Irish Wrecks On-Line - Hunsdon SS (No. 540)

*Vessel Type:*	Steamer	*Location:*	Co. Down
*Date of Loss:*	18th October 1918	*Place:*	Off Ballyhornan
*Cause of Loss:*	Torpedoed	*Boat Dive from:*	Portaferry
*Charted Depth:*	40m	*Irish O.S. Map:*	Discovery Series No. 21
*Height of Wreck:*	6m	*Admiralty Chart No:*	2093/2156
*Hull Material:*	Steel	*Latitude (GPS):*	54° 19' 09.9" North
*Type of Seabed:*	Sand	*Longitude (GPS):*	05° 27' 15.78" West
*Average Visibility:*	5 - 10m	*Convert Lat. & Long.* to -	Decimal - CLICK HERE
*Image available?*	Yes - see below	*Diving Experience:*	Very Experienced

Diving Information:

In large sections and scattered plates.

Plenty of pruck left.

Guns still in place at stern.

Large amount of fish clams.

Lies 3 miles east of Ballyhornan.

38m to the deck.

Can be dived an hour before and after High and Low Water.

Note!! Permission should be obtained to dive this wreck.

Historical Information:

Built originally as the "Arnfried" for the Hamburg-Afrika Line by the Weser Co., Bremen, and launched in April 1911.

Dimensions - 335.3 x 48.1 x 21.1ft, 2899 gross tons.

She was fitted with wireless telegraphy.

Captured by the British at Duala, W. Africa 14th July 1914.

Renamed "Hunsdon", she was registered under the British flag on 4th May 1915.

Transported hay and oats between West coast of England and France.

Captained by Captain Beadie, she was torpedoed by UB-92 (type UBIII) commanded by Lt.Cdr. Johannes Paul Muller, on 18th October 1918 bound Belfast from Le Harve.

One man named McAleer, died.

Wreck is now owned by Norsemaid Sea Enterprises Ltd.

S.S. Hunsdon

via email

All rights respectfully acknowledged

Source Publications:

*"Irish Wrecks Database"*	by	Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling
*"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"*	by	Richard & Bridget Larn
		*Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970*
*"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 1582 - 2000"*	by	Dr. Edward J. Bourke
		Edward J. Bourke 2000 - ISBN: 0952302721
*"Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast"*	by	Ian Wilson
		*Impact Printing 1997 - ISBN: 0948154993*
*"Underwater Ireland Guide to Irish Dive Sites"*	by	Irish Underwater Council
		*CFT 1999 - ISBN: 0948283025*

Other Sources:

*Alan Wright*	-	Castlereagh SAC (1989)
*Vic Foster*	-	Castlereagh SAC (1996)
*UK Diving*	-	Internet (1999)

Last update - 08-Mar-2006