The Kendal Castle was a steamer torpedoed 4 miles SE of Berry Head. Rated as 38th best wreck dive by Diver magazine in its top 100 wreck dives!

Dive Site Name: Kendal Castle       Dive Type: Wreck Dive       

Max Depth Seabed: 48m             Depth to top of Wreck: 36m  

Approximate Position: 50,21.63N 003,24.62W

Tonnage: 3885tonnes    Length: 107m     Beam: 15m     Cargo: Ballast

Date Lost: 15/09/1918      How Lost: Torpedoed UB 104

Minimum Qualification: PADI Tec 45 / Technical Diver  (Or Equivilent)


SS Kendal Castle PhotographThe SS Kendal Castle was built in 1910, at 3885 Tonnes, length 350ft beam 50 ft. Armed, with a 353hp triple-expansion engines. The SS Kendal Castl was built by Short Bros., Ltd., Sunderland in 1910 and owned at the time of her loss by J. Chambers & Co., Liverpool. Further information on the builders is here

The SS Kendal Castle was on passage from Le Havre without cargo (in Ballast) heading fro Cardiff when on the 15th September 1918 Oberleutnant Thomas Bieber on UB 104 fired 2 torpedoes. She sank immediately with the loss of 18 crew approximately 4 miles off Berry Head.

SOme records report her being sunk by UB 103 however we cannot find any recording of UB 103 being in this area at this time or her reporting sinking the Kendal Castle.

She now lays in 48m of water and is ranked as the 38th best UK wreck fdive by Diver Magazine in its list of best 100 wreck dives. She is upside down and is in really good condition apart from damage to her bow section.

 


Further Information:

http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?545

http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/100_best_uk_wreck_dives/159648/the_kendal_castle_38.html

http://www.uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/3292.html