More information : This vessel sank at 6.13pm after striking a mine laid by the German Navy light cruiser KOLBERG, which, as part of a battle cruiser squadron, not only shelled the town of Scarborough for 20 minutes, killing 16 civilians and wounding many more, but also laid 100 mines close inshore between Filey and Scarborough, which claimed many ships. The ELTERWATER sank very quickly, going down in three minutes, giving no time for the crew to launch
their boats. Twelve of the 18 crew were picked up by the steamship CITY OF NEWCASTLE, but of the remaining six, only the 2nd mate was picked up but found to be dead. The vessel carried 1,750 tons of cargo. (1)(2)
'...on December 16 1914, the steamer ELTERWATER, owned by the Elterwater Steam Ship Company of Milburn House, Newcastle, struck a mine believed to have been laid by the German cruiser KOLBERG.
'The ELTERWATER, built by the Blyth Shipbuilding Company, had left the Tyne bound for London with coal earlier that day. Shortly after 6pm, when the ship was three miles off Scarborough, she hit the mine and the resulting explosion blew out the port side of the ship near the engine room. The vessel heeled over and sank by the stern in just a few minutes.
'Without time to launch a lifeboat, the surviving crewmen jumped overboard with lifebelts or clung to planks and other objects. They tried to get as far away from the sinking ship as possible to avoid being dragged under by suction.
'Fortunately, another ship, the CITY, which had left the Tyne with coal only an hour or two after the ELTERWATER, heard the explosion and saw the ship's lights disappear in the darkness.
'The CITY's master ordered a boat to be launched but the blackness of the night and the amount of wreckage floating in the sea hampered the search for survivors. Luckily, they eventually reached the ELTERWATER's men who had managed to stay close together. When they were picked up they had been in the water about an hour. The second mate, John Tapping, 35, was lifted into the boat unconscious with a head injury. He died shortly afterwards.
'The CITY returned to the Tyne the following day with the 12 survivors of the ELTERWATER. The ship's master, Captain Daniel Gillan, of North Shields, was among them. He had been washed off the bridge as his vessel went down, but was picked up. Five men were missing. They were Thomas Digman, the 2nd engineer, of South Shields, Thomas Hoop, the mess room steward, also from South Shields, and three Arab firemen.' (3)
Sunk by mine 3 miles east of Scarborough, while en route from the Tyne for London - a dash is given instead of a cargo. (4)
Sunk by mine 3 miles east of Scarborough. (5)
While proceeding on her course, the ship struck a mine and sank within three minutes. 12 of the crew were picked up by boats from SS CITY and brought to the Tyne. The 2nd mate was picked up but was found to be dead. (6)
No position known for this wreck. (7)
ELLESWATER left the Tyne with coal for London. At 6.10pm she struck the KOLBERG's mines, three miles offshore, and sank within three minutes, giving her crew no time to leave their boats. Captain David Gilland and 17 crew swam around the wreckage, 12 of them were eventually picked up by boats from the steamer CITY OF NEWCASTLE, which had been right abreast the ELLESWATER when she struck the mine, but 6 men had already died. The second mate John Leakin later died from his injuries. (8)
Copper alloy electric junction box and sextant recovered from either the DEPTFORD or the ELTERWATER, and now in Scarborough Sub-Aqua Club. (9)
'It was not long before this minefield [laid December 16, 1914, by the KOLBERG] took the usual toll of shipping. The first loss was that of the Norwegian SS VAAREN...Twelve hours later the British steamship ELTERWATER suffered the same fate 3 miles east of Scarborough...' (10)
Built 1907 as ELTERWATER for her sole recorded owner. 16-DEC-1915: Mined 3 miles east of Scarborough. (11)
Position read off as 54 17.16N 000 18.62W, seen to be close east of the DEPTFORD [see source (9)]. Position unreliable; 18-NOV-1997: not located, disproved, amended to dead. (13)
Built: 1907 (1)(2)(11)
Builder: Blyth Shipbuilding Co. (1)(2)(3)(6)(11)
Boilers: 1 (1)(2)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine (1)(2)
Machinery: by NE Marine Engineering Co.; (1)(2) cylinder sizes
51-36ins, 31ins, 19ins
Official Number: 125431 (12)
Master: Daniel Gillan, South Shields (3); David Gilland (8)
Crew: 18 (1)(2)(3)(6)
Crew Lost: 6 (1)(2)(3)(6)
Owner: The Sharp Steamship Co. Ltd. (1)(2)(6); Elterwater SS Co. Ltd. (Sharp), Newcastle-upon-Tyne (11)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |