Hms Roedean: Longhope, Hoy, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Minesweeper (20th Century)
Site Name Hms Roedean: Longhope, Hoy, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Classification Minesweeper (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Roebuck Ii; Hackness; Long Hope; Hms Roedean; Hms Roedean (Ex. Roebuck)
Canmore ID 102241
Site Number ND39SW 8014
NGR ND 32859 91931
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102241
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND39SW 8014 3281 9245
N58 48.6 W3 9.8
NLO: Longhope [name: ND 302 910]
Long Hope [name centred ND 316 917]
Stromness [name: HY 253 090]
Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].
Formerly entered as ND39SW 8777.
Quality of fix = HSA
Evidence = Swept by Wire (Two Ship/Boat Drift/Drag Sweep)
Horizontal Datum = OGB
General water depth = 12
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The requistioned minesweeper ROEDEAN was built in 1897. It was sunk by a mine off Longhope, Orkneys on 13 January 1915. It carried a crew of 70. The vessel, previously named ROEBUCK II, had been owned by the Great Western Railway Co when it was requistioned on 2 October 1914.
Sources: Dictionary of Disasters at Sea, Ships of the Royal Navy (College).
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
21 January 1915. A position bearing 303 degrees, 1167 metres from Hackness Martello Tower is given for the wreck. Both masts are showing and a fixed white light is being exhibited from the foremast. The site is also marked by light buoy, or a bearing of 305 degrees, 1158 metres from the tower.
Report by the Admiralty.
23 April 1919. The wreck has a least depth of 6.4 metres.
Report by Rear Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetland.
24 September 1957. A two boat sweep has been carried out, and the main part of the area now has a cleared depth of 9.1 metres.
Report by HMS DALRYMPLE, 11 July 1957.
14 April 1958. The buoy has been removed.
Report by Northern Lighthouse Board, Notice to Mariners number 5/58.
1 November 1982. Although the wreck is broken in places, parts are still recognisable. In particular the starboard side, boilers, and timber decking. A thick covering of silt quickly obscures the underwater visibility.
Report by B Winfield, 25 October 1982.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as minesweeper: former name cited as Roebuck, and date of loss as 13 January 1915). HMS Roedean: this vessel was mined 6.3 cables 303 degs from Hackness Martello tower.
Registration: London. Built 1897. 1094 tons displacement. Length: 85m. Beam: 10m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 48.58 W3 9.78).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):
A3030 1 lamp: from seabed.
NMRS, MS/829/35.
Hackness Martello Tower (ND39SW 8) is at ND 33838 91277.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 April 2007.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 278
Name : HMS ROEDEAN (EX. ROEBUCK)
Latitude : 584835
Longitude : 30947
Date Built : 1897
Registration : LONDON
Type : MINESWEEPER
Tonnage : 1094
Tonnage Code : D
Length : 85
Beam : 10
Draught : 5m
Position : Exact Position
Loss Day : 13
Loss Month : 1
Loss Year : 1915
Comment : Mined 6.3 cables 303 degs from Hackness Martello Tower
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 000971
Feature Class : Wreck
Wreck Category : Dangerous wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.80953,-3.16385
Horizontal Datum : ETRS 1989
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.80953,-3.16385
WGS84 Origin : Original
Previous Position : 58.81000,-3.16333
Position Method : Differential Global Positioning System
Position Quality : Surveyed
Position Accuracy : 3.0
Depth : 8.6
Depth Method : Found by multi-beam
Depth Quality : Least depth known
Water Depth : 12
Water Level Effect : Always under water/submerged
Vertical Datum : Mean Low Water Springs
Name : HMS ROEDEAN
Type : MINESWEEPER
Flag : BRITISH
Length : 85.3
Beam : 10.4
Draught : 5.2
Tonnage : 1094
Tonnage Type : Gross
Date Sunk : 13/01/1915
Contact Description : Entire wreck
Original Sensor : Observed Sinking
Last Sensor : Acoustic Sensor
Original Detection Year : 1915
Last Detection Year : 2010
Original Source : Other
Last Source : Survey Vessel
Circumstances of Loss : **EX-ROEBUCK II. BUILT IN 1897 BY THE NAVAL CONSTRUCTION AND ARMAMENT COMPANY, BARROW-IN-FURNESS FOR THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY. REQUISTIONED ON 2.10.1914 AS A MINESWEEPER. TWO BOILERS, TWO TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINES, TWIN SHAFT. MINED. REDUCED BY EXPLOSIVES IN 1953 & 1956. (SIBI).
Surveying Details : **H393/15 21.1.15 POSN 303DEGS, 6.3C FROM HACKNESS MARTELLS TOWER, BOTH MASTS SHOWING & FIXED WHITE LT EXHIBITED FROM FOREMAST, MARKED BY LT BUOY. FL.G.6S 305DEGS, 6.25C FROM TOWER.
**H3087/15 INS OBSOLETE WK SYMBOL IN 584836N, 030948W. - FNM 27/15.
**H66/16 5.1.16 WK HAS NOW DEPTH OF 3.5FMS OVER. SUNK AT LONGHOPE. (WW1SL).
**H3337/19 23.4.19 LEAST DEPTH OVER WK 3.5FMS. (REAR ADMIRAL COMMANDING ORKNEYS & SHETLAND). AMEND TO WK 3.5FMS & INS LT BUOY. - NM 1376/19.
**H1965/20 15.3.20 WK NOW MARKED BY G CONL BUOY. (NORTHERN LT HO BOARD). - NM 575/20.
**H6909/23 9.10.23 NOW MARKED BY G CAN BUOY. (AUTHORITY NOT STATED). BR STD.
**H1281/41 10.4.41 LEAST DEPTH OVER WK NOW 2.5FMS, MARKED BY G CAN BUOY. (HM SHIP). - NM 810/41 & FNM 812/41.
**H1281/41 24.9.57 TWO BOAT SWEEP. MAIN PART OF AREA CLEARED AT 5FMS, FOUL AT 5FMS 1FT. LEAST DEPTH BY E/S 5FMS 1FT. (HMS DALRYMPLE, 11.7.57). - NM 2228/57.
**H7591/53 14.4.58 BUOY REMOVED. (NORTHERN LT HO BOARD NM 5/58). - NM 704/58.
**8.12.77 AMEND TO SW 8.8MTRS. NC 35.
**H1310/82 1.11.82 ALTHOUGH BROKEN IN PLACES, PARTS ARE RECOGNISABLE - IN PARTICULAR THE STBD SIDE, BOILERS, AND TIMBER DECKING. A THICK COVERING OF SILT QUICKLY OBSCURES U/WATER VISION. (B. WINFIELD, 25.10.82). NCA.
POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE
**5.10.10 EXAM'D IN 5848.572N, 0309.831W [WGD] USING DGPS. LEAST M/B DEPTH 8.62MTRS. (FATHOMS LTD, POST SDC BATHY REPROCESSING). AMEND WK 8.6MTRS IN REVISED POSN. BR STD.
Reference (March 2012)
Sitename : HMS Roedean
Note : A distinctive mound 2 metres high in 13 metres of water is visible on MBES geophysical data at NGR 332859E 991931N. It measures 104 metres by 95 metres in size. On sandy seabed at mouth of Long Hope.
Sources :
SeaZone Hydrospatial OSGB36 Wrecks point,SeaZone,2010
Aspect Survey,Lyness SeaZone TruDepth Points SeaZone in OSGB36 SeaZone Dataset 109871,SeaZone,2011
Project (2013 - 2014)
The Scapa Flow 2013 Marine Archaeology Survey Project, commissioned by Historic Scotland, undertook remote sensing surveys and archaeological diving evaluations at some of the sites within Scapa Flow, Orkney and at the Churchill Barriers.
The project aimed to establish or confirm the identification, extent of survival, character and condition of around 28 known but mostly poorly recorded First and Second World War wreck sites, 8 salvage sites, several sites thought to be associated with Second World War Boom Defences, and a limited sample of geophysical features identified in previous studies (Project Adair).
The work built on that of previous surveys including those completed as part of the ScapaMap Project (2001 and 2006) and by Wessex Archaeology Scapa Flow Wrecks Survey (2012), amongst others.
The project was completed by ORCA Marine and SULA Diving
Diver Inspection (2013)
58 48.572 N 3 09.831 W The remains lie on a mud-silt bottom in 8.8m – 15m of water and have a light coverage of short animal turf and silt which is easily disturbed. The vessel is in an area of slight tide.
The stern is more intact and the shape of the hull more clearly visible, with porthole apertures and a door aperture recorded. The propeller and rudder were not visible.
Midships two Scotch boilers were recorded, and divers confirmed that these were the highest point on the vessel. No engines were identified, but the shape of the hull is very distinct in this area.
The bow section is very fragmented with a lot of miscellaneous debris (chain, deck and hull plating of various sizes, ribs and curved plates) in the general area. Other features noted in this area include an air vent, some bitts and hatches.
The debris field to the north of the main wreckage contains some larger pieces of scattered structure, interspersed with smaller hull and rib fragments. A pair of bitts was noted in these remains. Although all the debris is fairly low standing on the seabed, the larger pieces likely account for the strong contacts on the side scan images. The contacts to the south of the remains could not be visually assessed within the time available.
Several abandoned creels were identified within the debris.
Analysis
Historical documents and photographs (Plate 18) examined in conjunction with the UKHO record confirm that these are the remains of the HMS Roedean. The site is marked with a buoy and is occasionally visited by recreational divers.
A British steel steamship built by Naval Construction and Armament Co. Ltd. in 1897, for the Great Western Railway Company, the HMS Roedean was originally named Roebuck II, and was used as a passenger ferry between the Channel Islands and Southampton. The vessel was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 2nd October 1914 and was converted into a minesweeper.
The HMS Roedean dragged anchor in Longhope Bay during a gale and collided with the bow of the repair hulk Imperious on the 13th January 1915. Despite dropping a second anchor and seeking assistance from two tugs, the vessel settled stern first and sank. After sinking, both masts were visible from Hackness Martello Tower protruding from the seabed, making the site a hazard to navigation. The vessel is not reported to have been carrying any cargo at the time of the collision.
The remains were extensively blasted in 1953 and 1956 to clear the superstructure, and this is likely the cause of the extensive associated debris field (Churchill College Archives, FELL 4/2) visible on the side scan images and observed during the dives. Although the wreck is well broken up, the spread of wreck remains accords relatively closely with the vessel's original dimensions (Length: 85.3m, Beam 10.5m).
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
Side Scan Sonar Survey (2013)
58 48.572 N 3 09.831 W This site was assessed by side scan sonar surveys using a winch-towed towfish.
The side scan images show the broken down remains of a vessel measuring 88m long by 16m beam. The wreck is oriented east to west on the seabed with the bow to the west. The highest points of the vessel are two strong contacts midships, likely the remains of 2 boilers which stand approximately 4m proud of the seabed. An extensive debris field was observed to the north of the vessel extending the full length of the wreck, up to 25m away. Several other strong contacts were noted to the south of the remains extending 35m away from the wreckage.
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
Note (23 August 2017)
The assertion by previous sources that HMS Roedean was sunk by a mine is incorrect. A Naval Court of Enquiry held on 5 March 1915 states that the sinking occurred due to either the archor cable parting or anchor dragging which then caused Roedean to drift across the ram of another ship, HMS Imperieuse. HMS Roedean was badly holed and sank. No mine was involved.
Naval Court of Enquiry reference ADM.1/8409/20.
Information from Mr G Burgher, 23 August 2017
