South Shields, Kalua (Decapo)

HER Number:
12952

District:
S Tyneside

Site Name:
South Shields, Kalua (Decapo)

Place:
South Shields

Map Sheet:

Class:
Maritime Craft

Site Type: Broad:
Transport Vessel

Site Type: Specific:
Cargo Vessel

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Wreckage

Description:
A 722 ton steamship which was bombed by German aircraft on 30th April 1941 at N 55 00 24 W001 17 34. N 54 59 930 W 01 17 348 (Collings). Steel, 722 ton British steamship, registered in Goole, 59.43m long, 9.16m beam 3.35m draught. She was built as the Decapo by J. Crown & Sons Ltd at Sunderland in 1908 and owned at the time of loss by C. Strubing & Co. Ltd. Her single steel propeller was powered by a three cylinder, triple expansion steam engine. Her machinery was built by the North East Marine Engineering Co. Ltd at Sunderland. She had one deck, a well-deck, a 4.6m watertight bridge-deck and 6.7m forecastle. (The Spokes database gives a measurement of 9.43m x 9.16m x 3.35m). On 29 April 1941 (Spokes/NMR database records the date as 30th April), the Kalua was on passage from the Tyne for London with an unspecified cargo of coal and a crew of fourteen when she was bombed and sunk by German aircraft during and air-raid on the coastal town of Tynemouth. The wreck is believed to be known locally as the South Aquastar. She lies orientated in a north-north-west to south-south-east direction, on a well-swept seabed of hard sand and broken shell in a general depth of 39m. She is very substantial, partially intact and sitting upright 4m high, but with a list to her port side. The wreck is complete expect for her bridge superstructure; there is a large hole in the wreck where is used to be. Grid reference conversion made 23.11.2010 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 55 00 460 W 001 12 585

Easting:
4322

Northing:
6823

Grid Reference:
NZ43226823

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Peter Collings, 1991, The New Divers Guide to the North-East Coast, page 31; Young, R. (2001) Comprehensive guide to Shipwrecks of the North East Coast (The): Volume Two, Tempus, Gloucestershire. p. 143, Source: Ian T. Spokes Wreck Database, Inga Project, National Monuments Record (908741); Hydrographic Office wreck index 09-MAR-1993; Dave Shaw and Barry Winfield 1988 Dive north east : a Diver guide Page(s)46; Richard and Bridget Larn 1997 Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 3. The east coast of England : Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumberland Section 6, County Durham (CF); 1989 Lloyd's war losses: the Second World War 3 September-14 August 1945, Volumes I and II Page(s)235; 1988 British vessels lost at sea 1914-18 and 1939-45 Section IV Page(s)21