H. Westfal - Larson & Co .... House flag and funnel colours.
Ole Bull SS
SS Ole Bull pictured above during her time of ownership with C. Mathisen of Bergen (1901 - 1911).
Type .... Cargo/Transport. Three Island type (Poop, Bridge and Forcastle. Plumb bow, counter stern, x4 holds, engine midships.Position ... 52 51'22,5 N / 01 31'44,3 EBuilt ... 1901Builder ... Wood Skinner & Co LtdEngine builder ... North Eastern Marine Engineers Co Ltd, Wallsend.Yard no ... 102Yard ... Bill QuayEngine ... x1 triple expansion / 3 cylinders. 19, 31 & 51 x 33 inchesDimensions ... 270 x 38.5 x 17.7 feetConstruction ... SteelTonnage ... 1641grtPower ... 149 hpLost ... 11/01/1917Cause of loss ... MineOwner at time of loss ... H. Westfal - Larsen & Co, Bergen.
History of ownership .... Built in 1901 as the SS Ole Bull for C. Mathisen , Bergen. In 1911 she was sold to H. Westfal-Larsen, Bergen. In 1916 she met her end off the Norfolk coast.
Point of interest ..... The SS Ole Bull was named after the Norwegian Violinist of the same name, (1810 - 1880).
C. Mathison .... Flag and funnel colours
Circumstances of loss
Whilst on route from Hartlepool to Rouen with a cargo of coal, the SS Ole Bull hit a mine on the 11th of January 1917. The mine had been laid by the German submarine UC19 some 2 months prior (17/11/1916) to the Ole Bull striking it. As can be seen from below, UC19 was destroyed in December 1916 and would have never known of the fate she had inflicted upon the Ole Bull.
UC 19 ... Built by Blohn & Voss, Hamburg and launched on the 15th March 1916. UC 19 was a Imperial German Navy type UC11 coastal mine laying submarine. UC19 was equipped with 2 bow tubes and 1 stern tube, with a total of 7 torpedoes. In addition to her torpedoes she carried 18 mines and was armed with an 8.8cm gun. During her short lived career she went out on 3 patrols, in turn sinking 4 ships, Navy Trawler Dhoon// Sailing vessel Rene Montrieux // Steamer Fernebo and steamer Ole Bull. UC19 was lost in December 1916, there are several different accounts as to the circumstances of her loss.
December 4th 1916 ... Straits of Dover, depth charged by HMS Llewellyn.
December 6th 1916 ... English Channe, depth charged by HMS Ariel.
December 18th 1916 ... Off Aldeburgh (North Sea), depth charged by HMS Landrail.
Which ever of the above is the true circumstance of UC19's loss, it is agreed that she was lost in December 1916 along with all of her crew of 25.
North Eastern Marine Engineers, builders of the Ole Bull's engine ... Formed in 1867 by John Frederick Spencer, the North Eastern Marine engineering Company were Marine engine builders of Sunderland. In 1882, the Northumberland engine works and forge were established by the company at Wallsend. In 1889, the combined efforts of both the Sunderland works and the Wallsend works had supplied in the region of 100 triple expansion engines to various ship builders. In 1909 the company were the first to install an electrically operated cantilever crane in the North East of England. In 1938, N.E.M was, along with George Clark, another engineering company aquired by Richardson Westgarth and Co and became Clark & NEM Ltd, this in turn becoming part of the Richardson Wetgarth Group.
Wood, Skinner & Co, builders of the steamer Ole Bull ... Formed in 1883 by James Skinner and William Wood at Bill Quay. Both Skinner and Wood had gained a great deal of experience working for other well-known shipbuilders. In 1897 the company was incorporated as a limited company and in 1914 the company was listed as shipbuilders and repairers at Bill Quay.
Wood, Skinner & Co went into liquidation in 1925.
The Ole Bull today
Awaiting divers report.