Steamship · 1899–1918 · Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom
Ulabrand
German First World War records later showed that the Norwegian steamship Ulabrand had been torpedoed by U-86 under Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Patzig, which had been lying inshore of her off the Galloway coast.
Built at Copenhagen by Burmeister & Wain in 1899, the 2011-ton ship was running north in ballast from Rouen towards Glasgow in February 1918 when a single blast tore open her starboard side aft of midships, wrecking one lifeboat and the after deck structure. The port boat capsized as she settled, thirteen of her crew were lost, and the nine survivors drifted to land on a lashed-together boat, gig and raft.
Her master, Olaf Bjønness, gave his account from memory, since the ship's papers had gone down with her. A wreck of matching length found near her last known position is very likely to be her.
- Type
- Steamship
- Year built
- 1899Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen
- Lost
- 1918Explosion
- Casualties
- 13
- Tonnage
- 2,011 GRTsteam
- Depth
- 100 m
- Location
- Dumfries and Galloway, United KingdomNorth Channel
Deeper than 181 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1918 · Explosion · Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom.
She left Rouen on 12th February 1918, crossed the Channel in convoy and called at Milford Haven before she was held at Holyhead, because of a rise in U-boat activity in the North Channel, until 22nd February. Shortly after midnight on 23rd February, two miles west of Crammag Head, the torpedo struck and she sank quickly. The survivors made landfall around 06.00 that morning.
Built 1899 by Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen; 19 years in service. Lost 1918, explosion.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
A wreck close to her last recorded position, of similar length on a sonar survey, is highly likely to be her. It lies north/south on a rolling sandy seabed in 100 metres, rising at most 5 metres above the seabed.
Notable Features
- Triple expansion engine
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 9.3° | 8.1° | 7.6° | 8.3° | 9.9° | 11.9° | 13.7° | 14.7° | 14.6° | 13.8° | 12.5° | 10.6° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Builder
- Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1918
- Latitude
- 54.6640° N
- Longitude
- 5.0483° W
- Water body
- North Channel
- 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 record2 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source12 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 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 Ulabrand?
Ulabrand is the wreck of a steamship, off Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom, at 100 metres. Ulabrand was destroyed by an explosion in 1918.
How deep is the Ulabrand?
Ulabrand lies at approximately 100 metres, North Channel, Dumfries and Galloway.
How did the Ulabrand sink?
Ulabrand was destroyed by an explosion on 1918, off Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom. 13 people lost their lives.