North Sea surveys for what could be one of the first floating offshore windfarms in the world may have helped solve a 107-year-old maritime mystery, with the discovery of the uncharted wreck of a World War One Russian merchant vessel.
Data gathered by sonar scans carried out by the Fugro Galaxy during geophysical and environmental surveys for the proposed MarramWind floating offshore windfarm has identified the likely resting place of the SS Tobol, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1917.
The shipwreck believed to be that of Tobol was among several discovered during the survey works for the 3GW windfarm being developed by ScottishPower and Shell.
The ship, with its distinctive ‘turret deck’ design, was built in Sunderland at the turn of the 20th century and was operated as the SS Cheltenham by a steamer company until it was captured by Russian warships in 1904.
A year later, it was transferred to the Russian Imperial Navy and renamed SS Tobol after the river in Russia, before being relocated to the Russian Volunteer Fleet in 1916. It was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-52 on 11 September 1917 while sailing from Blyth to Arkhangelsk.
After its discovery, an exclusion zone of 250 metres was put in place around the wreck – which is 100m long, 22.5m wide and 10.5m high and appears to be in good condition – to protect it during the MarramWind survey works.
Colin Anderson, Development Manager for MarramWind said: “This really is an extraordinary find, given that our seabed surveys – which give us vital information about seabed conditions and what that means for the development of MarramWind – covered a distance of around 6,000 miles.
“We always expect to come across wrecks when carrying out works like this, but these tend to be smaller vessels and known to the authorities. While the Tobol was known to have been torpedoed in the war, its location was unclear, so to discover it after more than a century and uncover its history is something special.
“It has a fascinating story and it would be amazing if we could find out more about the fate of the people who were on board as online information suggests there were some survivors – although this has not been verified. However, we also need to be mindful that the wreck could be the final resting place for crew members, so hopefully our find will provide closure and comfort for their families and descendants.
“This kind of archaeological discovery is very much an added bonus when we consider the benefits our MarramWind windfarm could bring – enough renewable electricity to power the equivalent of more than 3.5 million homes; investment that will support the growth of the local supply chain and bring jobs; and another step forward in helping the transition of the energy sector. It could be a game-changer for the industry and, with the likely discovery of the Tobol, MarramWind has already made its way into the history books.”
Toby Gane, Marine and Coastal Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Lead for WSP, said: ‘This discovery of a small –but important – piece of a collective national jigsaw puzzle of marine heritage, speaks not only to the global nature of international commerce and alliances in the early 20th century, but also to the interconnectedness and competitiveness of national interests at the time, something still relevant today. It’s incredible that – more than a century on – we finally have a sense of where the SS Tobol likely went down thanks to MarramWind.”
Relevant authorities like the UK Hydrographic Office and Historic Environment Scotland have been notified of the wreck find, and discussions are ongoing to establish a long-term archaeological exclusion zone to ensure the wreck of the SS Tobol is protected and preserved.
