Pomerania  (Dover)

This large ship was built in 1873 for the Hamburg-Amerika Line, she was an iron steamship of 3382-tons, measuring 120m x 14m. She had 600hp two-cylinder engines with single screw giving a top speed of 13 knots. The accommodation comprised of 100 1st, 70 2nd and 600 3rd class passengers.

The Pomerania was sailing from New York to Hamburg via Plymouth in November 1878; she stopped off at Plymouth to offload some of the passengers and $7500 gold and then continued her journey through the channel. Unfortunately as she was traveling off the coast of Folkestone, carrying 109 passengers and 111 crew, she was hit by the iron-hulled barque Moel Eilian just before midnight on the 25th November 1878. The Pomerania was badly damaged and immediately began taking on water. Four of the nine lifeboats were destroyed in the collision and the other five had to take all the crew and passengers, one of the lifeboats was so crowded that it too sank. The steamer Glengarry came to the Pomerania’s aid and saved many of the passengers. The Pomerania then took so long to sink that some of the passengers returned to rescue their possessions, unfortunately the ship suddenly sank taking those people with her.

Diving: Highly rated, one of the best dives in the area. The wreck lies on the port side at 27m on a seabed of cobbles, gravel and shell fragments. She is well broken but parts of the wooden deck are still intact. Some gold and silver coins have been recovered from the passenger accommodation. Many clock mechanisms in boxes in holds. Visibility often a good 4m. The wreck supports a large amount of life including sponges, anemones, dead man’s fingers, mussels, bib, wrasse, tompot blennies, edible and swimming crabs and starfish.