadly, her captain did not forward of the boilers. There is, however, WARSZAWA know his course was being tracked by differing data regarding the time that 2019 German submarine ace Oberleutnant she was torpedoed. One reference says View of the deck (above) and interior (top) of the Kyarra wreck 8 X-RAY MAG : 87 : 2018 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO THIS PAGE: Divers wreck on the wreck of rap the Kyarra Kyarra that the Kyarra's position was KYARRA LOSSES 50°34,30N; 01°56.20W. The Kyarra's mast was showing but not consid- Six crewmen died when the ered dangerous to navigation. Kyarra was torpedoed. They are: The Kyarra was to lie undiscov- ered for 48 or 49 years. Again 1. BROWN (33), Fireman, HMHS there are conflicting reports that Kyarra, Mercantile Marine, she was found in 1966 and July †26/05/1918. Born in London. 1967. At the time of her discovery, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial. it was thought she had sunk closer to St Aldhelms Point. Her posi- 2. MACKENZIE, DUNCAN tion was therefore marked on the (52), Fireman, HMHS Kyarra, chart as a shoal—“a place where Mercantile Marine, †26/05/1918, a sea, river, or other body of water son of the late Murdo and is shallow”. Catherine Mackenzie. Born at Udrigle. Memorial: Tower Hill First dives on the wreck Memorial. She was first dived by two mem- bers of Kingston BSAC—husband 3. MCPHUN, LAURENCE ALBERT and wife team, Ron and Linden (16), Steward's Boy, HMHS Kyarra, Blake. Five members of Kingston Mercantile Marine, †26/05/1918, (Ron Blake, Linden Blake, Adrian son of Mrs. Louisa McPhun, of 12, Bradley, Bill Foley and Dave Tynemouth St., Hull. Born at Hull. were killed in the engine room Kyarra had struck a mine, and passengers, including a pilot, Wakeman) and two members of Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.