Name Iberian Yard number 576 Length 133 m Beam 15 m | Launched 1900 Depth 9.1 m | |
Owner Leyland Frederick & Co. Ltd. Builder Sir James Laing & Sons, Ltd. | ||
SS Iberian was a British cargo ship that was torpedoed by SM U-28 in the Atlantic Ocean 9 nautical miles (17 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock (51°15′N 9°36′W) while she was travelling from Manchester, United Kingdom to Boston, United States with a rich cargo.
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Construction
Iberian was constructed in 1900 at the Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. shipyard in Sunderland, United Kingdom. She was launched and completed in 1900. The ship was 133.2 metres (437 ft 0 in) long, with a beam of 14.9 metres (48 ft 11 in) and a depth of 9.1 metres (29 ft 10 in). The ship was assessed at 5,223 GRT. She had a triple expansion engine driving a single screw propeller and the engine was rated at 470 nhp.
Sinking
While Iberian was travelling from Manchester, United Kingdom to Boston, United States with a rich cargo. She was spotted by SM U-28 in the Atlantic Ocean 9 nautical miles (17 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock, Ireland. SM U-28 fired a torpedo at the Iberian which hit her stern killing 7 crew. Iberian sank stern first beneath the waves, officers from the U-boat reported that the steamer sank so swiftly that its bow stuck up almost vertically into the air before finally sinking shortly after the attack.
Mysterious sea monster
However 25 seconds after Iberian sank beneath the waves at a depth estimated to be 915 metres (3,002 ft 0 in), her boilers exploded and send not only pieces of debris to the surface, but also a gigantic aquatic animal.
At that moment SM U-28's captain, chief engineer, navigator, helmsman, engineer officer and an able seaman were in the conning tower of the submarine. They all witnessed a crocodile-like creature writhing and struggling 25 metres (82 ft 0 in) high into the sky among the debris of the ship after Iberian's boilers exploded. The crew stated that the aquatic crocodile was about 20 metres (65 ft 7 in) long, with four limbs resembling large webbed feet, a long pointed tail and a head which also tapered to a point. Unfortunately the crew were not able to take a photograph, since the animal sank out of sight after just ten or fifteen seconds.
The creature however was never seen again after this encounter and to this day there have not been any questions answered about the creature's whereabouts or origin.
Wreck
Iberian sank 9 nautical miles (17 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock, Ireland at a depth of about 104 metres (341 ft 2 in) (51°15′N 9°36′W).