Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#1
Just came across this in an old bound volume of the "Graphic Illustrated Newspaper" - something I had never heard of and must have been a very major event at the time:
SMS Grosser Kurfürst was an armored frigate launched in 1875 in Wilhelmshaven, following her sisterships SMS Preußen (launched 1873 in Stettin) and SMS Friedrich der Große (launched in 1874 in Kiel). Subsequently reclassified as Panzerschiffe (armored ships), they were the first armored ships with gun turrets built in Germany, as the new Imperial Navy sought independence from foreign shipbuilders. They were 96 meters long and had a displacement of 6,800 tons, with iron armor on teak planking. They had 1,834 square meters of sails and steam engines and a top speed under steam of 14 knots. The crew numbered 46 officers and 454 men.
The Sinking
During exercises off Folkestone in Kent on 31 May 1878, a squadron of German navy ships was sailing in two columns destined for Plymouth, with the flagship SMS König Wilhelm and SMS Preußen in one division and SMS Großer Kurfürst making up the other. As they were sailing under the cliffs, two small sailing craft crossed the bows of the German ships, provoking both König Wilhelm and Großer Kurfürst to make emergency manoeuvres. The unfortunate result was that both ships swung inwards, König Wilhelm moving to port and Großer Kurfürst to starboard. It later emerged that the young officer steering the König Wilhelm had become disoriented and moved in the wrong direction in spite of his orders to go to starboard.
The larger König Wilhelm tore into the side of her companion, spilling sailors into the sea, ripping off armoured plating and tearing large holes into Großer Kurfürst. The damage was fatal, and the ship rapidly began to sink, with her compatriots and numerous rescue craft despatched from Sandgate and Folkestone pulling as many sailors from the wreck as they could. Despite this enormous effort, 284 of her crew drowned when the ship sank into the Channel. Arthur Sullivan, on his way to Paris, witnessed the incident, writing, "I saw it all - saw the unfortunate vessel slowly go over and disappear under the water in clear, bright sunshine, and the water like a calm lake. It was too horrible - and then we saw all the boats moving about picking up the survivors, some so exhausted they had to be lifted on to the ships."
Many of the drowned German Mariners are buried in Cheriton Road Cemetery in Folkestone.
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#2
I first heard of the Grosser Kurfurst disaster some ten years ago from my old chum Mickey Moe. He was an A.B. with P&O and just as much of a ship nut as me. By coincidence, Chris and I were driving along Cheriton Road some time later and I saw the big memorial over the sailors grave out of the corner of my eye, as seen in the first photo. We went back and walked through almost to the end of the cemetery and found it. Later we took Mickey and the second photo below shows us sitting on the base. Have not seen him for years and hope nothing untoward has befallen him as he liked his drink and was a bit of a lad. He used to live in the Seamens Mission and many of the pubs round Dover boast his knotboards. He was very talented and a dab hand at ship modelmaking and painting pictures. The inscription on the memorial is to the memory of the comrades of the German Navy who went down on S.M.S. "Grosser Kurfurst" on 31 MAY 1878.
Google Street View (memorial is at far right of picture):
http://tinyurl.com/362sc5xGuest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#3
Thanks Ed, saved me a trip tomorrow to find the memorial !
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#4
the whole scene must have been terrifying.
good to hear that a memorial exists for the victims.
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
#5
Thanks for that Ed. and Paul very interesting. Ed. I remember Mickey Moe from the Arlington, Golden Lion and the Mission. I recognise him from your photo, I don't know what happened to him.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#6
Thanks Alec. Yes, those were one or two of Mickey's regular watering holes, not counting the ones he was barred from. He was a bit of a rogue but very likeable.
