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Wrecks - South Georgia
A poignant reminder of the harshness of the past human
history of South Georgia is reflected in the number of wrecked
vessels that lie abandoned in the island's bays and coves.
They now offer sanctuary for seabirds and other creatures as
nature reclaims them.
Dias, Albatros and Petrel
The
three small sealers and whale-catchers lie half submerged at
the Grytviken jetties. Each is interwoven into the history of
South Georgia. Dias was a sealer for all her service, while
Albatros and Petrel were originally whale catchers and then
used for sealing. Dias is 33.1 metres long, 167 tons and built
in 1906 at Beverly near Hull. Albatross is 32.8 metres long,
210 tons and was built in 1921 at Selvik, Norway. Petrel is
35.1 metres long, 245 tons and built in 1928 at Oslo. They
were powered by triple expansion coal-fired steam engines.
Louise
The
remains of Louise lie on the southern side of Grytviken. The
wreck was badly damaged by fire in the 1980s, during a
military training exercise. Louise was a wooden copper clad
three masted vessel used by C. A. Larsen to establish the
Grytviken whaling station in 1904. Having transported men and
materials (her baulk ports enabled long timbers to be loaded),
she was used as floating accommodation and then finally as a
coaling hulk. Built by G. and C. Bliss of Freeport, Maryland,
USA, as Jeannie S. Barker in 1869 and then sold in 1880 to a
Sandefjord company for use in the Baltic timber trade. She is
52.8 m long and displaces 1065 tons.
Fortuna
Fortuna's remains,part of C. A.
Larsen's first whale-catcher fleet, lie submerged just north
of Hope Point and can be seen at low water. She was built in
1904 in Sandefjord for Compania Argentina de Pesca and was
30.3 metres and 164 tons. Fortuna Bay and Glacier is named
after her.
Karrakatta
An old rusting whale catcher,
Karrakatta, rests on the beach at Husvik whaling station, her
last job was to provide steam for the workshop via a lagged
steam pipe that emerged from hers bows, near the whale cable
run. She is 32.4metres, 179 tons with engines developing 69
horsepower. She was built in 1912 in Oslo for the West
Australian Whaling Company (Chr Nielsen and Co)
James
Turpie
In
Leith Harbour lies the James Turpie, where she sank at her
moorings. An iron steam ship built in 1881 in Newcastle by A.
Leslie and Company. She was used as a coal hulk and in 1946
sank. She is 82.5 metres and 1732 tons with engines that could
produce 172 horsepower.
Bayard
On the southern beaches of
Ocean Harbour lies Bayard,a three masted iron hulled sailing
vessel. She was used as a coaling ship for the whaling
station. Bayard lost her mooring at the coaling pier on the
northern side during a severe gale on 6 June 1911. Blown on to
the rocks on the southern side and holed, she rests there
today, as perch for cormorants and petrels. Built in 1864 by
T. Vernon and Son, Liverpool, she is 67 metres long and
displaced 1335 tons. Little remains of the whaling station
other than a small train engine.
Brutus
Just
outside the inner cove of Prince Olaf Harbour another three
masted, iron hulled coaling vessel, Brutus, lies part
submerged. She is 75.9 metres long and displaced 1686 tons.
Full of coal, to be used as a coaling hulk, she was towed to
South Georgia by 4 whale catches from Cape Town in about 1912.
The vessel was built by J. Reid and Co, of Glasgow in 1883 and
first named Sierra Pedrosa for service in the Sierra shipping
line of Lima.
Fridtjof Nansen
A floating factory ship,
Fridtjof Nansen, foundered off the Barff Peninsula on her
first voyage to South Georgia on 10th November 1906. She hit
an uncharted reef and sank within 7 minutes, breaking into
three. Nine sailors died from a crew of 58.The survivors were
rescued by the accompanying whale- catchers. The reef is named
after her "the Nansen Banks". The ship was built in 1885 in
Newcastle and was of 2563 tons.
The First World War (1914
to 18)
The war's effect on South Georgia was a huge
increase in the demand for whale oil. It was needed to make
glycerol for the manufacture of nitro-glycerine for
explosives. Whale oil was also used for in edible fat
production. To increase production, restrictions on the number
of whale catchers were relaxed as was the utilisation of the
whole carcass. The pollution from stripped animals in the
waters around the 7 operating stations was huge.
War and
Conflict
The
Second World War (1939 to 45)
The war interrupted not only the whaling
industry but also scientific and other expeditions. Whale oil
continued to be important in the production of edible fats,
but other ingredients were used for manufacturing high
explosive. British and Norwegian floating factories and many
whale catchers were requisitioned for the war effort. Only the
station at Grytviken operated throughout the war, Leith was
used intermittently (1940/41 & 1942/43).
German ships operated in Antarctic waters against
Allied whaling fleets. Carnavon Castle & Queen of Bermuda,
both merchant ships, were armed and patrolled the southern
oceans. Queen of Bermuda visited South Georgia twice in
January and March 1941. Two First World War 4-inch naval guns
were deployed to protect the whaling stations at Grytviken and
Leith.
HMS Ajax and Exeter, which were involved in the action
at the River Plate to sink the German Battleship the Graf
Spee, had visited South Georgia before the start of
hostilities in November 1938 and deployed their Walrus
aircraft and took the first aerial photography of South
Georgia used for mapping and glacial study. After the action
at the River Plate HMS Exeter was repaired at South Georgia
and her wounded hospitalised there.
Argentine Invasion of South Georgia 1982
The
prelude to the 1982 conflict in the Falkland Islands commenced
in Leith Whaling Station. In 1980, an Argentine scrap
merchant, Sr Constantino Davidoff had purchased the whaling
stations Husvik, Stromness and Leith for demolition from
Christian Salvesen for £115,000. On 19th March 1982 Davidoff
arrived at Leith with 41 workmen in the Argentine Navy ship
Bahia Buen Suceso commanded by Capatin Briatore. The ship did
not report to Grytviken as ordered and landed Argentine
military personnel who raised the Argentine flag. Davidoff and
his men set to work.
Diplomacy fails
A flurry of diplomatic activity
followed between the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Britain
and Argentina. HMS Endurance commanded by Captain Barker RN
was despatched from Stanley in the Falkland Islands to South
Georgia with a reinforced Royal Marines detachment of 22 men
to remove the Argentines. Trevor Edwards leader of the British
Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists based on South Georgia had
established observation posts to monitor and report on the
Argentine's activities. The arrival of HMS Endurance and the
Royal Marines on 24th March under Lt Keith Mills coincided
with the arrival of the Argentine naval transport vessel Bahia
Paraiso commanded by Captain Trombetta in Stromness Bay. The
ship had two helicopters (Puma and Allouette) embarked and she
landed 12 Argentine marines at Stromness.
Argentines seize South Georgia
On 2nd April
the Argentines invaded the Falkland Islands. Lieutenant Astiz
at Leith paraded his men under the Argentine flag and
addressed them saying the island was to be called "Isla San
Pedro". On 3rd April the Argentines moved onto Grytviken,
landing 7 marines by helicopter onto King Edward Point. A
sharp engagement followed in which the Argentines lost a Puma
helicopter and the Frigate Guerrico was badly damaged,
casualties occurred on both sides. South Georgia was taken
forcibly by the Argentines.
Operation Paraquat
The operation to
re-capture South Georgia was named Operation Paraquat. A
strong naval force was assembled with Captain Nick Barker RN
in Command. The land forces consisted of Special Forces and a
company of Royal Marines commanded by Major Guy Sheridan Royal
Marines.
Advanced Force Operations
HMS Conquerer a
nuclear submarine arrived on 19th April 1982. Advanced force
operations by the SAS and SBS encountered typical South
Georgia weather and boat engines failed. A SAS patrol inserted
on 21 April became stranded in severe weather high on the
Fortuna glacier. They were rescued in extreme circumstances on
22 April. Two Wessex helicopters crashed while trying to land
in blizzard conditions high up on the Fortuna Glacier. Their
remains still protrude out of the ice on the route Shackleton
took to cross the islands some 60 years previously. Three SAS
were rescued 40 miles from the coast by Wessex helicopter in a
Gemini with a failed engine.
Santa Fe and Surrender
The Argentine submarine
Santa Fe was attacked and disabled on the 25th April. A
scratch military force under command of Major Sheridan Royal
Marines lands on Hestesletten and the Argentine Garrison
surrendered under intimidatory naval gunfire to Captain
Pentreath of HMS Plymouth. On the 26th the small Argentine
Garrison at Leith surrendered to Captain Young of HMS
Antrim.
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