Cargo vessel · lost 1941 · Northumberland, United Kingdom
SS Somali
Also known as Somali.
The P&O cargo liner Somali was bound for Hong Kong with nine thousand tons of wartime supplies — everything from medical kits and batteries to toy lead soldiers and coins for the colony's banks — when Luftwaffe Heinkels found her off Beadnell in March 1941. Bombs ignited her holds, and the resulting explosion broke the ship in two.
Four cylinder heads rise above the surrounding structure like industrial sentinels, while five boilers arranged in neat rows forward give scale to what was a substantial ship. Marine growth has transformed every surface into a living wall of colour.
- Type
- Cargo vesselBritish
- Lost
- March 27th, 1941Air attack
- Tonnage
- 6,809 GRTsteam
- Length
- 139.9 m18.6 m beam
- Depth
- 26–32 m
- Location
- Northumberland, United KingdomNorth Sea
1 of 6 facts above is cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 100 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost March 27th, 1941 · Air attack · World War II · Northumberland, United Kingdom.
Bombed by a squadron of German Heinkel 111 bombers while heading from London to Hong Kong via Firth of Forth for convoy assembly. Fire broke out in holds; subsequent explosion broke the ship in two off Beadnell, Northumberland.
Lost March 27th, 1941, air attack during World War II.
The Voyage
- Cargo
- 9,000 tons general cargo including non-ferrous metals, shoes, hay, batteries, medical supplies, bicycles, tyres, vehicles, coin, mercury, and toy lead soldiers
Condition of the WreckLargely intact, in 26–32 m.
Intactness
Lies upright. Quadruple-expansion steam engine stands upright with four cylinder heads. Five boilers arranged in rows of two and three forward of engine. Excellent marine life colonisation.
Notable Features
- Upright quadruple-expansion engine with four cylinder heads
- Five boilers in two rows
- 9,000 tons of eclectic wartime cargo
- Exceptional marine life colonisation
Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- March 27th, 1941
- Conflict / event
- World War II
- Latitude
- 55.57° N
- Longitude
- 1.60° W
- Water body
- North Sea
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Largely intact
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record6 facts
- Liner Wreckslinerwrecks.com · Secondary source1 fact
- Sovereign Divingsovereigndiving.co.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- Divernetdivernet.com · Club or operator1 fact
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
A further 3 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 SS Somali?
SS Somali is the wreck of a cargo vessel, off Northumberland, United Kingdom, at 32 metres. SS Somali was sunk by air attack in 1941.
How deep is the SS Somali?
SS Somali lies at 26 to 32 metres, Off Beadnell Point, ~1,800m offshore, Northumberland coast.
How did the SS Somali sink?
SS Somali was sunk by air attack on March 27th, 1941 during World War II, off Northumberland, United Kingdom.