SS Ajax was a Dutch steamship owned by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij. She was built in 1923 and sunk on 8 August 1940 at 09.10 hrs nearby Catharina Point, Isle of Wight at position 50°30’ N.B. en 01°40’ W.L., after being attacked by as many as 50 German bombers. She was hit by three bombs and sank within 5 minutes with the loss of four crew, Chief Engineer J.B. Smit (54), stoker D.J. Baaij (34) and sailors A. Toet (25) and P. Spaans (39).
Ajax was one of seven ships sunk from convoy CW9-Peewit on 8 August 1940 with a loss of twenty ships crew in total (http://ww2db.com/event/timeline/1940/).
Diving on the wreck of the ship on 14 June 2015 shows that the vessel rests in an area of white sand dunes, in about 40m of water. She is fairly broken up with the bow being the most substantial part remaining. Lying on its port side the two anchors are still secured. There are portions of mast visible & the engine is largely upright. Currently only one boiler is exposed. The stern steering position is still visible.
Ship information
Name : SS AJAX
Home port: Amsterdam
Flag : Netherlands
Imo : 5605955
Call sign: NBTJ - 1933 PCFQ
Owner : NV Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij- Amsterdam
Tonnage : 942 GT (BRT 942, NRT 510, DWT 1.505)
Length : 71,20 m - Beam: 10,52 - Draft: 4,09 m
Build : 1923
Yard : Hamburg Elbe Schiffswerft - Hamburg/Duitsland
Engine : Triple expansie stoommachine, 3 cyl / Power: 750 PS / Speed: 9 kn
Type : Cargo ship
HISTORY:
1923-1924: s.s. ELBE, Kirsten Adolf & Co. Hamburg-London Linie - Hamburg Pacific;
1924-1927: s.s. ELBE, Rochling, Menzell & Co., Hamburg-Duitsland;
1927-1927: s.s. CEUTA, Oldenburg Portugiesische Dampfschiffs Rhederei - Schultze & Burmester;
1927-1940: s.s. AJAX, Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij N.V., Amsterdam;