Oriflamme

Type of vessel - Steam Tanker

How sunk – Mined

Former names – None

Wreck height - 7m

ravelling from New York for Le Havre with 5000 tons of benzene when the ‘Oriflamme’ is presumed to have hit a mine laid by UC-63. Despite a fire breaking out there were no casualties. The whole ship was ablaze. The ship was eventually sunk by gunfire as she was considered a hazard to navigation. Oil continued to seep from her well into the 1980’s.

The wreck now lies on her starboard side. She sits in a scour on the seabed, and can be difficult to dive due to the fierce tides that run through there. Diving should be avoided on Spring tides.

South Coast
Shipwrecks

For the full story
click here