Archaeology Notes
Event ID 759766
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/759766
HY40NE 8002 4867 0928
N58 58.0833 W2 53.55
NLO: Inganess Bay [name centred HY 487 102]
Weethick Head [name: HY 492 093]
Shapinsay [name centred HY 52 19]
Shapinsay Sound [name centred HY 517 133]
Copinsay [name: HY 628 015]
Kirkwall [name: HY 449 111].
Formerly entered as HY40NE 8922.
Horizontal Datum = OGB
Buoyage =
General water depth = 8
Circumstances of Loss Details
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The steamship LOCH MADDY was torpedoed by the German submarine U23, 10 miles SE, or 20 miles ENE of Copinsay, whilst en-route from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, to Leith. The after section was beached in Inganess Bay.
Sources: World War II Shipping Loses, Axis Submarine Successes, Lloyd's Waorld War II Loses.
Surveying Details
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The wreck's position is given as 58 58 10N, 002 53 33W, or bearing 070 degrees, 20 miles from Copinsay lighthouse.
(authority not stated)
27 July 1940. A stranded wreck is reported bearing 175.5 degrees, 2.34 miles from the Head of Work beacon.
Report by HMS FRANKLIN, 6 July 1940.
20 November 1943. The wreck is now charted as a dangerous wreck and marked by green can buoy close to the SW.
Report by Admiralty.
3 January 1958. The wreck's position is amended to 58 58 05N, 002 53 30W. Report taken from a diving survey, 25 August 1957.
5 May 1959. Removal operations are to commence in April 1959.
Report by Northern Lighthouse Board, Notice to Mariners 4/59.
24 August 1983. The buoy has been moved to 58 58 14N, 002 53 39W.
Report by Northern Lighthouse Board, 11 August 1983.
17 February 1986. The wreck lies in the general depth of 11 metres with the stern rising to a height of 5 metres. The reminder of the wreck has been blown flat.
Report by Andrew Jennions, 27 Janauary 1986.
7 August 1986. The wreck has been salvaged and most of non-ferrous metals taken. The site is in general depth of 8 metres.
Report by B Winfield, 26 July 1986.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as steel steamship, with cargo of timber and wheat: date of loss cited as 21 February 1940). Loch Maddy: this vessel was torpedoed 20 miles from Copinsay light, by U57 on 21 February 1940 and by U23 on the 22nd. The two portions sank in square AN1651.
Registration: Glasgow. Built 1934. 4996grt. Length: 126m. Beam: 17m.
(Location of loss cited as N59 4.0 W2 6.0).
Loch Maddy (possibly): reported that both parts towed to Inganess Bay. This is a bow section.
(Location of loss cited as N58 58.08 W2 53.55).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Only part (the bow) of this vessel was presumably towed into Inganess Bay, the remainder havng apparently sunk at the place of the original attack, 20 miles from [presumably roughly E of] Copinsay light.
Copinsay lighthouse (HY60SW 7.00) is at HY 61376 01211.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 January 2005.
