ALGERIAN

The SS Algerian had a long and storied career that began in 1876 when she was launched as the Fintsire. Built by the Sunderland Steamboat Co., this British steamship sailed for 40 years, eventually coming under the ownership of the famous Ellerman Lines. By the time of the First World War, she was an aging but still capable vessel, contributing to the vital merchant shipping that supplied the Allied war effort.

On January 12th, 1916, her long service was cut short. While steaming through the English Channel, she was spotted by the German U-boat U-34. The submarine fired a torpedo that found its mark, and the old steamer quickly succumbed to the damage, sinking to the seabed.

Lying at a depth of just 21 metres, the SS Algerian is now a fantastic and highly accessible wreck dive. Her more exposed position means she has broken up considerably over the last century, but this has created a fascinating debris field to explore. Divers can easily identify her large boilers and the remains of her triple-expansion engine. The scattered plates and ribs of the hull are now a thriving artificial reef, providing shelter for conger eels, lobsters, and dense shoals of bib.