SS El Grillo
Encyclopedia
The SS El Grillo was a British oil tanker
sunk without casualties by a German air attack at Seyðisfjörður
, Iceland on 10 February 1944.
Iceland, which remained neutral during World War II
, had been occupied
by Britain in May 1940 and, in April 1941, by the United States.
"El Grillo" is Spanish for "The Cricket
".
, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and operated by The Bowring Steamship Co.
, based at Liverpool
.
On 10 February 1944, the ship was at anchor at Seyðisfjörður, carrying a cargo of bunker oil. The ship was not unarmed, being a Defensively Equipped Merchant Vessel, and carrying air defense guns as well as depth charges.
While at anchor, the ship was attacked by three German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
s from the I./KG 40, stationed in Norway
, and heavily damaged. The captain of El Grillo decided to sink the ship in order to prevent it and other ships at Seyðisfjörður from becoming more of a target.
at Seyðisfjörður, in a depth between 22 and 45 metres, laying at an angle of 45 degrees. It is one of the most popular diving spots in Iceland.
The wreck continued to leak oil up until the 2000s, when a Norwegian contractor was hired to dispose of the estimated 2,000 tonnes of oil remaining in the ship, which was carried out in 2002. At the same time, unexploded ordnance was also to be removed from the ship. The Icelandic Coast Guard
however assumed that many of the more accessible shells had already been removed by scuba divers.
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
sunk without casualties by a German air attack at Seyðisfjörður
Seyðisfjörður
Seyðisfjörður is a town and municipality in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.As of January 2011, the town has 668 inhabitants....
, Iceland on 10 February 1944.
Iceland, which remained neutral during World War II
Iceland during World War II
The state of Iceland during World War II was that of a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state....
, had been occupied
Invasion of Iceland
The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II....
by Britain in May 1940 and, in April 1941, by the United States.
"El Grillo" is Spanish for "The Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
".
History
The steam ship SS El Grillo was built in 1922 at Armstrong W. G. & Whitworth Co. Ltd.Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and operated by The Bowring Steamship Co.
Bowring Brothers
Bowring Brothers Limited is currently an operator of retail stores, mostly focused on gifts and home decor, throughout Canada....
, based at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
On 10 February 1944, the ship was at anchor at Seyðisfjörður, carrying a cargo of bunker oil. The ship was not unarmed, being a Defensively Equipped Merchant Vessel, and carrying air defense guns as well as depth charges.
While at anchor, the ship was attacked by three German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
s from the I./KG 40, stationed in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and heavily damaged. The captain of El Grillo decided to sink the ship in order to prevent it and other ships at Seyðisfjörður from becoming more of a target.
Wreck
The wreck of El Grillo remains at the bottom of the fjordFjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
at Seyðisfjörður, in a depth between 22 and 45 metres, laying at an angle of 45 degrees. It is one of the most popular diving spots in Iceland.
The wreck continued to leak oil up until the 2000s, when a Norwegian contractor was hired to dispose of the estimated 2,000 tonnes of oil remaining in the ship, which was carried out in 2002. At the same time, unexploded ordnance was also to be removed from the ship. The Icelandic Coast Guard
Icelandic Coast Guard
The Icelandic Coast Guard is the service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters...
however assumed that many of the more accessible shells had already been removed by scuba divers.