| Summary : A 20th century bombing target, visible as the Second World War wreck of the vessel HMS Staghound, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946. Located on Langford Grounds in Woodspring Bay, HMS Staghound is about 57.5 metres long, lying WSW-ENE, with the bow to WSW and the stern to the ENE, the hull's shape still being recognisable in 1979 dated aerial photographs. The Staghound was destroyed by German aircraft bombs off Torquay on 27th March 1942. Built in 1894 as a civilian commercial cargo vessel, the Glasgow registered Staghound was a 468 ton, steel, steam-driven ship. Requisitioned as a distilling ship by the Admiralty from her owners, Monroe Brothers Ltd (since 1931), Staghound was used as a block ship at Torquay when sunk and was salved for use as one of two bombing targets by the military air gunnery range and weapons test site on St Thomas's Head (ST 36 NE 14). The wreck of SS Fernwood (ST 36 NE 11) lies about 140 metres WSW. In aerial photographs taken in 2000, the wreck's superstructure has been largely destroyed, with pieces of the vessel scattered around, although the buried hull appears still intact. |
More information : 14-NOV-1972: Appears as the smaller of two vessels, the other being the FERNWOOD, 51 24 24.0N, 002 54 12.0W. Lies in 7m. (1)
Indexed as HMS STAGHOUND. Blockship attacked by aircraft on 27-MAR-1942 at Torquay, without loss of life. She was raised and berthed alongside Haldon Pier. Vessel was then to be used for experimental purposes. (2)
Position of loss given as the Severn Estuary, English and Welsh Grounds, and date of loss as the year of 1942 only. [The date of the original incident of 27-MAR-1942 serves as a terminus post quem for the date of loss.]
Stranded, total wreck or loss. (3)
Listed as a distilling ship. Sunk by aircraft bombs at Torquay 27-MAR-1942, and subsequently salved. [She was on Admiralty service as she is included in the naval losses section for World War II.] (4)
Distilling ship STAGHOUND was sunk by enemy aircraft at Torquay on 27-MAR-1942. (5)
Distilling ships were oilers or tankers used to distil and carry fresh water as naval support ships, evidenced by the four US Navy examples from World War II. (6)
STAGHOUND appears to have been the only British example, or the only British example that was wrecked. Since source (2), Lloyd's War Losses, describes her as a blockship, and she is described as a distilling ship in other sources, it is possible that conversion to a distilling ship was the "experimental purpose" for which she was intended after the initial attack. (7)
Built: 1894 (3)(4)
Built: Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (3)
Where Built: Troon (3)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 2 cylinder compound engine (3)
HP: 69 (3)
Boilers: 1 (3)
Construction: 1 x deck; well-deck; 4 bulkheads; quarter-deck 93ft; bridge-deck 10ft; forecastle 27ft (3)
Machinery: aft, by Muir, Houston Ltd., Glasgow (3)
Owners: Kyle Shipping Co. (3)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate date of loss
Additional source cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
LR. 1941-1942, No 32568(S)
A 20th century bombing target, visible as the Second World War wreck of the vessel HMS Staghound, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946. Located on Langford Grounds in Woodspring Bay, HMS Staghound is centred at ST 3714 6795 and about 57.5 metres long, lying WSW-ENE, with the bow to WSW and the stern to the ENE, the hull's shape still being recognisable in 1979 dated aerial photographs. The Staghound was destroyed by German aircraft bombs off Torquay on 27th March 1942. Built in 1894 as a civilian commercial cargo vessel, the Glasgow registered Staghound was a 468 ton, steel, steam-driven ship. Requisitioned as a distilling ship by the Admiralty from her owners, Monroe Brothers Ltd (since 1931), Staghound was used as a block ship at Torquay when sunk and was salved for use as one of two bombing targets by the military air gunnery range and weapons test site on St Thomas's Head (ST 36 NE 14) . The wreck of SS Fernwood (ST 36 NE 11) lies about 140 metres WSW. In aerial photographs taken in 2000, the wreck's superstructure has been largely destroyed, with pieces of the vessel scattered around, although the buried hull appears still intact. (8-12)
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