SS Persia, Salvage operation Options

[George Armstrong...]

From today's 'Sunday Times':

THE world’s deepest salvage operation has retrieved a cache of rubies from a British ship laden with gold and jewels that sank to a depth of 10,000ft.

The SS Persia was torpedoed by a German U-boat while carrying a maharajah’s treasure across the Mediterranean in 1915 and remained beyond reach for 88 years.

A British firm found the wreck and used robotic machinery to cut into its strongroom and retrieve a part of its precious cargo. The success of the operation means that many other wrecks previously considered too deep to salvage could be within reach — including at least one Russian submarine with nuclear warheads aboard.

Moya Crawford of Deep Tek, the Fife-based salvage firm that carried out the operation in 2003, said: “Our machinery was able to cut into the Persia’s strongroom from where we recovered more than 200 rubies and other precious stones.

“We did not find the gold – someone will have to go back for that — but the real value lies in showing that no part of the seabed is now beyond reach.”

This week she will present details of the discoveries at the site to a symposium on deep-sea biology at the National Oceanography Centre at Southampton University.

The 500ft, 7,974-ton Persia — one of P&O’s most luxurious passenger liners — was carrying cargo worth more than £10m, including the gold and jewels of the Maharajah Jagatjit Singh. Her passengers included Eleanor Thornton, the inspiration for the Spirit of Ecstasy statuette that adorns the bonnet of Rolls-Royce cars.

The ship was torpedoed without warning off Crete on December 30, 1915, by U28 and sank with the loss of 334 lives. Thornton was among them.

Until now it has been almost impossible to work remotely at such depths because the steel cables needed to suspend machinery become too heavy beyond a certain length. Crawford, however, commissioned a special rope of synthetic fibres that is as strong as steel but slightly buoyant. She also designed a winch that could let out the rope and wrap power and video cables around it.

“We used satellite positioning to put our ship above the wreck, lowered the platform and, as it went down, the Persia came into view for the first time in nine decades,” she said. “It was a wonderful moment.”

[Michael Lowrey]

An interesting article with, strangely, an obvious mistake -- Persia was torpedoed by U 38, not U 28.

Best wishes,
Michael

[per ardua per ma...]

What a good thing it wasn't reported in the Guardian' or else the typos would have been more extensive.

Per Mare

[George Armstrong...]

What a good thing it wasn't reported in the Guardian' or else the typos would have been more extensive.

Per Mare

[Siege Gunner]

I didn't see yesterday's Sunday Times, so I'm not clear whether there have been new developments in the Persia story. I thought the gems were retrieved 3-4 years ago - and I seem to remember a TV documentary about it last year.

Mick

[George Armstrong...]

You're correct, Mick. As the Times article notes, the salvage operation was carried out in 2003. I think the point of Suday's article was that Moya Crawford of the salvage company involved will be giving a paper this week on the operation at the National Oceanography Centre at Southampton University.

Regards,
GAC

[GWRCo]

I wonder? Was this purely for profit, & to 'test out' the kit - or could this be a Bob Ballard thing in the pipeline!

I can understand it from a historical research point of view along the lines of what Bob Ballard has done, but i would like to know if it was done purely on the basis of "there's a wreck out there with millions of quid in diamonds, etc, still on it & so what if it's a war grave"!

tim

[Mideb]

Picking up this thread rather late, but here goes........

Yesterday I was talking with a friend who works alongside me in a voluntery role as a Watchkeeper for Coastwatch down here in Dorest. (Coastwatch is the voluntary arm of the Coastguards)

Apparently his Grandfather William Henry Dowling was the Chief Purser in the First Class section of SS Persia when it was hit in 1915. It is recorded that he saved a number of passengers, including 3 children. 10 other children perished.

My friend is in possession of a manuscript version of William's account of what actually happened. I am looking forward to reading it.

[historydavid]

On 30th December 1915 SS (da) Persia, built 1900, 7,974 grt, was torpedoed and sunk in 34.10N, 26.00E by torpedo from U 38, 71 miles SExS from Cape Martello, Crete, Mediterranean Sea. Carrying passengers and general cargo from London to Marseilles & Bombay, owned by Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co Ltd - London. A total of 334 crew and passengers lost their lives.

Best wishes
David

[Kath]

Thought this would fit in here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...0/nrolls120.xml

"Wings of desire: the secret love affair that inspired Rolls-Royce's flying lady."

" During the First World War, Montagu was dispatched to India with the Army, to oversee the effectiveness of motorised units. He and Eleanor were travelling aboard the SS Persia on December 13 1915 when it was hit by a German torpedo in the Mediterranean."

"An exhibition about the sinking of the Persia will open at Beaulieu next month."

Kath.