SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
February 27:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1848: Lady Leith, this wooden sailing brig wrecked in a south-easterly gale at Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape after having struck Thunderbolt reef.
1854: Katherine Gwladys, this wooden sailing schooner wrecked on Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.
1861: Hero, this American whaling barque wrecked in a south easterly gale in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.
1890: Blythswood, this sailing barque wrecked at Green Point/Mouille Point in Table Bay in the Western Cape. There are differing reports for the date of the wrecking with another possible date being April 3rd.
1943: Colombia, this former passenger liner, which was converted into a submarine depot ship, was attacked and sunk by U-516 between Great Fish River point and East London in the Eastern Cape.
The Colombia (1943), at Herok, Iceland, date unknown
It was being escorted by the British corvette, HMS Genista, and several RAF aircraft when a torpedo struck at its No. 2 hold, just before the bridge. It was immediately abandoned but sank within 10 minutes. A headcount revealed that eight men were missing, and they are presumed to have gone down with the ship.
1952: Dunkeld, this South African motor-powered fishing vessel wrecked near Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.
1960: Two steel steam-powered pilot tugs, the Koodoo and the Mary, were scuttled in front of the Hood Point Lighthouse in East London, in the Eastern Cape.
The Koodoo (1960) and the Mary (1960) being towed out to be scuttled
2001: Imp, this yacht was caught out in a storm and driven onto the rocks, to be wrecked, at Hout Bay in the Western Cape.
2014: Connect, this South African fishing vessel wrecked near Voelklip beach in Hermanus in the Western Cape with the loss of one life.
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