FUGRO GALAXY

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Wreckage of WW I-steamer discovered

A survey of the proposed MarramWind floating offshore wind farm site by the 'Fugro Galaxy' discovered the wreckage of the SS 'Tobol', which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1917. The survey, for what could be one of the first floating offshore wind farms in the world, revealed the likely resting place of the wreck, which was among several discovered during the works for the wind farm being developed by Iberdrola’s subsidiary ScottishPower and Shell. The discovery of the ship solved a 107-year-old maritime mystery. The vessel, built in Sunderland, worked as the SS 'Cheltenham' until it was captured by Russian warships in 1904. In 1905 it was transferred to the Russian Imperial Navy and renamed SS 'Tobol', before being relocated to the Russian Volunteer Fleet in 1916. It was torpedoed on September 11, 1917, en route from Blyth to Arkhangelsk. After the discovery, an exclusion zone of 250 m was put in place around the wreck which appeared to be in good condition. While the 'Tobol' was known to have been torpedoed in the war, its location was unclear. Relevant authorities like the UK Hydrographic Office and Historic Environment Scotland have been notified of the find, and discussions were ongoing to establish a long-term archaeological exclusion zone to ensure the wreck is protected and preserved.