Operation Sandcastle - Disposal at Sea

Disposal At Sea

The SS Empire Claire was the first scuttling ship, her loading began in late June and by July 23 all 16,000 bombs were aboard, although an ill-considered loading plan had given her a noticeable list to starboard. The three scuttling charges of TNT were positioned to ensure her sinking would be steady and flat and the nine-man crew embarked. Departure was delayed by industrial action on the Firth of Clyde preventing the departure of the ocean-going tugboat Forester.

On 25 July 1955 the SS Empire Claire, SS Forester, and navy escorts Mull and Sir Walter Campbell left Cairnryan, the Empire Claire soon broke down and was taken under tow. They reached the scuttling point (56°30′00″N 12°00′00″W / 56.50000°N 12.00000°W / 56.50000; -12.00000) in the early morning of 27 July but waited until 10.00 hrs for the arrival of an RAF photo-reconnaissance aircraft to observe the operation. The initial two scuttling charges blew and dramatically increased the vessel's starboard list, forcing the use of the emergency charge which opened her stern and caused a rapid sinking, bows up, to a depth of around 2,500 m.

The later sinking went without any problems. MV Vogtland was scuttled on 30 May 1956 at the same site, taking 28,737 bombs with her and on 21 July 1956 the SS Kotka was sunk (at 56°31′00″N 12°05′00″W / 56.51667°N 12.08333°W / 56.51667; -12.08333) with 26,000 bombs, 330 tons of arsenic and fifty cases of unidentified material.