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The loss of the Otranto is perhaps one
of the more tragic episodes in Islay's shipwreck history.
The loss of the Otranto is perhaps one of the more tragic episodes in Islay's shipwreck history. On 24 September 1918, it set sail from New York on its final voyage to Glasgow and Liverpool. On board were 665 US troops bound for France, plus the crew of 362 men and boys. The voyage was almost at an end when the Otranto
and the SS Kashmir, another vessel in the same convoy, collided off Islay. The Kashmir survived and limped on, apparently oblivious to the mortal damage that it
had inflicted on the Otranto.
HMS Mounsey, a small naval destroyer commanded by Lieutenant FW Craven, answered the desperate SOS calls from the Otranto. Despite the mountainous seas, Lt Craven made repeated attempts to bring the small naval vessel alongside the Otranto.
On four occasions he was successful, and each time waves of desperate men jumped from the stricken liner onto the heaving decks of the small destroyer below. Eventually with the decks so heavily loaded with survivors that the Mounsey was in danger of capsizing herself, Lt Craven gave the order to head for Belfast. She carried 596 survivors from the Otranto but 431 men died, making this the worst convoy accident of the First World War.
The wreckage still lies some 500m off the shore of the exposed west coast of Islay. The swell made for an uncomfortable dive both above and below the surface. Despite the large area of wreckage, it is still difficult to locate in the large bay - apart from the boilers, most of the remaining wreckage has been flattened to the sea bed. Small rocky outcrops in the bay also give the illusion of wreckage. During our visit, poor surface visibility made it impossible to use any visual transits. The GPS marks we had
put the shot-line at the bow end of the wreckage. However, we found the remains of the anchor chain, steel plates and one of the large deck guns.
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