Irish Wrecks On-Line - Amber SS (No. 103)

*Vessel Type:*	Steamer	*Location:*	Co. Down
*Date of Loss:*	2nd May 1917	*Place:*	Ballyhalbert
*Cause of Loss:*	Scuttled by U-Boat	*Boat Dive from:*	Ballyhalbert
*Charted Depth:*	46m	*Irish O.S. Map:*	Discovery Series No. 21
*Height of Wreck:*	7m	*Admiralty Chart No:*	2093 and/or 2156
*Hull Material:*	Iron & Steel	*Latitude (GPS):*	54 28.27 North
*Type of Seabed:*	Shale	*Longitude (GPS):*	05 23.06 West
*Average Visibility:*	3 - 8m	*Diving Experience:*	Very Experienced

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Diving Information:

Still in one piece, lying upright with bow pointing to North.

Hole in the stern.

Seabed rises steeply close to wreck.

Dive slack High Water Belfast +/- 1 hour.

Historical Information:

Built 1892 by Scott & Co., Bowling for William Robertson of Glasagow she grossed 401 tons and measured 43.40 x 7.64 x 3.25m. and was powerd by a 66h.p. 2 cylinder compound steam engine.

At time of loss was part of Belfast's John Kelly fleet and she was commanded by Captain H. Montgomery.

U-boats would often capture small vessels, order their crew off, and sink them by gunfire, or explosives as was the case of the "Amber".

The same U-boat also sunk four other vessels by the same method, on the same day, three off Ballyhalbert and one off Portavogie - the "Derrymore", "Morion", "Saint Mungo" and the sailing vessel "Ernest".

Source Publications:

"Irish Wrecks Database"

by
Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling

"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"

by
Richard & Bridget Larn

Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970

"Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast"

by
Ian Wilson Impact Printing 1997 - ISBN: 0948154993

Other Sources:

Michael Hamilton

-
Castlereagh SAC (1997)

UK Diving

-
Internet (John Robinson 1999)

Last update - 26-Jun-2006