Simplified Wreck Survey
Wreck Details for Coal Hulk Himalaya located in Portland Harbour, Dorset. The wreck is situated at coordinates 50 34.725 N, 2 26.584 W. The Himalaya was a coal hulk that was sunk at her moorings during the Second World War. Following salvage efforts by the Portland and Weymouth Coaling Co. Ltd in 1943, the superstructure was removed and the vessel was blown flat. Historical reports indicate an unexploded bomb may remain on the seabed near the site. The wreckage is well broken up and covers a large area, consisting of ship plates, beams, teak planking, and coal. Modern hydrographic surveys describe the remains as lying in roughly 10.9 meters of water with a least depth of 8.77 meters. The debris field stretches approximately 100 meters along a 100/280-degree axis. The site is considered a dangerous wreck and remains foul for anchoring. Current charted data confirms the position and depth for navigation purposes.
Surveying Details
H02184/41 2.7.41 COAL HULK NO.2 IN 503440N, 022629W AMENDED TO DWP. (ADMIRALTY). - FNM 1521/41 & LATER NM 3216/45. H1662/48 16.4.48 POSN NOW STATED TO BE FOUL. (KHM PORTLAND HN 43/48). - NM 792/48. 16.1.57 NO LONGER CHARTED. (AUTHORITY NOT STATED). NE 2268. 7.8.67 SMALL DISPOSAL CARRIED OUT BY PORTLAND AND WEYMOUTH COALING CO. LTD IN SEPT '43. THESE WERE THE OWNERS OF THE VESSEL. ONLY SUPERSTRUCTURE REMOVED. OF FOUR BOMBS DROPPED ONLY THREE EXPLODED. ONE UNEXPLODED BOMB REPD ON SEABED. (LLOYDS WAR RISK, BOT HIST SECTION, TELECON, DTD 7.8.67). H1310/74/56 12.2.75 IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT 'HIMALAYA' WAS IN 503511N, 022509W. NOW DISCOUNTED BY A REPORT FROM MR C G FOX WITH REFERENCE TO 1939 EDN OF 2268. 'HIMALAYA' SUNK AT HER MOORINGS IN APPROX CENTRE OF HARBOUR AND REMAINED WITH HER MASTS ABOVE WATER FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR BEFORE BEING BLOWN FLAT BY SALVAGE COMPANY. (C G FOX, DTD 3.2.75). THIS WK CHARTED AS DWP (MAST DRIES TO 5FT) 1939 EDN OF BA 2268, CORRECT TO NM 1048/46. H1310/74 11.3.75 POSN REPORTED AS 503440.5N, 022629.0W. (C G FOX, DTD 3.3.75). H1310/84/19 13.6.84 REMAINS OF VESSEL WELL BROKEN UP, COVERING LARGE AREA RUNNING ROUGHLY 100/280DEGS. WKGE CONSISTS OF SHIP PLATES, BEAMS, TEAK PLANKING AND COAL. MOSTLY THIS LAYS FAIRLY FLAT BUT SOME PARTS STAND UP TO 5FT HIGH. WHOLE AREA FOUL FOR ANCHORING. POSN GIVEN ON 1940 COPY OF CHART 2268 IS ACCURATE. (S LISCOE). RE-INS AS FOUL IN 503440.5N, 022629W [OGB]. BR STD. H3848/86 2.11.90 EXAM'D 14.10.90 IN 503441.32N, 022630.32W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER [3 LOP], DCS3 AND DIVERS FIXES. LEAST E/S DEPTH 9 IN GEN DEPTH 11MTRS. SCOUR 0.4MTRS DEEP. DCS3 HT 2MTRS, LENGTH 100MTRS, WIDTH 20MTRS. LIES 100/280DEGS, IN 6 MAIN PIECES WITH OUTLYING SCATTERED WRECKAGE, LEAST DEPTH 9MTRS, IN 503441.70N, 022631.44W [OGB]. (HMSML GLEANER, H525 DTD 16.10.90). CHART AS DWP 9MTRS IN 503441.3N, 022630.3W [OGB]. - NM 3270/90. 14.10.04 EUT POSN: 5034.723N, 0226.584W. NE 2268. HH091/217/01 / SEP 2009/000158351 2.11.09 EXAM'D 25.3.08 IN 5034.725N, 0226.584W [WGD] USING DGPS. LEAST M/B DEPTH 8.77 IN GEN DEPTH 10.93MTRS. LENGTH 3.13MTRS, WIDTH 1.62MTRS, HT 3.16MTRS. LIES 120/330DEGS. APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN INTO NUMEROUS PIECES, THE QUOTED POSN BEING FOR THE LEAST DEPTH. DEBRIS COVERS 100MTRS ALONG 100/280 DEGS. APPEARS TO LIE IN MINOR SCOUR, LENGTH 91MTRS, ALONG 110 DEGS. (HMSML GLEANER, HI 1217). AMEND DWP 8.7MTRS IN CHARTED POSN. BR STD.
Circumstances of loss
BUILT IN 1853 BY C J MARE & CO, BLACKWALL FOR THE P & O SHIPPING CO. BUILT AS A THREE-MASTED PADDLER BUT WAS CONVERED TO SCREW PROPULSION BEFORE COMPLETION. TWO CYLINDER TRUNK ENGINE OF 2050 NHP, SINGLE SHAFT. WAS WORLD'S LARGEST VESSEL WHEN ORIGINALLY BUILT, BEING 4690 GRT. USED DURING THE CRIMEAN WAS AS A TROOPSHIP. CONVERTED COAL HULK IN THE MEDWAY IN 1894. BOMBED BY JU 88 AIRCRAFT, 3 BOMBS EXPLODED. SAT WITH MAST SHOWING DURING REMAINDER OF WW2. LATER DISPERSED. (DORSET SHIPWRECKS, SEA BREEZES, LLOYDS WAR RISK, BOT HIST SECTION, SIBI).
General Comments
AREA OF WRECKAGE WITH 6 MAIN PIECES, MINOR SCOUR