| Summary : 1914 wreck of Icelandic trawler which foundered approximately 30 miles off Tynemouth after being mined en route from Grimsby for Iceland. Constructed in 1911, she was a steam-driven vessel. She was one of six vessels which all fell victim to the same minefield within the space of 24 hours: for the other vessels involved, see GOTTFRIED, 1473042; GAEA, 1002309; CRATHIE, 1002310; THOMAS W IRVIN, 1366041; and BARLEY RIG, 1366064. |
More information : 28-AUG-1914: Danish drifter which foundered off Tynemouth. (1)(3)
28-AUG-1914: Danish trawler of 272 tons mined in the North Sea off the Tyne, en route Grimsby for Iceland. (2)
Steam trawler, mined August 1914; 303 tons gross. Dimensions 136.8 x 23 x 13 feet. Fishing number stated as RE (Reykjavik). (4)
Not in the Dansk Souelykkstatistik for 1914. (5)
The discrepancies in contemporary English-language sources whereby source (2) states the vessel as Danish, and (7) as Icelandic, can be explained by Iceland's history at the time, some English sources being up-to-date, others less so. Although having attained home rule from Denmark in 1904, full self-government was not obtained until 1918, Denmark retaining powers in foreign affairs. Iceland became a republic in 1944. (6)
'On the morning of Thursday, August 27, 1914, we were lying in the Tyne in touch, as usual, with our outlying patrols, when, at about 4.30am, we received a signal from one of our torpedo-boats. This is what I wrote in my diary the same day:
"She told us that an Icelandic trawler, the SKULI FORGETI [sic], had been blown up by a mine at 10pm last night. It happened about 30 miles to the eastward of the Tyne, right in the track of shipping, and in the midst of a favourite fishing ground. The men had been picked up by a South Shields drifter, which communicated with the torpedo-boat on her way in.
"I made all the necessary arrangements with the doctor for sending the wounded to hospital, and one...Dane or Icelandman came on board to give information. We had to send for an interpreter...
"So far as I can gather, the following are the casualties: SKULI FORGETI, Icelandic trawler, 4 killed..."
'That particular minefield, containing 194 mines, had been laid by the German minelayer ALBATROS escorted by the cruiser STUTTGART soon after dark on August 26.' (7) [Captain Taprell Dorling's diary suggests that the SKULI FOGETI was the first known victim of this minefield, at about 10pm on August 26.]
SKULI FORGETI, belonging to Reykjavik, sunk by a mine laid by a submarine off "northern Scotland" with the loss of 4 lives, 13 men saved. (8)
Illustration of the explosion on board SKULI FOGETI, supplied from sketches by the mate. Caption: "The Icelandic steam trawler SKULI FOGETI was one of many victims blown up in a minefield about 25 miles off the Tyne. Four men were killed, and the survivors, 13 in number, took to their boat and were finally landed by an English trawler." (9)
Four men lost, three injured, and thirteen rescued, in a North Sea mine explosion 35 miles east of the Tyne. The master was Kristjan Kristjansson who had recently taken over from Halldor Thorsteinsson.
It was revealed that the vessel was a complete loss since she was not insured against war risks, and when the news of the loss was heard in Iceland, the "Njordur" was about to set off for the same fishing grounds, but altered course to Fleetwood on the west coast for safety. (10)
'Yesterday . . . A Danish trawler was also lost.' (11)
'The casualties among vessels in the North Sea and Baltic through mines since the outbreak of war have been principally suffered by neutral vessels. The following list records the names of eight [sic: in fact nine] neutral vessels which have been so wrecked:
' . . . AUG. 27: SKEALLI SOGETI, Danish . . . ' (12)
'MINES SINK TWO STEAMERS.
'More Neutral Vessels Blown Up in North Sea - 12 Lives Lost.
'LONDON, Aug. 27. Floating mines in the North Sea caused havoc to shipping last night and this morning. The big Danish steam trawler SKULI FOGETI was lost with four lives . . . Thirteen survivors of the SKULI FOGETI were landed at shields by a fishing steamer which picked them up. The mate said it was beautiful weather, and nothing happened until 10 o'clock last night, when there was a sharp concussion as the vessel's bow struck the mine. Flames instantly rose above the bow, and the vessel began to sink. Two more explosions soon followed. The crew made for the lifeboat.
'Six men were asleep in the forecastle. The mate and others went to rescue them and found four killed by the explosions. The survivors were half an hour in the small boat before being picked up.
' . . . The SKULI FOGETI was a ship of 272 gross tons.' (13)
'LONDON, Aug. 30. The British official bureau repeats its statement that England has not laid any mines in the North Sea, and adds:
"England, therefore, cannot be charged with any injured vessels up to the present caused by mine laying.
"The Government has learned that on or about Aug. 26 an Iceland trawler is reported to have struck a mine twenty-five miles off the mouth of the Tyne and sank. At least one foreign newspaper has stated that the mine was English." (14)
Built: 1911 (4)(10)
Builder: Cochrane & Sons Ltd. (4)
Where Built: Selby (4)(10)
Master: Kristjan Kristjansson (10)
Crew: 17 (8)(10)(13)
Crew Lost: 4 (6)(10)(13)
Owner: Alliance company, Reykjavik (10)
Insurer: Det Kobenhavnske Soassurance Selskab (10)
Insurance value: 155,000 kronur (10), not insured for war risks (10)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |