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Minieh: Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney

Craft (20th Century), Obstruction (Period Unassigned), Steamship (20th Century)

Site Name Minieh: Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney

Classification Craft (20th Century), Obstruction (Period Unassigned), Steamship (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Alsatia; Mineh; Skerry Sound; Churchill Causeway; Churchill Barrier No.1; North Sea; Skaildaquay Point; Lamb Holm; Minieh; Minieh (Ex. Alsatia)

Canmore ID 102368

Site Number HY40SE 8004

NGR HY 48389 00734

Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102368

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Orkney Islands
  • Parish Maritime - Orkney
  • Former Region Orkney Islands Area
  • Former District Maritime
  • Former County Not Applicable

Archaeology Notes

HY40SE 8004 4829 0069

N58 53.45 W2 53.8333

NLO: St Mary's Bay [name: HY 477 005]

Lamb Holm [name: HY 485 003]

Glimps Holm [name: ND 472 991]

Glimpsholm Skerry [name: ND 482 995]

Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].

For plan indicating the relative locations and orientations of blockships in this group, see Macdonald 1990, 125.

Formerly entered as Site no. 8913.

Formerly entered in error as Mineh and located in Skerry Sound.

For adjacent and successor causeway (Churchill Barrier no. 1), see HY40SE 25.

Horizontal Datum = OGB

Circumstances of Loss Details

-----------------------------

The iron single-screw steamship MINEH was built in 1876 and sunk as a blockship. It was later removed.

Source: Wrecks of Scapa Flow.

Surveying Details

-----------------------------

Two portions of the wreck lie to the NW of Lamb Holm.

(authority not stated)

18 October 1923. The northern portion, lying on an orientation of 135/315 degrees, is in a postion bearing 081.5 degreess, 1074 metres from Skaildaquay Point. The southern portion, with a mast, is lying on an orientation of 087/267 degrees. Its position is given as bearing 083.5 degrees, 1148 metres from Skaildaquay Point.

Report by HMS BEAUFORT.

14 March 1972. The wreck is stated to have been at 58 53 27N, 002 53 59W, or bearing 310 degrees, 609 metres from Lamb Holm trig station (61). However the entire hull has been removed.

Report by Undermarine Operations, 5 March 1972.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as iron steamship: no cargo specified, but former name cited as Alsatia, and date of loss as 27 February 1915). Minieh: this vessel was scuttled as a blockship. All gone and broken up.

Registration: London. Built 1876. 2890grt. Length: 109m. Beam: 10m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 53.45W2 53.83).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Length: 357 ft (108.8m): date of sinking 27 February 1915.

'Ballasted. Broken and twisted. Will probably break in half.' (Report dated 28 June 1915 and accompanying panoramic sketch dated 8 December 1915).

The accompanying panoramic drawing (of Kirk Sound, looking E from St Mary's Pier) depicts only two masts projecting above water; their converging inclination indicates that the vessel has suffered (at least) severe distortion.

The accompanying map depicts the vessel as lying in two pieces, with bows towards the SE, and well to the S of the centre of the sound. It is the most southerly blockship of the group, but still lies some way NW of the shore of Lamb Holm.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 January 2004.

PRO [Kew] ADM116/2073A: dated 17 December 1919.

Kirk Sound is not noted as such on the 1998 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map. The name applies to the most northerly of the sounds on the E side of Scapa Flow, beteween Lamb Holm (to the S) and St Mary's village, Holm, Mainland (to the N). It is centred at HY 484 010, and is spanned by Churchill Barrier No. 1 (HY40SE 25).

Skerry Sound is not noted as such on the 1998 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, but the current edition of the OS (GIS) notes the name around ND 4814 9995, between Glimps Holm and Glimpsholm Skerry.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 28 March 2007.

Activities

Reference (2011)

Whittaker ID : 2563

Name : MINIEH (EX. ALSATIA)

Latitude : 585327

Longitude : 25350

Date Built : 1876

Registration : LONDON

Type : SS (IRON)

Tonnage : 2890

Tonnage Code : G

Length : 109

Beam : 10

Draught : 9m

Loss Day : 27

Loss Month : 2

Loss Year : 1915

Comment : Scuttled as a blockship. AG and BU

Reference (19 April 2012)

UKHO Identifier : 001272

Feature Class : Obstn

State : LIVE

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 58.89083,-2.89722

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.89041,-2.89884

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Position Quality : Unreliable

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 7

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : MINIEH

Type : BLOCKSHIP

Flag : BRITISH

Tonnage : 2890

Tonnage Type : Gross

Date Sunk : 27/02/1915

Contact Description : Entire wreck

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Last Sensor : Diver Sighting

Original Detection Year : 1915

Last Detection Year : 1999

Original Source : Other

Last Source : Divers

Circumstances of Loss : **IRON SINGLE-SCREW SS, BUILT 1876, SUNK AS A BLOCKSHIP. LATER REMOVED. (WKS OF SCAPA FLOW).

Surveying Details : **2 PORTIONS OF WK LIE NW OF LAMB HOLM. (AUTHORITY NOT STATED).

**H5550/23 18.10.23 NORTHERN PORTION, HEADING 316DEGS, 081.5DEGS, 5.8C FROM SKAILDAQUAY PT, & SOUTHERN PORTION WITH MAST, HEADING 087DEGS, 083.5DEGS, 6.2C FROM SKAILDAQUAY PT. (HMS BEAUFORT, HN NO.7). DELETE 2 PORTIONS OF WK NW OF LAMB HOLM, & INS NORTHERN PORTION HEADING 316DEGS, 81.5DEGS 5.8C FROM SKAILDAQUAY PT, & SOUTHERN PORTION WITH (MAST) HEADING 087DEG 83.5DEGS, 6.2C FROM SAME POINT ON 3729. DELETE LEGEND 'CHANNEL BLOCKED' AT W END OF KIRKSAND & INS LEGEND 'CHANNEL PARTLY BLOCKED'. - NM 1647/23.

**H7308/56 13.5.59 INS CAUTION NOTE ON 35. - NM 1924/58.

**H2496/72 14.3.72 STATED TO HAVE BEEN IN 585327N, 025359W, OR 310DEGS, 2000FT FROM LAMB HOLM TRIG STN (61), BUT ENTIRE HULL HAS BEEN REMOVED. (UNDERMARINE OPERATIONS, 5.3.72).

POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE

**25.2.00 WK STILL REMAINS IN POSITION AND IS INTACT. (K HEATH, TELECON). AMEND LIVE. FOR FILING ONLY. NCA.

**5.10.10 NOT LOCATED BY M/B. (FATHOMS LTD, POST SDC BATHY REPROCESSING). NO OBVIOUS WRECK BUT MANY ROUGH FEATURES IN AREA. COVERED BY CHARTED LEGEND. NCA.

Chart Symbol : OB

Charting Comments : LEGEND: 'OBSTNS - SEE NOTE', OBSTN NOT CHARTED

Date Last Amended : 05/10/2010

Reference (March 2012)

Sitename : Minieh: Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney

Altname :

Note : Location of the Minieh centred at NGR 348181E 1000697N. As previously recorded the Minieh broke in two shortly after sinking due to the fact that she was sunk over a hole in the seabed. She now lies collapsed in this hole immediately to the south of the Thames.

Sources :

Kevin Heath (personal communication),2012

G,Stell,Orkney at War: Defending Scapa Flow, Volume 1: World War 1,The Orcadaian (Kirkwall Press),2010,94

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 53.450 N 2 53.833 W The remains lie on a rocky stone bottom with some mud, particularly at the bottom of the deep tidal scour trench. The bow and stern sit in about 11m of water, while the midships section now sits in the trench in about 18m – 22m of water. The wreckage has a limited coverage of short animal turf. The remains can be affected by swell but are generally sheltered from tide.

A very large wreck, there is a lot of debris across the site including broken iron plates and ribs. Some of these have buckled or torn, while others seem to have broken along the seams. Several of these have porthole apertures. The plating is corroded in places, and this would have been exacerbated by the tide before the construction of the Churchill Barriers. Numerous unrounded stone blocks were noted overlaying the wreckage. It is likely these are the remains of stone ballast which would have been used to sink the vessel. Several sets of bitts, cleats and a large flanged pipe were observed in the debris.

To the stern there is a hold hatch and cargo winch. Moving forward, the valve system from the engine room is present but is no longer in situ, lying off the wreck on the seabed. Piping and associated machinery were observed in the area of the engine room, but the engine was not visible. While it is possible that this has been salvaged, it is also possible that it has been obscured by other wreckage.

While there are numerous sections of wooden decking of varying size across the wreckage, the galley floor appears to have been constructed from metal plating overlaid with bricks. These are close to an air vent.

Towards the bow there are several sections of the forward mast with deadeyes on the gunnel. Some wreckage in this section stands proud of the seabed with portions of the railings visible. There is an air vent aperture associated with wooden decking and another winch in this area.

An abandoned creel was observed within the wreckage.

Analysis

Historical documents and photographs confirm these to be the remains of the SS Minieh (ADM X96-2).

The wreck was originally charted in two pieces off the bows of the Thames. This was amended in 1923 when it was reported that the two sections could be deleted from the chart (as they were no longer considered a hazard to navigation). At the same time the legend ‘channel blocked’ was removed from the charts. This has since been reinstated.

The presence and extent of the remains observed during this survey clearly counter the 1972 UO. Although this was countered by Kevin Heath in 2000, the Fathoms multibeam survey in 2010 failed to identify any remains, though noted the presence of “many rough feature in the area” (UKHO report 1272). It is possible that the failure of the Fathoms surveys to identify the remains could be the result of poor navigation equipment – the DECCA system (http://www.radarpages.co.uk/mob/navaids/decca/decca1.htm) they were using would have had a large margin of error and thus they could have been surveying the wrong location.

Built as the SS Alsatia in 1876 by D.&E. Henderson and Co Ltd, Meadowside,

Glasgow for Henderson Brothers, Glasgow, the SS Minieh is a British iron

steamship. Renamed as the SS Minieh when purchased by Khedivial Mail and SS and Graving Doc Co. Ltd, London in 1901, the vessel was sold to the Admiralty in 1915 and was sunk as a blockship in Kirk Sound on the 27th February 1915.

Documents report that the scuttled blockship broke its back shortly after the sinking but note that the remains were left in place. Historical images from the Admiralty reports (Plate 5) clearly show the fore and aft masts leaning towards each other the archival sources from 1915 describe the remains as “broken and twisted” and likely to “break in half” (ADM X96-2).

Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014

Side Scan Sonar Survey (2013)

58 53.450 N 2 53.833 W This site was assessed by side scan sonar surveys using a winch-towed towfish.

The side scan images revealed a large wreck in two sections. This was determined to have been the result of the vessel breaking its back over a tidal scour trench that is approximately 22m deep. This has resulted in a slightly distorted length making it difficult to calculate accurate dimensions of the remains. The vessel is oriented east to west with the bow to the west. There are numerous plates, ribs and hatches visible on the image.

Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014

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