lost 2016 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Iris
The crew of the Swedish-owned Iris abandoned her within ten minutes of being struck and were taken aboard the very ship that had hit her, the RFA Blue Ranger. Built of iron at West Hartlepool as Mercedes and later called Thrift, Grovedale and Torgerd, she was sixteenth of twenty-one ships in convoy WN53, which slipped through the Clyde boom in single file and passed down the Arran shore.
Near the Pladda turning buoy the column ran into fog, and she slowed before swinging west with one blast of her whistle. Close astern, the Blue Ranger, loaded with fuel oil, saw her lights cross ahead and could not turn in time, and drove her bow into the Swedish ship's starboard quarter by the rear hatch. The Iris settled and went down south-east of Pladda.
The wreck rests on mud largely intact, bow to the west, though most deck housings have gone and netting covers parts of the stern.
- Lost
- July 10th, 2016
- Depth
- 51–62 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 161 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost July 10th, 2016 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
Convoy WN53 left the Tail of the Bank shortly before midnight on 14 July 1941. Around 04.00 the ships entered fog and visibility fell to two cables or less, and she reduced revolutions, generally contrary to convoy instructions. The bows of the RFA Blue Ranger, carrying 1000 tons of fuel oil, sliced through her side to the hatch cover. She sank at 04.40, about 5 miles, 130° from Pladda Lighthouse.
Lost July 10th, 2016.
Condition of the WreckIntact, in 51–62 m.
Intactness
She lies on mud on a 090/270° heading with her bow to the west. Her hull remains largely whole, but most of her deck housings have collapsed, and netting covers parts of her stern.
Notable Features
- Anchor
- Cargo remains
- Triple expansion engine
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.6° | 7.6° | 7.3° | 8.3° | 10.3° | 12.5° | 14.4° | 14.9° | 14.3° | 12.8° | 11.6° | 10° |
Additional Details8 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Loss date
- July 10th, 2016
- Latitude
- 55.3814° N
- Longitude
- 5.0106° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Intact
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source7 facts
- Marine Accident Investigation Branchgov.uk · Secondary source2 facts
- JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04
A further 6 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Iris?
Iris is the wreck of a ship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 62 metres. Iris was lost in 2016.
How deep is the Iris?
Iris lies at 51 to 62 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Iris sink?
The cause of the loss of Iris is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated July 10th, 2016.