Steamship · 1890–1942 · Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom
Pollux II
The Pollux II came ashore still ablaze, and the sea finished what her crew could not: water entering through the damage from the stranding and the fire gradually put out the flames in her holds, leaving a scorched hull on the rocks.
She had begun as the cargo steamer Theodor, a 931-ton steel ship built by Howaldtswerke in 1890, and passed to Estonian owners in Tallinn as the Pollux, and was later chartered by the British Ministry of War Transport for convoy work.
Bound from Newport to Londonderry with tobacco, medical supplies and metal, she caught fire off Port Logan; her crew abandoned her, and she drifted onto the south shore of Portencorkie Bay below Laggantulloch Head. Local people soon went to work on her cargo to stretch their wartime rations. Some salvage is thought to have followed in the 1960s, and pieces of her still lie among the boulders close inshore.
- Type
- Steamship
- Year built
- 1890Howaldtswerke AG at Keil
- Lost
- 1942
- Tonnage
- 931 GRTsteam
- Location
- Dumfries and Galloway, United KingdomNorth Channel
History and LossLost 1942 · Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom.
On Boxing Day 1942, bound for Londonderry from Newport, Wales, with a 375-ton cargo of tobacco, medicines and metal, she took fire off Port Logan. Unable to bring the blaze under control, her crew left her. She drifted onto the southern shore of Portencorkie Bay while the fire still raged.
Built 1890 by Howaldtswerke AG at Keil; 52 years in service. Lost 1942.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
She lies just off the shore. Salvage is believed to have taken place in the 1960s, yet pieces of her still lie among the rocks and boulders.
Notable Features
- Cargo remains
- Triple expansion engine
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 9.1° | 7.9° | 7.5° | 8.3° | 10° | 12° | 13.8° | 14.8° | 14.7° | 13.8° | 12.3° | 10.5° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Builder
- Howaldtswerke AG at Keil
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1942
- Latitude
- 54.6743° N
- Longitude
- 4.9650° W
- Water body
- North Channel
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record6 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source6 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- 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 4 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 Pollux II?
Pollux II is the wreck of a steamship, off Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom. Pollux II was lost in 1942.
How did the Pollux II sink?
The cause of the loss of Pollux II is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1942.