Steel steam trawler · 1911–1916 · Shetland, United Kingdom
HMS Sarah Alice
The enquiry held after her sinking was a controversial one: it asked why the hired yacht Conqueror had stopped the steamer St Gothard at all, and why the ships had then lain stationary long enough to be ambushed, when standing orders required boarding vessels to keep their speed. In the end it blamed no one. Smith’s Dockyard Co Ltd built HMS Sarah Alice in 1911, a steamer driven by a triple expansion engine.
She was escorting the St Gothard north west of Fair Isle when a torpedo from U-52 struck her, and she blew up and went down within minutes, taking Lieutenant Hugh Lovett and his crew with her; Conqueror and the St Gothard were sunk soon afterwards. The deep water has so far prevented any confirmed identification, but a wreck in two sections near the reported attack position is considered almost certainly hers.
- Type
- Steel steam trawler
- Year built
- 1911Smith’s Dockyard Co Ltd
- Lost
- 1916Explosion
- Tonnage
- 299 GRTsteam
- Depth
- 108 m
- Location
- Shetland, United KingdomAtlantic Ocean
Deeper than 183 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1916 · Explosion · Shetland, United Kingdom.
A Fleetwood trawler (FD140) requisitioned by the Admiralty in August 1914, she was escorting the St Gothard, sailing light from Shetland for the Forth, on 26 September 1916. The Conqueror stopped the steamer about 12 miles north west of North Point, Fair Isle.
At around 5pm, as the St Gothard was given permission to proceed, a torpedo from U-52 under Kapitanleutnant Hans Walther struck the Sarah Alice, and she sank within minutes with her 14 crewmen.
Built 1911 by Smith’s Dockyard Co Ltd; 5 years in service. Lost 1916, explosion.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
Near the reported attack position, a wreck lying in two pieces, one 23 metres and the other 31 metres long, rests in 111 metres, rising to 108 metres. It is almost certainly hers, though the depth has so far made confirmed identification impossible.
Notable Features
- Triple expansion engine
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.5° | 7.9° | 7.5° | 7.7° | 8.8° | 10.5° | 12.2° | 12.8° | 12.4° | 11.7° | 10.7° | 9.5° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Builder
- Smith’s Dockyard Co Ltd
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1916
- Latitude
- 59.6833° N
- Longitude
- 1.7500° W
- Water body
- Atlantic Ocean
- War grave
- No
- 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 record5 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record3 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source11 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
- 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 5 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 HMS Sarah Alice?
HMS Sarah Alice is the wreck of a steel steam trawler, off Shetland, United Kingdom, at 108 metres. HMS Sarah Alice was destroyed by an explosion in 1916.
How deep is the HMS Sarah Alice?
HMS Sarah Alice lies at approximately 108 metres, Atlantic Ocean, Shetland.
How did the HMS Sarah Alice sink?
HMS Sarah Alice was destroyed by an explosion on 1916, off Shetland, United Kingdom.