Cullercoats, James Ludford

A British steamship of 500 tons, which struck a mine on 14th December 1939 and sank in 44 metres of water at N 55 02 30 W 01 15 16 2, two miles east of Cullercoats. Steel, 506-ton, the James Ludford was a Mersey-Class steam trawler that was built in 1918 by Cochrane for the Admiralty. She had a single screw that was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine. After the war James Ludford was laid up in reserve in 1921. She was brought back into commission in 1930 as an anti-submarine trawler. When war broke out again in 1939 the vessel was converted into a mine-sweeper.
On 14 December 1939, HMT James Ludford was on patrol five miles east of Tynemouth, when she foundered and was lost after detonating a German-laid mine.

The wreck lies in a south-east to north-west direction on a seabed of hard sand and shell in a general depth of 50m. She is reported to be very substantial, standing upright, with the highest point at 6.7m, but her bridge structure and decks have partially collapsed. The boiler and machinery are all visible, along with her winces and lots of flattened copper pipes that protrude through the mound of wreckage.

The Spokes database states that the James Ludford was a Royal Navy armed trawler or possibly an Admiralty Trawler. The database also states the depth of the wreck as 44m.

Grid reference conversion made 08.12.2010 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 55 02 2 W 01 16 17 Built: 1918
Builder: Cochrane
Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine
HP: 45
Boilers: 1
Construction: single screw, possibly bronze
Owner: Royal Navy