The steel motor vessel Arizona was launched from the Waterhuizen yard of Scheepswerven Gebr.Van Diepen on 3rd March 1939. She measured 143.4′ x 26.2′ x 8.9′ and her tonnage was 398 gross ton, 205 net tons. She was powered by a 4 stroke
single acting diesel engine by Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz AG, Cologne delivering 300 brake horse power. Ordered by Mr Egbert Smid of Groningen, Holland she entered service shortly before the outbreak of World War Two, mainly on cross channel routes, in May 1939. With the outbreak of the war the frequency of these trips increased dramatically. In April 1940 she was purchased by Okko Bosma and Pieter de Wit of Groningen and was immediately chartered by the Ministry of War Shipping of Britain.
MV Arizona underway
In August and September 1940 her voyages brought her north to Inverness in mid August and then to Aberdeen later that month. Her cargoes, predominantly of coal, took her to various north sea coast ports that month and on into September. On 29th September she had loaded her latest load of coal at Methil and departed for a trip south, reported to be to Holland. She had a crew of eight men aboard. Shortly after departing from Methil Roads the vessel was rocked by a huge explosion off Elie Point. Five of the crew were lost in the explosion. The 2nd engineer, W Grave, bravely provided life jackets to his two injured crewmen and thankfully all three were later picked up and survived.
Lloyd’s voyage card reporting loss
The cause of the explosion was not definitively established but it has been speculated that it was most likely the result of a collision with a German mine. The Firth of Forth was certainly a prime target for German mine laying submarines. Contemporary reports indicated that she was sunk one mile bearing 204 degrees from Kincraig Point Signal Tower.
We’d like to thank Paul Scott for his permission to use his excellent underwater photographs of the wreck in this article.
