Strombus
What secrets lie on the seabed?
The coordinates 51 34 33N 03 58 21W indicates where the bow
of the DS Strombus lies of the seabed.
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| 51 34 33N 03 58 21W Location of the bow of the DS Strombus GoogleMaps |
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| DS Strombus |
March 1940, DS Strombus, arrived at South Georgia. Later that month or April, departed South
Georgia and travelled independently to Freetown, Sierra Leone, arriving on May
15th.
May 17th, DS Strombus, joined Convoy SL 32,
departing Freetown for Liverpool, however, detached from the Convoy on the 19th,
and travelled to New Orleans, having travelled independently, DS Strombus was carrying a cargo of whale oil. From New Orleans, travelled on to Galveston,
Texas. Then arriving on the 7th July at Bermuda.
Listed on the Convoy HX 57 for Manchester to set sail on the
10th but didn’t sail. Strombus,
did leave Bermuda two days earlier, and arrived on the 27th at
Liverpool. Continued to Stanlow and
arrived on the 2nd August at Manchester.
14th August 1940, DS Strombus arrived at
Swansea.
1st September 1940, Swansea was targeted by the
Luftwaffe. During this date, 251 High Explosives plus over 1000 Incendiaries
bombs were dropped over Swansea. During
the bombing, which caused extensive damage 35 people were killed and 115 were
injured.
Two of those that were killed were a family from Russell
Street and two crew members of DS Strombus, who were killed at the Pembroke
Hotel, St. Helens Road.
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| Jones Family Grave Oystermouth Cemetery Credit. findagrave.com |
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| Davies family grave Oystermouth Cemetery Credit. findagrave.com |
Jean Margaret Davies, 6, and her mother, Ida Gillian, 28, who lived at Broadway, Sketty were paying a visiting to grandparents/parents, Reginald John, 55 and Mary Kate, 56 of 28 Russell Street. The family were perished as the result of an enemy action during the night of the 1st September. Also killed were Alan Hirwain, 12; Elaine, 26 and Kenneth, 16. Initially Ida had survived the bombing only to die the following day, 2nd at Swansea Hospital due to her injuries. The family are buried at Oystermouth Cemetery. The inscriptions makes reference to the bombing.
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| Henrik Martin Aspevik |
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| Robert Rasmussen Neset |
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| Henrik Martin Aspevik Death Certificate |
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| Robert Rasmussen Neset Death Certificate |
So, what happened to the DS Strombus.
26th October whilst still at Swansea and
preparing to embark for a voyage to South Georgia, a mine was detonated on the
starboard side at 51 33 48N 03 56 48W.
The Germans started to lay a new type of mines, the acoustic mine,
around the waters of the British Isles.
The mine would be denotated on the sound impulse of the propellers of
the passing ship. At the time there was
a pilot on board the DS Strombus.
The damage that was caused to the ship was that the steam pipes started
to leak, and water was reported in the engine room. The course was changed to try and beach the DS Strombus. The tug Victor, came to assist and
help to tow DS Strombus towards a bank near Mumbles Head, but she ran
aground. Following the explosion, the
Mumbles Lifeboat went out to assist, but the coxswain was told that the crew
would remain board until the tug would arrive and the lifeboat went away!
Most of the crew were rescued by HMT Silja. The remaining crew numbering 15 and the pilot
remained on board, shortly after midnight 2 tugs unsuccessfully attempted to
tow her further in. by this time the DS Strombus,
started to list heavily to starboard.
The Victor assisted in helping with the crew and landed them at
Swansea that dawn. All that remained
onboard that day was the captain and the 1st mate.
On the 30th during a storm, the DS Strombus broke in two, where the bow sunk, and stern was beached.
1942, the stern was refloated and broken up at Briton Ferry.
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