Calchas (Ss) Wreck

Field Value
Calchas (ss) Wreck Location
Marine Coordinates (DMM) 		51 54.598 N,10 49.855 W
Latitude, Longitude
Decimal Degrees
  • Latitude: 51.909970
  • Longitude: -10.830920
Name CALCHAS (SS)
Type merchant vessel
Date Sunk May 11, 1917
Original Source Brady et al 2012, 71; BVLS 1919, 49; Halkett 2006, 148; GSI Wreck Data; Larn & Larn 2002; New York Times, 21 May 1917; Tennent 1990, 131; UKHO Wreck Data 1996; www.uboat.net.
WRECK MAP LOADING ... 51 54.598 N,10 49.855 W
Calchas (Ss) on Wreck Map Calchas (Ss) Wreck on Google Map
Wreck No: W05584, Place of Loss: Kerry, Valentia Island, 28km W of., Source of Coordinate: GSI_134, Description: The Calchas was a 6,748-ton steamship owned by the Liverpool-based Ocean Steam Ship Co. (Alfred Holt Group). It was built by Scott & Co. Ltd. Of Greenock, Scotland, in 1899 at a cost of £83,983. The vessel had a single screw, was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion engine and was armed with one 4.7-inch, stern-mounted gun. At the time of its loss the Calchas was under charter to the Cunard Line, bringing vital food supplies and 10,000 tons of munitions from New York to Liverpool for the war effort. It was attacked without warning by U-80 (under the command of Kapitänleutnant Alfred von Glasenapp), with one torpedo striking the vessel’s port side. It took an hour for the Calchas to sink, allowing plenty of time for Captain R.T. Jon and his 67 crew members to abandon the ship using four lifeboats. They were picked up soon afterwards by a naval ship and disembarked safely at Cobh, Co. Cork. The Calchas was one of two ships sunk on 11 May 1917 off the southwest coast of Ireland by U-80. Although it was reported at the time that the Calchas had sunk 5 miles west by south of Inistearaght Rocks, in the early 1950s the salvage company Risdon Beazley Marine Ltd located the wreck 28km west of Valentia Island. Approximately 269 tons of nickel was salvaged in 1954 and 1957. The wreck of the Calchas measures 72m in length, 23m in width and 7.9m in maximum height, with an average height of 5m. The vessel is orientated NE–SW on the seafloor. A deep sediment scour has developed at the NE end of the vessel. GSI_134

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FAQ

Where is the CALCHAS (SS) wreck located?

The CALCHAS (SS) wreck is located at coordinates 51 54.598 N,10 49.855 W.

When did the CALCHAS (SS) sink?

The CALCHAS (SS) sank on May 11, 1917.

What type of wreck is the CALCHAS (SS)?

The CALCHAS (SS) is classified as a merchant vessel.

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