SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
Montrose wreck in Namibia
April 21:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1896: Queen Victoria, this steel British steam-powered ship struck Thunderbolt Reef off Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape and damaged its hull. It was towed into Algoa Bay for repairs and was beached opposite the Humewood hotel in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. It was then moved four months later to North End Beach where it was badly damaged during a heavy gale in 1902 and was declared a loss. The wreck now lies near the foot of Darling Street and the remains can still be dived on.
1943: John Drayton, this American liberty ship was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci about 300-400 km east of Durban off KwaZulu-Natal. A distress call was launched, and the Leonardo da Vinci finished the John Drayton off with gunfire after it was abandoned. Two days later, the Oscar Gorthon rescued 11 survivors. A week after the sinking, the HMS Relentless rescued a further 14 survivors and exactly a month after the wrecking, eight further survivors were rescued although there were originally 24 men in that boat (meaning 16 men lost their lives). In all, 27 lives that were on board the John Drayton were lost following this event. This would be the third, and second last vessel, that the Leonardi da Vinci claimed off the South African coastline.
2017: Fukula, this Namibian diamond recovery vessel drifted ashore and wrecked about 20 km south of Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
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