SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
June 16:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1722: Nightingale, this British East Indiaman, along with nine other vessels, broke adrift from its moorings in a north-westerly gale in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It was the only vessel that wrecked on this day after beaching near the castle, with the other nine vessels wrecking the next day. Although it was carrying 140 people, only one person died during the wrecking.
1796: Hercules, supposedly, this American East Indiaman sprang a leak and lost its rudder in a fierce gale, causing it to be run ashore and wrecking somewhere along the Eastern Cape shoreline. Possible locations include near the Birha River, the Kieskamma River, or another theory is that this wreck never occurred and was actually a fabrication as the captain’s narrative appeared dubious when he reported the loss.
1850: A south-easterly gale near Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape claimed two vessels:
• Queen of the West, this wooden Canadian ship wrecked near the Tsitsikamma River. There were no survivors, with 30 bodies eventually being found washed up on the shore.
• L'Aigle, this wooden French barque wrecked on rocks about 4 km west of Klippen Point. The captain as well as one passenger and seven of the crew drowned whilst 10 people survived.
1861: Bernicia, this wooden British barque wrecked in a north-westerly gale off Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Seven lives were lost because of the wrecking.
1875: Snorre Straulassen, this Norwegian brig wrecked in a south-westerly gale when its anchor cables parted near Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.
1883: Umzimkulu, this British coaster, while crossing the bar to leave the Breede River in the Western Cape, wrecked after three successive big waves toppled it.
1937: Earl of Caledon, this South African Airways Junkers Ju 52 (registration no. ZS-AKY) suffered a loss of power to both engines after taking off from the Rand Airport in Gauteng, resulting in it crashing and the plane being engulfed in flames. Although everyone made it out of the wreckage, one female passenger later succumbed to injuries sustained during the crash. According to our records, this is the second plane to have ever wrecked in South Africa, and the first to have a loss of life associated with it.
1944: Columbine, this South African steam-powered merchant ship was torpedoed and sunk at night by the German submarine U-198, 40km off the Vredenburg Peninsula in the Western Cape.
The Columbine (1944) under one of its former names "Admiral Laws" in Vancouver
Of the 52 people on board only 29 survived. It sank so suddenly that no distress call was sent out and its fate was only discovered some days later when a lifeboat was picked up.
The Arosa (1976) on the 30th of June, still stuck on the reef. There were apparently a few attempts made at refloating it
1976: Arosa, this Cyprian freighter wrecked on rocks between Hondeklip Bay and Kleinsee in the Northern Cape.
What remained visible of the Arosa (1976) after a few years
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