| Summary : Remains of 1943 wreck of Greek cargo vessel, located approximately 0.52 of a nautical mile south of Tyne South Pier light on the outer Herd Sand. The wreckage of the EVGENIA CHANDRIS, also transliterated as the EUGENIA CHANDRIS, and the OSLOFJORD is much dispersed and intermingled; the dispersal occurred by 1970. For convenience, the present site has been regarded as the primary record for the EVGENIA CHANDRIS. For the other sites, please see: 1587074 (UKHO 4555), charted as EUGENIA CHANDRIS (& OSLOFJORD); 1587076 (UKHO 57502), charted as EUGENIA CHANDRIS (& OSLOFJORD); and 908737 (UKHO 4236), charted as OSLOFJORD (& EUGENIA CHANDRIS), likewise the primary record for the OSLOFJORD. The EUGENIA CHANDRIS was en route from St. John for the Tyne and London with a cargo including ammunition, tinned fish, flour and ingots of various metals. It is said that her loss was due to a double collision, first with the steamer EXMOUTH, then with the wreck of the OSLOFJORD, after which she was beached on the outer Herd Sand. Constructed of steel, she was powered by steam and built in Harima in 1920 as the Japanese ROCKY MARU, then to the Netherlands later that year as STADSDIJK; to her final owner, registered in Panama, as EVGENIA CHANDRIS in 1932, becoming a Greek vessel under that name and ownership in 1934. |
More information : Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:
Charted in (1) as EUGENIA CHANDRIS, in position 55 00.266N 001 23.666W (OSGB). Charted in (7) and (8) as EUGENIA CHANDRIS (& OSLOFJORD), in position 55 00.146N 001 23.872W (WGS 84).
This position seen to be approximately 0.52 nautical miles SE of Tyne South Pier Light and very close to other wreckage associated with the EUGENIA CHANDRIS and OSLOFJORD, namely 0.07 nautical miles SW of 1587074 (UKHO 4555); 0.05nm SW of 1587076 (UKHO 57502) and 0.05nm WNW of 908737 (UKHO 4236). (8)
Horizontal Datum: OSGB (1)
Vertical Datum: LAT (1)
Quality of Depth: echosounder (1)
Orientation: WNW/ESE (1)
EUGENIA CHANDRIS sank, following collision with SS EXMOUTH, on top of wreck of OSLOFJORD, 1943. Part of cargo of copper and aluminium has been salvaged. See details of wreck OSLOFJORD. (1)
22-DEC-1970: Cargo included copper, aluminium, foodstuffs, timber, 53 cases ordnance stores, 9000 cases ammunition, 300 drums trichloroethylene, 4874 drums carbide. Nos 1 and 2 holds inspected by Naval diving team 23. Found to be filled with sand. Impossible to ascertain whether ammunition remains. None found around wreck on seabed. No further attempt to clear with explosives will be made. (1)(7)(8)
01-JUN-1989: Wreck site examined - see OSLOFJORD for details - 53 00 13.5N 001 23 42W. (1)(7)(8)
24-JUL-1990: Wreckage dispersed. Buoy withdrawn. (1)(7)(8)
11-DEC-1990: Buoy still on station in 55 00 15.5N 001 23 3W. (1)(7)(8)
20-JUL-1995: Wreck widely dispersed, reduced to 6.3m in 55 00. 116N 001 23.420W (OOSGB) and 5.7m in 55 00.101N 001 23.433W (OSGB). No longer a hazard to Tyne approaches. Request to remove buoy. (7)(8)
18-SEP-1998: Examined; least echosounder depths located - 4.3m in 55 00.147N 001 23.872W (WGS 84) [the present record]; 4.8m in 55 00.125N 001 23.797W (WGS 84); 7.4m in 55 00.202N 001 23.793W (WGS 84) (UKHO 4555;) [1587074] in general depth 7-10m. Scour depth 9-11m. DCS3 height 4.9m. Covers 193 x 192m. Unable to sweep as erratic, localised currents made it impossible. Two or more wrecks, well broken up and lying at approximately 90 degrees to each other. (7)(8)
Four brass bolts, a nut and a brass threaded sleeve reported from this wreck out of Tynemouth. (Droit A/422) (3)
A steam valve, weir pump, coffee cup, bullet casings, part of the ship's log, dinnerware, a tap and a number of shellcases were recovered from the EUGENIA CHANDRIS or OSLOFJORD. (Droit A/430) (3)
A partial plate bearing NAL shipping line crest, a broken pottery jar and 3 empty pom pom shells recovered from the EUGENIE CHANDRIS or OSLOFJORD. (Droit A/882) (3)
2 empty shell cases reported from this wreck. (Droit A/1007) (3)
3 shell cases recovered from this wreck. (Droit A/1172) (3)
2 brass shells, a brass cog and 3 used shell cases recovered from this wreck 0.5 mile south of South Shields pier. (Droit A/2177) (3)
2 shell cases recovered from this wreck, 0.5 mile S of the South Pier, River Tyne. (Droit A/2898) (3)
2 shell cases recovered from this wreck, off the Tyne. (Droit A/3345) (3)
An empty 25lb shell case and an empty 17lb shell case recovered from this wreck, position 55 00.17N 001 23.82W. (Droit A/3480) (3)
A lead bullet head, 3 brass shell casings, a brass pipe stop end?, a brass pipe support and a brass .303? recovered from this wreck or the OSLOFJORD, position 55 00.153N 001 23.920W. (Droit A/3578) (3)
A porthole (brass backing ring) recovered from this wreck, position 55 00.08N 001 23.43W. (Droit A/3732) (3)
A porthole recovered from this wreck. (Droit A/3956) (3)
' . . . The OSLOFJORD lies east-west and the EUGENIA CHANDRIS north-south . . . The bows of the EUGENIA CHANDRIS lie midway between the engine room and the stern. Her large boilers stand at least 10m clear of the seabed . . . Empty 42mm pom-pom shell cases marked 1943, have been found on the CHANDRIS although there is very little left of the vessel aft of the engines. All that can be found is the prop shaft on its supports . . . ' (5)
N 55 00 132 W 001 23 869
'It is rather difficult to see where one wreck ends and the other begins, as the two more or less overlap each other and both hulls are well buried into the sandy seabed. However, as you move north-east, it soon becomes apparent which are the remains of the CHANDRIS, because the seabed around the protruding hull plates and ribs is carpeted in thousands of rounds of live .303 rifle ammunition . . . As you move further along this part of the wreck, dozens of giant sheets of steel plate, which were probably part of her cargo, are stacked up on top and overlap each other . . . Moving further east, after about another 100m, you eventually arrive at the boilers and the engines and winches. On the western side, pom-pom shells can still be found in the silty concretion of wreckage on the seabed, just 3m away from the boilers. Past the boilers, there is a huge pile of twisted, steel frames, pipes, chains and machinery and more signs of aluminium ingots . . . Many ingots, copper and aluminium, are still being recovered today . . . ' (6)
A damaged Second World War shell casing, deactivated due to damage. The object is described in the Droit as being found "on the seabed near different wreck site which is next to EUGENIA CHANDRIS site of OSLOFJORD" [sic]. (Droit 107/11) (12)
Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:
The EUGENIA CHANDRIS struck the wreckage of the OSLOFJORD carrying a cargo of munitions as well as aluminium and copper ingots.(2)
'Ex-(ROCKY MARU); ex-(STADSDIJK '32). Vessel foundered and lost following collision with the wreck of the OSLOFJORD, which had broken her back after a mine exploded directly beneath her engine-room on 01.12.1940. The Greek ship (whose name according to Lloyd's Register is EVGENIA, but has been quoted in other references as EUGENIA) was carrying a general cargo which included ammunition, tinned fish, flour and ingots of various metals including aluminium. It has been suggested that this Greek steamship took on board a cargo of copper ingots from another vessel at sea, but this is most unlikely, as it is a suggestion that she was in a collision with the American SS EXMOUTH, which caused her loss. In fact she was lost after mistaking the buoys marking the entrance channel to the Tyne, and ran into the seaward end of the wreck of the OSLOFJORD.' (4)
' . . . There are conflicting reports on why she sank, on a voyage from Halifax, Nova Scotia, sailing on February 15th, 1943 with a general cargo which included munitions, flour, canned fish and non-ferrous alloys including aluminium. One report states that she answered a distress call from a mystery vessel, during her voyage and transferred a cargo of copper ingots, correctly called 'blisters', from the vessel in trouble. The Lloyd's Register of Shipping states that the reason for her sinking was that she was in collision with the American steamer EXMOUTH off the Tyne and was later beached on Outer Herd Sands. As she had broken forward she flooded all but No. 5 hold and began to sink in the sand - to become a total loss. The harbour master of the time, however, relates a completely different account. According to him, an eyewitness, the EUGENIA CHANDRIS took the wrong channel when entering the Tyne and although the OSLOFJORD was well marked by buoys, ran into the seaward end of the wreckage, barely below the surface . . . ' (5)
Built as Japanese ROCKY MARU, 6,786 tons, 130.5m x 16.3m, (9)registered in Kobe (10), becoming Dutch STADSDIJK later that year, owned by the Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Mij (10), then registered in Panama for John D Chandris in 1932 (10) as EVGENIA CHANDRIS, before registration in Piraeus in 1934. Lost in collision with EXPORT [sic] off Tyne 15 March 1943 en route from St. John, New Brunswick, for the Tyne with general cargo, and beached on the outer Herd Sand. (9)
On 15 March 1943 the EVGENIA CHANDRIS was sailing as part of the 26-ship southbound convoy FS.1063 (Methil-Southend) and the captain was vbringing his ship in to the Tyne when he mistook the buoys marking the safe channel cntrance and collided with the 760-ton Dutch steamer EXPORT. The Greek vessel was to be beached on Outer Herd Sand, but she struck the stern end of the wrecked OSLOGJORD and settled on the seabed off Outer Herd Sands. She was then written off as a total loss. (13)
Not in Lloyd's War Losses for the Second World War, as not lost to war causes. (10)
Built: 1920 (4)
Builder: Harima Dockyard Co. (4)
Where Built: Harima (4); Aioi (9)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine (4)
HP: 552 (4)
Boilers: 2 (4)
Machinery: Kobe Steel Works Ltd., Kobe (4)
Construction: 2 decks (4)
Official No.: 744 (Greek) (10)
Owner: JD Chandris (4); John D Chandris, Piraeus (10)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
LCR 1943 p9(f); LR 1941-2 No 23588(E)
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