Treasure hunters find wreck of Tyne-built ship

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The SS Gairsoppa was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1941 and sank off the south west coast of Ireland. Built at the old Palmers yard in Hebburn, the ship was found by US treasure hunters, who were granted a contract to search for the vessel by the Department for Transport, and are set to keep most of the sunken treasure. Local maritime expert Jim Cuthbert, of Fellgate, Jarrow, said: “It was known that the ship was lying about 300 miles south west of Galway Bay and it’s marvellous it’s been found after all this time.
“The ship was launched at Palmers in Hebburn on Tuesday, August 12, 1919, by the wife of AB Gowan, the chairman of Palmers. There was only one survivor – the ship’s navigator – after the rest of the crew either died when the ship went down or lifeboats overturned in bad weather.” – www.shieldsgazette.com