 A diver checks out the structure of the ribs of the ship. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SSBenwood |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Craig, Taylor & Co Ltd.,Stockton on Tees |
| Launched | 27 November 1909 |
| Completed | 1 January 1910 |
| Fate | Sank on 9 April 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Freighter |
| Length | 345 ft (105 m) |
| Beam | 51.2 ft (15.6 m) |
| Depth | 25.4 ft (7.7 m) |
| Propulsion | T3cyl (24, 40, 66 x 45in), 342nhp, 1 screw |
| Crew | 38 |
| Armament | 12 rifles, one 4-inch gun, sixdepth charges and 36 bombs |
SSBenwood was asteamcargo ship of the early twentieth century. Built by Craig, Taylor & Co Ltd.,Stockton on Tees, she entered service withJoseph Hoult & Co. Ltd,Liverpool. She passed through several owners, before being lost in a collision off the coast ofKey Largo,Florida in 1942. Her wreck is now a popular dive site.
The Norwegian merchant freighterBenwood (360'x51') was under the command of Captain Torbjørn Skjelbred on the night of 9 April 1942. She was on a routine voyage fromTampa Bay,Florida toNorfolk, Virginia carrying a load ofphosphate rock. That same evening, theRobert C. Tuttle (544'x70') was en route toAtreco, Texas, under the command of Captain Martin Johansen. Due to the threat of attack by GermanU-boats in the area, the two ships were completely blacked out, each keeping the Florida coastal lights three miles abeam (Benwood) and one and a half miles abeam (Robert C. Tuttle). It is reported that at 12:45 a.m. theRobert C. Tuttle sighted a black object ahead of the ship and turned starboard after signaling "I intend to turn starboard." with one blow of the ship's whistle. There was no response from the other ship. At 12:50 a.m., theBenwood reported to have sighted a black object off her starboard. She sounded the ship's whistle twice indicating, "I intend to turn port." There was no response. It is believed that the two ships were now unwittingly on a collision course with each other. Just before the collision, Captain Skjelbred made last-minute efforts to avoid theRobert C. Tuttle by ordering the engine full astern (fastest reverse). Moments later, the bow of theBenwood punched into theRobert C. Tuttle just aft of the port side bow, above the waterline. This caused the bow of theBenwood to collapse upon itself. TheBenwood began taking on water at a brisk rate. Captain Skjelbred turned hard for shore, attempting to save the ship by grounding, but some time between 1:10 and 2:00 a.m. was forced to abandon ship. TheBenwood came to rest stern-to on a sandy slope in approximately 25 feet (7.6 m) to 45 feet (14 m) of water betweenDixie Shoals (to the north) andFrench Reef (to the south) off ofKey Largo, Florida. One person was killed in the sinking.
On 10 April 1942, the crew of thesalvage tugWillet examined the wreck and determined that thekeel of theBenwood was broken, and she was a total loss. However, her superstructure and cargo ofphosphate rock appear to have been salvaged. Her stern section, once considered a hazard to navigation, seems to have been mostly obliterated by explosions of an unknown type. This salvaging on the ship over the years promptedJohn Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to form a protection program in 1959 to prevent further damage to the historical wreckage. Today, theBenwood is a protected resource under theFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which was formed in 1975. Since her sinking, the Benwood has become anartificial reef, providing the only high-profile reef in the immediate vicinity. She is popular with recreational dives, particularly as anight dive site. She lies in 55 feet of sea water withhull plates found in the sand around the perimeter.[1]
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Media related toBenwood (ship, 1910) at Wikimedia Commons25°03′10″N80°20′01″W / 25.0527°N 80.3337°W /25.0527; -80.3337
