Simplified Wreck Survey
The shipwreck Jaffa is located at coordinates 50 38.572 N, 0 27.126 W. Originally located in 1962 while searching for another vessel, divers and historical artifacts later confirmed the wreck to be the Wilson Line freighter Jaffa. The well-broken structure lies in a general depth of 23 meters with a least depth of 18.41 meters. The wreckage measures approximately 80 meters in length and 16 meters in width, oriented in a 015/195 degree direction with a height of 4.6 meters. The vessel is broken into two main sections divided forward of the boiler and spaced about 30 meters apart. The larger northern aft section appears almost inverted with the base of the hull exposed along the west side and a visible propeller at the north end, while the southern section contains the remains of the bow.
Surveying Details
H1120/62 23.3.62 WRECK LOCATED IN 503842N, 002700W WHILE SEARCHING FOR 'ST ERNEST' [NO DETAILS KNOWN]. APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 240FT LONG WITH TWO MASTS & WELL SILTED UP ON ONE SIDE. DEPTHS OF AT LEAST 11.5FMS BY E/S. (HMS GOSSAMER, 15.2.62). INS AS NDW. BR STD. 23.7.71 AMEND TO WK 21.0MTRS. NC 1952. H1270/72 29.8.72 DIVED IN 503843N, 002700W [OGB] USING DECCA. LIES N/S WITH BOWS S. STERN INVERTED, BOWS INTACT & INCLINED AT 45DEGS TO EAST. MIDSHIPS COLLAPSED FROM BOILERS TO FORE DECK. MAX HT OF WRECKAGE 25FT. WK LIES ON BANK OF SHINGLE & ROCK. A 4.7INCH SHELLCASE STAMPED 1916 RECOVERED. (MR DILLINGHAM, 13.6.72). AMEND TO WK 12.8MTRS. - NM 1901/72. H3958/73 15.8.73 FOUND IN 503836N, 002704W [OGB]. IN APPROX 80FT. (KELVIN HUGHES). AMEND TO WK 16.7MTRS. BR STD. H3950/70 7.12.73 POSN 503839N, 002659W. CHAIN SWEPT CLEAR TO 62FT [18.9MTRS]. (TH, 13.11.73). AMEND TO SW 18.9MTRS. BR STD. H1287/75 7.10.75 BROKEN AMIDSHIPS AND LYING WHAT APPEARED TO BE UPSIDE DOWN. INFORMATION FROM LOCAL FISHERMEN SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS THE WRECK OF A FREIGHTER NAMED 'JAFFA'. (B SEBERRY, 9.9.75). H4121/76 14.1.77 LOCATED 7.9.76 IN 503832N, 002701W [OGB] USING HIFIX [2 LOP]. LEAST E/S DEPT 18.7 IN GEN DEPTH 20-23MTRS. DEFINITE WK. DCS3 HT 5.1MTRS. LENGTH 125MTRS, ORIENTATION NE/SW. POSSIBLY PARTLY BURIED OR BROKEN UP. (HMS FOX, HI 52/76). INS AS WK 15MTRS UNTIL SWEPT. BR STD. 27.6.77 DIVER FOUND PLATE IN WK WITH INSIGNIA OF BLUE PENNANT WITH WHITE CIRCLE & 'WILSON LINE'. THIS SUPPORTS LOCAL INFORMATION THAT THIS WK IS THE 'JAFFA'. (MR HUMPHREYS, ATLANTIS DIVING CLUB). H2318/74 5.6.79 EXAM'D 8.11.78 IN 503833.2N, 002701.7W USING TRISPONDER [2 LOP]. SWEPT CLEAR 18.5MTRS, FOUL 19.2MTRS.(HMS BULLDOG, HI 37B/77). AMEND TO SW 18.5MTRS. - NM 1491/79. H1309/79 24.9.79 LYING N/S ON PORT SIDE. KEEL BROKEN IN PARTS. 4 BOILERS PROUD OF SEABED. HEAVY SCOUR AROUND KEEL. (J SALSBURY, 7.8.79). HH091/002/01 14.11.02 EXAM'D 25.8.02 IN 5038.572N, 0027.120W [WGD] USING DGPS. SWEPT CLEAR 18.3, FOUL 18.6MTRS. LEAST E/S DEPTH 18.3 IN GEN DEPTH 24MTRS. NO SCOUR. LENGTH 40MTRS, WIDTH 10MTRS. DCS3 HT 5.7MTRS. LIES 020/200 DEGS. SMALL MAGNETIC ANOMALY. (NP 1016, HI 1002). BR STD. 9.7.08 FOUND IN 5138.5656N, 0027.1202W [WGD], DCS3 IMAGE SHOWS AS WELL BROKEN UP. A SECTION OF THE WRECK HAS BROKEN OFF, WITH SOME DEBRIS LYING BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS . (EMU LTD, EMAIL DTD 26.6.08). DATE OF SURVEY UNKNOWN BUT RECENT. RETAIN IN EXISTING POSN. NCA. SEP 2018/000198963 13.08.18 EXAM'D 08.02.18; IN 5038.572N, 0027.126W [WGD]. LEAST M/B DEPTH 18.41MTRS IN GEN DEPTH 23MTRS, LENGTH 80MTRS, WIDTH 16MTRS, HEIGHT 4.6MTRS, ORIENTATION 015/195 DEGS. BROKEN INTO TWO MAIN SECTIONS, DIVIDED FORWARD OF THE BOILER &30MTRS APART. N, AFT SECTION IS THE LARGER, LENGTH 40MTRS, &APPEARS ALMOST INVERTED WITH BASE OF HULL EXPOSED ALONG W SIDE &PROPELLER VISIBLE AT N END. S SECTION IS REMAINS OF BOW. GAP BETWEEN THE TWO SECTIONS CONTAINS DEBRIS FROM VESSEL FRAME. E OF WRECK THERE IS DISORGANISED DEBRIS. (MMT, HI 1498). AMEND DW 18.4MTRS IN REVISED POSN.
Circumstances of loss
BUILT IN 1897 BY JOHN SCOTT & CO, KINGHORN, FIFE. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY ELLERMANS WILSON LINE LTD. TWO BOILERS, TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE OF 251HP, SINGLE SHAFT. PASSAGE BOULOGNE FOR SOUTHAMPTON. IN BALLAST. TORPEDOED BY UB-30. TEN MEN LOST.
General Comments
BROKEN INTO TWO MAIN PARTS. N, AFT PART ON PORT SIDE.