South Shields, Hortense Lea (Skjold)

Steel, 1,125 ton Norwegian-registered steamship, 69.72m long, 10.71m beam, 4.87m draught. She was built as the Skjold in 1908 by Laxevaags Msk. Jrnskb in Bergan and owned at the time of loss by Bergen Lloyd Akttiereder. Her single propeller was powered by a three cylinder, triple expansion steam engine employing one boiler. She had one deck. On 21 September 1919 the vessel was on passage from Arundel for the Tyne with a cargo of rough wood pulp, under command of Captain A. Nielsen, when it is believed that she foundered and was lost, following a collision, one mile east-south-east of the Tyne entrance.

The wreck believed to be that of the steamship lies orientated in an east to west direction on a hard, rather dirty seabed of sand and stone in a general depth of 26-27m. She is very substantial, but totally collapsed and well broken up, covering an area of about 85 x 40m, with the engine and boiler both exposed at the highest point of around 5.5m. The bow section has a large anchor and two huge piles of rusting steel chains, while the rest of the wreck is one mass of twisted, broken steel plates, girders, framework, ribs and general machinery.

The Spokes database has the wreck located offshore at Tynemouth.