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| The Sussex Coast. What lies beneath? Image copyright Janet Cameron |
4,000 ships lie beneath Sussex seas, wrecked by jagged cliffs, sandbanks and treacherous weather. Wendy Hughes' book reveals some intriguing stories.
The
coastline covered in Wendy Hughes' book stretches from Chichester in
West Sussex, through Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, and as far as Rye; waters that have been described as
"the diver's paradise." Some of the most spectacular wrecks
occurred at Seven Sisters (a range of high Sussex cliffs) and also at
the famous and notorious suicide spot, Beachy Head. These areas are
plagued by unpredictable currents and south-westerly winds. The
earliest known wreck of the Sussex coast was the Marie of
Santander in 1368, and later a Dutch ship was lost in 1617 around
Birling Gap.
The
Battle of Beachy Head
In
1690, the British warship, the Anne was
lost during the Battle of Beachy Head. The Anne was
built by Charles II and launched in Chatham in 1678. She was named
for the Princess Anne who lived from 1665 to 1714. The Anne sported
seventy guns and In 1688, when James II fled England, William of
Orange and his wife Mary arrived to claim the English throne. As
William of Orange and Louis XIV of France were sworn enemies, war
ensued, resulting in the famous Battle of Beachy Head. The French
were victorious on this occasion - although not to any remarkable
degree since the Anglo-Dutch fleet lost only lost one vessel.
Unfortunately, a few more, including the Anne,
had to be scuppered to keep them out of the hands of the French.
Extreme
Weather Causes the Seven Ships Disaster
On
Tuesday 5 December 1809, HMS Harlequin,
a ship-sloop, was escorting a convoy from Plymouth to the eastern end
of the English Channel, with several passengers including small
children on board. Altogether, the convoy comprised twenty-three
ships. The weather became turbulent and some of the heavy ships made
little headway. On Wednesday evening the convoy encountered
hurricane-force winds, and while temperatures plummeted, sleet and
rain hindered visibility. The Harlequin did
its best, firing its cannon to alert the convoy of her position. Fog
rose up and thickened causing the commander, Lieutenant Anstruther,
to believe the fleet had cleared treacherous Beachy Head.
The
six leading vessels behind the Harlequin were
the Unice,
Albion, Weymouth, February, Traveller, and
the Midbedacht. Eventually,
all seven ships ran aground in Seaford Bay in violent surf with the
howling wind ripping up the sails and masts. The vessels crashed
together causing chaos. Captain Anstruther's last log entry reads:
"Signal guns fired and flares to warn convoy. We have serious
hull damage reports from below and mid-ships."
The
rest of the ships heard the warning cannon fire and sailed unharmed
past Beachy Head. Despite the chaos in the Bay, there were many acts
of bravery, and everyone who could be saved was taken safely ashore
by locals. The fate of each of the ships is recorded in the book.
Wrong
Place, Wrong Time
Some
ships were simply victims of hostile world events. The First and
Second World Wars claimed a number of casualties. One such victim was
the Shirala,
which left London on Sunday 30 June 1918, dropping anchor near
Gravesend on the Thames to collected goods, ammunition and a few
passengers. On 2 July - recorded as being "a perfect day" -
an explosion tore the ship's port side, followed by a further hit on
the starboard side. The engine room was suddenly flooded and the
stricken ship sank, just five miles off Littlehampton. What is
particularly ironic is that she had adopted a zig-zag route to avoid
being hit by a U-boat.
A
Delight for Shipping Enthusiasts
Shipwrecks
of Sussex is
a detailed and carefully-researched account, but not only about the
disastrous and tragic loss of fine ships and human life. It also
provides a fascinating glimpse into human nature and how human beings
are capable of acts of great wickedness and also of extreme courage
under duress.
Source:
-
Shipwrecks of Sussex, Wendy Hughes, The History Press, 2011.
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