The steel steamship Hornburg was launched from the Rostock yard of Akties Neptun Werft (Yard No 236) in 1904. She measured 302.6′ x 45.3′ x 18.9′ and her tonnage was 3161 gross tons, 2359 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by A G Neptun delivering 192 nominal horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1939
Ordered by Rederi Horn Fruchdampfer AG of Lubeck she operated for this company until she was sold to Leonhardt and Blumberg of Hamburg in 1918 who renamed her Karl Leonhardt. At the end of World War one she was acquired by the British Government who subsequently sold her to the Greek Government in 1922 before she was acquired by her final owners John D Chandris of Pireus in Greece who renamed her Tonis Chandris.
Tonis Chandris under way
The details surrounding her loss are somewhat vague due to wartime reporting restrictions but, on 10th January 1940 she was en route from Narvik to Barrow with a cargo of manganese ore under the command of Captain Andreas Cockinos who had a crew of twenty one men aboard. Some reports indicate that she was being pursued by a German U-boat when she ran aground in fog on the Vere Reef off Unst. A vague distress message brought the lifeboat Lady Jane and Martha Ryland to Balta Sound with orders to stand by before a second message indicated that she was ashore somewhere between Fetlar and the north end of Unst. Early next morning, as daylight began break, the lifeboat found the Tonis Chandris ashore at Vere Reef two and a half miles from Balta Isle Light. The lifeboat was requested to stand by in case assistance was required while a tug, which had set out from Lerwick, reached the scene. At noon the next day the tug St Mellons arrived and attempted to take the Tonis Chandris in tow but this attempt was unsuccessful and, with the crew safe aboard St Mellons, she was abandoned. Later attempts to refloat her after some of the cargo was jettisoned were also unsuccessful and she became a total wreck.
