NEWFOUNDLAND SHIPWRECKS

The PLM-27 is the shallowest of the four World War II Bell Island Shipwrecks. It is easiest to access, provides the longest bottom times, and is suitable for all levels of divers. It is the only Bell Island shipwreck to have an intact propeller and it receives the most light, making for unbelievable photo opportunities.

With airport transfers, ground travel, roofed accommodations, air and weights, and a few great souvenirs, our diving packages are sure to give you everything you’re looking for!

DEADLY FATE

The Wolf, U-518, swiftly set out to open sea after leaving its deadly cargo of torpedoes in the hulls of the ill-fated Rose Castle and PLM 27 but, as was to befall over 85% of the U-Boats in operation, she was to meet her deadly fate at the hands of allied forces on April 22, 1945, Northwest of the Azores. She was lost with all hands.

Being a Free French ship, the PLM 27 carried a multinational crew of not only Frenchmen, but also Vietnamese, Egyptians, and other French colonials. A dilemma occurred when time came to bury the deceased crew members, there being only Catholic and Protestant cemeteries locally and special dispensations were required to intern all crew members. Later on, the French Government repatriated the unfortunate seamen accordingly.

As a sideline to this tragic sea tale, one of the crew members who perished aboard the ill-fated vessel was Able Seaman Walter Skelton, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, UK. His granddaughter, through a search on the internet, was astounded to find out that he had perished in Conception Bay when his family had assumed he was out in the North Atlantic at the time of the sinking. Much to their amazement, they found out their loved one was actually in Newfoundland. An expedition was immediately set up to journey overseas to pay final homage to Able Seaman Walter Skelton. A touching moment was felt by all as Walter’s grandson, Alan Chapman, dived on the deck of the Saganaga on September 6, 2004, to place a memorial wreath.

Interestingly, it’s well worth noting that prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Germany was the principal consumer for the iron ore produced at the Bell Island mines. Thus, the German High Command was very familiar with the Bell Island Anchorage and its strategic value in the war effort. It may well have been the same ore which was used to produce the U-boats and torpedoes that were to bring down these ships and cause such havoc on this day.

Two more torpedoes were quickly fired towards the Rose Castle, anchored nearby. She went down in less than ninety seconds, taking twenty-eight men to their watery graves.

Of special note in regard to the ill-fated SS Rose Castle is the fact that on a previous occasion she had escaped a similar fate. U-69, the German submarine that sank the ferry ‘Caribou’ (this vessel ran on the Port Aux Basques to North Sydney service), had fired a torpedo at the Rose Castle on October 20, 1942. Fortunately, it had a defective detonator, and the Rose Castle was spared – but only briefly.