SS Gairsoppa silver...............

bigjarofwasps · March 29, 2016

Treasure from the deep:

Thousands of silver bars that were meant to fund Britain's WWII effort but were sunk by German U-boat FINALLY reach their destination - and will be sold as coins.

Merchant ship carrying silver from India for the war effort was sunk in 1941.
Its cargo of 2,800 bars of silver has sat on the bed of the Atlantic ever since
Record-breaking bid to salvage the silver from three miles down a success
The Royal Mint is now making the metal into coins to remember the tragedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596785/Thousands-silver-bars-sunken-WWII-ship-sold-coins.html

Sunshine Mint (USA) have also produced an ounce round......

10 troy ounce bar.......

bigjarofwasps · March 29, 2016

Gairsoppa SS was a British Cargo Steamer of 5,237 tons built by Palmers, Hebburn, England for MOWT as the WAR ROEBUCK SS but completed as the GAIRSOPPA SS for the British India SN Co. On the 17th February 1917 she was torpedoed by German submarine U-101 and sunk.

The SS Gairsoppa was a British cargo steamship that began her career in 1919 under the service of the British India Steam Navigation Company. She engaged in commercial shipping activity in the waters off the Far East, Australia and East Africa. By January 1941, the SS Gairsoppa was enlisted in the service of the UK Ministry of War Transport.

She started her final voyage from Calcutta, India in December 1940 loaded with nearly 7,000 tons of diverse medium and high-value cargo, including 2600 tons pig iron, 1765 tons of tea, 2369 tons of general cargo, and a 600,000 UK Sterling silver ignots (3 million ounces).

Departing without a military escort, the Gairsoppa and convoy SL-64 sailed the dangerous waters of the Atlantic, intending to rendezvous with convoy HG-63, which was escorted by two warships. As the convoy reached the northern latitudes, the Gairsoppa, loaded down with a heavy cargo, was forced to further reduce speed due to high winds and ocean swells.

As the weather worsened on February 14, 1941, the Gairsoppa, running low on coal and with insufficient fuel to keep up with the convoy, was forced to sail independently and to head for Galway in western Ireland.

On February 17, 1941, German Boat Commander Ernst Mengersen submerged his 66.5 meter-long U-boat 101, and torpedoed the Gairsoppa causing her to sink.

Of the 32 crew members who boarded lifeboats after the attack, all perished except for one survivor who, 13 days later, reached shore at the Lizard lighthouse, Cornwall, England.