Tynemouth, Protector

HER Number:
12959

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
Tynemouth, Protector

Place:
Tynemouth

Map Sheet:

Class:
Maritime Craft

Site Type: Broad:
Sailing Vessel

Site Type: Specific:
Cutter

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Wreckage

Description:
A pilot cutter of 200 tons, which was mined on 31st December 1916 off the Tyne. 19 crewmen were killed. Steel, 200-ton, 33.52m long, 6.73m beam, 3.22m draught, steam pilot cutter, rigged with sails. She was owned by Tyne Pilotage Commissioners and built by J.P.Rennoldson & Sons at South Shields in 1907. Her single bronze screw propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine using one boiler. On 31 December 1916, the Protector was lying off the Tyne entrance awaiting pilotage duties when she was seen to suddenly blow up and sink. It was believed that the vessel had detonated a German mine, just laid early that same morning. The explosion lifted the vessel clean out of the water and she sank almost immediately, taking Captain J.K. Parker and eighteen other people down with her. The wreck is orientated in a more or less south-south-east to north-north-west direction, on a seabed of dark, dirty sand and stone in a general depth of 21m. She has totally collapsed down onto the seabed in a small 1m pile of twisted steel plates, frames and broken machinery, with the remains of her engine in the midst of it all, which is typical of a small wreck of this period. There are a few copper pipes, brass valves and flanges to be seen, but it is not known whether the vessels bridge equipment is still in-situ. The wreck covers and area of around 35-40m long and 3m wide. The NMR has two entries recorded for this ship one under North Tyneside (1002338 NZ 36 NE 899) and one under South Tyneside (908751 NZ 46 NW 8). Built: 1907 Builder: JP Rennoldson & Sons Engine: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine Engine HP: 50 Boilers: 1 Owner: Tyne Pilotage Commissioners Master: JK Parker Crew: 19 Crew Lost: 19

Easting:
3860

Northing:
6746

Grid Reference:
NZ38606746

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Peter Collings, 1991, The New Divers Guide to the North-East Coast, page 31; R Young, 2000, Comprehensive Guide to Shipwrecks of the North-East Coast, Vol One (1740-1917), p 157; Ian Spokes, Wreck Database; National Monuments Record (1002338 & 908751); United Kingdom shipwreck index [pre publication typescript]; Page(s)N/a; 1990 Lloyd's war losses, The First World War: Casualties to shipping through enemy causes 1914-1918 Page(s)80; 1988 British vessels lost at sea 1914-18 and 1939-45 Section II Page(s)29; 990 Publications Ltd 990 Issue 1, Autumn 1998 1 Page(s)55,57; 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); Hydrographic Office wreck index 09-MAR-1993; Dave Shaw and Barry Winfield 1988 Dive north east : a Diver guide Page(s)56