Rosalie SS (Weybourne)

Above Prop shaft and tunnel bearing (Louise De Lisle)

SS ROSALIE
(WEYBOURNE)

Researched by Paul Hennessey / underwater photography Louise De Lisle and Paul Hennessey / underwater footage Rob Spray (Seasearch East)

Position ... 52 57 034N / 001 08 250E

Depth ... 8 to 10mtrs

Type ... Collier

Dimensions ... Length 114.6mtrs, Beam 15.6mtrs, Draught 7.3mtrs

Tonnage ... 4248 gross

Cargo ... In ballast

Built ... 1914 by W.Gray & Co, West Hartlepool (Yard number 850)

Engine built by ...Central Marine Engineering Works

Owners at time of loss ... New Ruperra Steam Shipping Company (J. Cory & Sons)

Engine type ... Triple expansion x1

Boilers ... x3 Scotch type drum boilers, coal fired

Date of loss... 10/08/1915

Cargo ... In Ballast

Circumstances of loss ... On passage from the Tyne to San Fransisco. Torpedoed by UB10 (type UB1 U Boat) Anchored and later beached at Weybourne (no casualties).

Although nothing was seen of the German submarine U10, at 6.10 pm her Master saw the track of a single torpedo shortly before it struck. Attempts were made to turn the ship, but the torpedo struck her port side. About 10 minutes later the Chief Officer saw a second torpedo track, but this missed and failed to explode. The Rosalie started to settle as water freely entered the boiler and engine room in addition to no 2 and 4 holds flooding. An anchor was dropped and all hands abandoned ship in the Rosalies's lifeboats. With the crew still staying close to the stricken vessel, six mine sweepers then arrived and offered assistance. At this point the Master, Mate and carpenter returned to the ship which was then towed in shore and beached at Weybourne. The 2nd Mate, Chief Engineer, Steward and an additional eleven crew members returned on board the same night in order to assess the damage with the remainder of the crew being taken to Lowestoft. The Rosalie was deemed to be a total loss and was left where she now lies.

The translated account of the attack on the Rosalie from the war diaries of UB-10 as written by the submarines commander Otto Steinbrinck

“Fired at an empty steamer of about 4,000 tons with an English flag. Running time 38''. Hit amidships. The crew left the ship in two lifeboats, and the aft edge of the funnel produced heavy smoke. The steamer had two rectangular red-painted areas on the side in front of and behind the bridge, the same size as Norwegians and Danes wear their neutrality badges. At first therefore, I thought the steamer was neutral until, as I got closer, I recognized the English flag and saw a man sitting on a bosun’s chair hanging from the bridge wing, probably just erasing the last traces of neutrality when the torpedo hit. Four trawlers and two drifters arrive from the South-West, and two English ships and a large Dutchman from the West close the sinking steamer. Three of the trawlers appear to be going alongside, and one of the English ships is approaching from aft; everyone lies stopped. One of the drifters and a trawler begin minesweeping. Attacked stationary Englishman, distance 800 m; not possible to get closer as a drifter and a trawler are only 250 m away. Torpedo has to pass between these two. Fired. No effect observed. Turned hard and headed for the West Sheringham buoy. H.F. Dutchman and one trawler (resume) North-West course. No longer any sign of the damaged steamer”.

A short career ... The Rosalie was launched on the 21st October 1914 and completed in November 1914. She was built for and owned at the time of her loss (10/8/1915) by the Ruperra Steam Ship Company (J. Cory & Sons). The Rosalie had a short lived career, she was to survive the perils of WW1 for no more than 9 months from her completion date, this being little more than enough time for her fresh paint to have even dried!!!

Below ... Underwater footage of the Rosalie as she is today (2019) Courtesy of Rob Spray of SeaSearch East

W. Gray & Co of West Hartlepool, builders of the Rosalie .... After several failed partnerships, William Gray eventually set up his own sole ownership company in 1874, with his first ship the Sexta being launched in August 1874. In 1877 Grays eldest son Mathew became a junior partner. In 1878 the company launched 18 ships, this on average being more than one a month in a twelve month period! Their achievements in 1878 led them to receive the "Blue Ribbon", this being an award given to the shipyard that built the most ships in a given year. The companies successes led them to receive the award again in 1882, 1888, 1895,1898 and again in 1900. With the 19th century drawing close to its final decade, the ever increasing demand for larger ships led the company to open another yard in 1887. On the 1st January 1889, the company became a limited company. William Gray remained as chairman and his sons William and Mathew along with his son-in-law George Baines being directors. Mathew Gray died in 1896, within two years of which, both William Gray senior and Thomas Mudd also died, this in turn leaving William Gray junior as the chairman of the company.

A brief plotted history forward ... 1898 Purchased Milton Forge and Engineering Company.. 1898 purchased Malleable Iron Co Ltd ... 1900 two more building berths added, 11 berths now in total, employed 3000 men... 1916 part of company set up for the production of shell cases and explosives... 1929 launched their 1000th ship, the City of Dieppe ... 1930's economic depression gets worse. River Wear yard closes down in 1930. No ships built during 1931 and 1933 ... 1939 WW11 - built new ships, plus repairs and overhauls ... 1960's with business in decline, the company went into liquidation in December 1962.

Central Engineering Works, builders of the Rosalie's engine ... In 1883, William Gray (above) set up Central Marine Engineering, this in turn allowing him to be in the position of being able to build engines for his own ships and not having to contract the work out to other engineering companies. Gray recruited the services of Thomas Mudd, Mudd being a former employee of another local engineering company called Richardsons. The Company built their first engine in 1885, this being for the steamer Enfield. Thomas Mudd, due to many of his own design innovations led the company from strength to strength. In 1894, Mudd become a director of the company, by this time they were building engines for shipyards all around the world.

Left ... basic working of a triple expansion engine. Red, steam from the boilers enters the high pressure cylinder (Hp), yellow, steam from the Hp cylinder enters the intermediate pressure cylinder (Ip), blue, steam from the Ip cylinder enters the low pressure cylinder (Lp) from here the low pressure steam leaves the engine and is fed into a surface condenser. In the condenser, the steam is cooled and returned to its liquid state as it meets the cold water tubes within the condenser. From here the water is fed back into the boiler for re-use. To the left of each con rod can be seen the valve gear, this opening and shutting the cylinder valves. The type of valve gear most favoured at the time was the Stephensons valve gear, as featured in the diagram (note the eccentrics on the crank).

Below ... Double bottom (Louise De Lisle)

Below, Double bottom cross section as incorporated in the Rosalie .... A double bottom is a method of construction where the bottom of the ship has two separate layers of watertight hull floor. The outer layer forms the outer hull and the inner layer, ie the floor forms a watertight barrier should the outer hull be breached. Up until 2007, double bottomed vessels were allowed to utilise their DB's for fuel storage. In addition the DB can also be used for the storage of ballast water.

UB 10 ...On the same day as attacking the Rosalie (10th August 1915), UB10 stopped and scuttled the fishing vessel Esperance some 17 miles ENE of Cromer.

In all UB10 had 15 kills in August 1915, 13 of these being fishing vessels that were stopped and sunk. In all UB10 went on 115 patrols and sank 37 vessels, this totaling some 23,614 tons. UB10 was scuttled off the Flanders coast on the 5th October 1918 during the German evacuation of Belgium.

Below ... UB16, a UB1 type U Boat, the same as UB 10

The Rosalie today

Can be dived by boat or shore. Easy to locate at low water as metal work from the engine dries. Very scenic dive with plenty of life. Very easy to navigate the wreck as the whole bottom of her is layed out and exposed from bow to stern on a sandy seabed. Orientated head on to shore, bows point south. Boilers and triple expansion engine in sutue as is spare prop aft of the engine. Starboard side boiler is up ended, engine very broken, only one of three cons in evidence , no valve gear to be seen. Prop shaft and tunnel bearings in situe. Stern bollards (port and starboard) plus steering quadrant. Double bottom, large sections visible.

Below ... Bollards and deck frames covered in life (Louise De Lisle)