Minimum number of divers: 10 Max Depth - 40m
Tonnage – 1870
Length – 279 feet
Date sunk - 13 Mar 1918
Type of vessel - Belgian Steam Ship
How sunk – Torpedoed
Former names – Vrijhandel
Wreck height - 7m
Travelling from
Calais for Bristol Channel in ballast the Londonier was torpedoed by
UC-71. She was hit by two torpedoes on the port side. She sank very quickly and
12 of the 25 crew lost their lives. The Londonier was a steel hulled steamer launched in West Hartlepool on 28th
August 1911. Built for a Belgian company, the ship was named Vrijhandel (Dutch
for free trade), and operated under the Belgian flag until approximately 1916, when
it was renamed Londonier and, shortly after, put on charter to the
French government. On 13th March 1918 the Londonier had crossed the Channel
and was steering a course in the direction of the Needles en route from Calais
to the Bristol Channel. The UC-71, a German submarine under the command of
Oberleutnant zur See Warzecha, executed a surface attack, torpedoing the Londonier at 2am on 13th March.
The wreck lies mostly upright, although she has collapsed to starboard. The
highest part of the wreck is her triple expansion engine and boilers. The stern
gun lies on its side just off the wreck. The bow is very broken.
Londonier information
WRECKTOUR:157 The Londonier
http://http://www.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/londonier
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