Surveys for the MarramWind floating offshore wind project have uncovered a shipwreck believed to be the SS Tobol, a Russian merchant vessel sunk in 1917 by a German U-boat.
SS Cheltenham, later known as SS Topol, in a 20th-century photo by an unknown photographer. (Photo credit: © Sunderland Museums / Bridgeman Images / via press release)
The SS Tobol was originally built as the SS Cheltenham in Sunderland in the early 20th century. The vessel featured a distinctive turret deck design and was operated by a British steamer company. In 1904, Russian warships seized the ship, and it was later transferred to the Russian Imperial Navy, where it was renamed SS Tobol after the Tobol River in Russia.
By 1916, the vessel was reassigned to the Russian Volunteer Fleet. On 11 September 1917, it was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-52 while it was heading from Blyth to Arkhangelsk, marking its tragic end. The recent identification of the wreck could close a chapter on its 107-year-long disappearance.
Discovery details
Sonar scans conducted by the Fugro Galaxy during geophysical and environmental surveys for the 3GW wind farm project being developed by ScottishPower and Shell identified the likely resting place of the SS Tobol. The wreck, measuring 100m in length, 22.5m in width, and 10.5m in height, is in good condition.
Development Manager for MarramWind, Colin Anderson, said the discovery of the WWI shipwreck was “an extraordinary find,” especially as the seabed surveys covered a distance of around 6,000 miles. Such surveys are expected to turn up some wrecks, he said, but those finds tend to be smaller and known to the authorities. In contrast, although the Tobol was known to have been torpedoed during WWI, its location has remained a mystery for more than a century.
However, Anderson added: “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.”
Site protection measures
To preserve the wreck, a temporary exclusion zone of 250m has been established around the wreck site. The authorities, including the UK Hydrographic Office and Historic Environment Scotland, have been informed of the discovery of the wreck. Discussions are underway to create an archaeological exclusion zone to protect the site in the long term.
“This discovery of a small—but important—piece of a collective national jigsaw puzzle of marine heritage,” said Toby Gane, Marine and Coastal Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Lead for WSP, “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.” He added that it was incredible that, more than a century later, “we finally have a sense of where the SS Tobol likely went down.”
