The Tragedy of the MV Derbyshire

One of the most tragic losses in British maritime history, and the largest British vessel ever to be sunk, the MV Derbyshire was a gigantic but severely flawed bulk carrier that disappeared during Typhoon Orchid in the South China Sea on September 9th, 1980.
In this video, we will examine the history of the Derbyshire and the shipping line for which it was built, and how a flawed design and outdated, inaccurate work practices, combined with the worst of nature's fury, helped to bring down what many considered to be a ship too large to sink, and how its loss ultimately helped to improve the quality of shipbuilding in the future.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated KZbinrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): [e-mail]
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
I would also like to thank Paul Lambert, chairman of the MV Derbyshire Association, for permission to use photographs from their Facebook page in order to help support this video, and for also helping to correct me on certain points in order to make the video as accurate as possible, and I recommend visiting their page at the follow address: / mv.derbyshire
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Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
- MV Derbyshire Association
- Wrecksite.eu (and their respective references)
- Red Duster (and their respective references)
- Merchant Navy forums (and their respective references)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@whistlingwhippet]

I lost my friend Nigel when the Derbyshire sank. It was his first working sea voyage. RIP Nige and your 41 colleagues.

[@jonbonesmahomes7472]

Sorry for your loss

[@fishingandhockeyaquariums5167]

Must have been bad way to go during a typhoon can’t imagine the shear horror that must have been seen. May god rest his soul

[@ralphwilmot6351]

Hi Andy. 73 G4PEY

[@isilder]

Each welder considered each weld at frame 65 ok , not great but theres many more welds to hold it. No one summed up the overall quality,which was that the sum of flaws meant it was not ok,the welds were barely passable if they were the exception but there were many metres of poor welds. And the joints were weak due to poor welds and misalignments. The welds could have been done with brackets if the big picture. problem had been noticed. The deck covers should have been overenineered heaps.

[@whistlingwhippet]

@@ralphwilmot6351 Have you confused me with another Andy Ralph ? I was a neighbour/friend of Nigels back in the day, not a sailor. Am i right in thinking 73 G4PEY is a Ham Radio callsign ? The sum total of my knowledge of Ham radio could be tattoo'd on a Gnats arse . ;)

[@patrickmarshall15]

I was on the mv. 'Al Muharraq' a Kuwait Shipping Co. vessel when this disaster happened. We were sheltering from the typhoon in a small harbour in Japan. We made our way to Yokohama. The agent from Senwa Shipping came on board and asked iof we had any contact with the Derbyshire. I asked our Radio Officer, the answer was negative. Apparently there were a few crew and officers waiting to join the ship in Yokohama. The news that she had gone down with all hands left us all stunned. Rest in peace lads, thoughts with the families.

[@saheedfalola3033]

Thanks for sharing your experience. What principles kept you going as a seafarer?

[@victoriacyunczyk]

The fact that no distress signal was received meant that the Derbyshire went down very quickly. May the crew rest in peace.

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

Or the power was lost very quickly. I wonder how much time they had to realise the ship was going down

[@mybrotherisnotapig6750]

​ @bobby ray of the family smith They probably capsized after losing the generators. Or the ship broke in half like in the MOL Comfort Incident. And with open lifeboats they wouldn't have stand a chance of surviving.

[@victoriacyunczyk]

@@mybrotherisnotapig6750 I could see the generator failing as the cause. Same thing happened to RMS Empress of Ireland and RMS Lusitania, causing the loss of all lighting below decks. Even if you knew the ship well, you wouldn't have a chance in those conditions. In those incidents the ships went down very quickly and very few passengers and crew were able to make it off. At least Empress of Ireland and Lusitania had calm weather.

[@victoriacyunczyk]

@Anonymous Anonyme I was actually seeing the Edmund Fitzgerald comparisons too, but given that a rapid loss of power probably took place, the Empress of Ireland and the Lusitania came to mind first.

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

@@mybrotherisnotapig6750 you think the engine failed and that's was the cause? Or that the power failed very quickly into the sinking event? I imagine the imploding holds probably caused rapid breakup of the ship. The engine broke through the bottom of the Hull once it lost enough integrity (or so I've read) . I just wonder how long they had to realise she was going down and attempt to evacuate. I've read it was probably less than 2 minutes

[@1951GL]

First class narration - it demonstrates how, given half a chance, govts will sweep stuff under the carpet rather than investigate a tragedy like this one.

[@PaulfromChicago]

Especially if a bunch of Scousers are the victims.

[@ttaibe]

Money over lives.

[@manatee2500]

Except that those who insured the vessel, the seafarers, the cargo interests, the classification societies.... the vessel was lost in the 20th century and not 100 years prior.

[@762rk95tp]

More than governments it is about companies. Most of the ships are now flagged in country with least taxes and most of the crews are also from developing countries, only officers are from country where the owners of the ships are from. So if ship doesn't sink on own shores and cause ecological disaster, government responsibility is in hands of countries like Liberia or Panama, that don't have any resources or even interest to investigate.

[@ttaibe]

@@762rk95tp But in this case it was UK based I think.

[@stevec.2702]

I was an Engineer with Bibby line for years but left in 1975, the 3rd Engineer and his wife from this tragedy lived in the same village that I do. I can remember the disbelief at the circumstance surrounding the loss. The long overdue investigation made dire reading. I worked with some fine Engineers and Deck officers from Bibby. Truly a sad day for all seafarers .

[@benwilson6145]

The wreck of the MV Derbyshire was located by David Mearns who also found HMS Hood, HMAS Sydney, INS Musashi, AHS Centaur and many more sunken vessel.

[@sixstringedthing]

I had no idea that all these famous wrecks were located by the same guy. What an impressive resumé.

[@willnill7946]

He sinks ships then claims he found them

[@benwilson6145]

@@willnill7946 I sink not

[@sixstringedthing]

@@benwilson6145 Got a snort and a chuckle out of me, Bravo.

[@johnjuan6698]

He didn't found Musashi.

[@vannessar32]

I was junior 2nd eng on the MV. King George crossing from Panama to Japan when this happened. Our ship caught the end of this storm and we heard that a british bulk carrier had been lost. My family thought it was my ship that had been lost, luckily it wasn't. My thoughts have always been with the Derbyshire's crew.

[@BaronSamedi1959]

All too often we forget that the cheap cars, gadgets, exotic fruits and other modern conveniences are bought with the life of seamen, still to this day.

[@H_E_N_X]

And everyone is bought to life because of semen.

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

Essential workers.

[@drinkwater319]

@@H_E_N_X ....lol, one of the idiosyncrasies of the quaint language English .....not enough words so the same word can have several meanings. They should get rid of semen and call it jizzum, or spongle or jittlum.

[@gavindaleclayton9858]

Please: could the written words be checked and edited. There are so many inaccuracies that some of the words are meaningless. They really detract from an interesting story.!!

[@ls6-ss413]

@@drinkwater319 spooge

[@caileanshields4545]

Have known about the Derbyshire's frankly blood-chilling final moments for some time (on balance, I'd rather be on the Titanic or Estonia, as nightmarish as they respectively are), but I wasn't as aware of the story of the circumstances surrounding her class being built, the fatal flaws that plagued them and the souls that went down with her as I am now. Another fine vid, sir.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

on the up side, till the few final moments they still had hope... for those that were on the Titanic they suffered fear for much longer

[@ellenslabiak349]

H

[@me-us1lw]

Her loss had nothing to do with any structural defect. It was due to unforeseen forces of nature

[@blowingfree6928]

@@me-us1lw It sounds as if a design defect might have been the genesis of the sinking. The video seems to indicate that had she had a conventional forecastle then the ventilation heads would not have sheared off a few days before the sinking and the hatch to the Bosun's locker would not have given way.

[@Brecconable]

I'd rather be on Titanic than Estonia given the choice, Estonia sank in less than 1 hour.

[@stevenwoodhouse2725]

We were 24hrs behind her having loaded 140000 tons of iron ore in the same port. Our ship the Dashwood owned by Buries Markes was also an OBO. I was a Deck Cadet and this was my 3rd trip to sea.

[@Big-Cjl-Chris]

As a seafarer of 32 years at sea it's scary to think you can lose a ship of this size in 2 minutes.RIP to all that was onboard.

[@Sakir-wb6wj]

I must ask you this since you are an experienced seafarer and hope you are an ocean going captain or c/e: The report says waves washed over the bow and flooded the front ballast tanks for 2 days. For 2 days the crew did not noticed this? I understand no body would go out patrolling the bow section but wasn't there any gauges showing that the ballast tanks are being filled for two days? In the case there weren't any gauges, how come the crew didn't notice the ship increasingly trimming to the front? I understand they may be can't see the bow because of heavy wheather but it seems to me that at least one of the crew should have noticed the unnatural change in the trimming of the vessel? Am I right?

[@Big-Cjl-Chris]

@@Sakir-wb6wj I am not of the ranks of Captain or C/Eng I personally have not read the full report of the Derbyshire I doubt there is a UK seafarer that is not aware of it,if she was settling by the head i fully expect the crew would be aware of it with ballast control being controlled from the Cargo office and Engine control room if the weather is that bad you couldn't go forward to sound the tanks/voids/chain lockers.

[@darrylmason1185]

I was a deck boy on a ship in Yokohama at the time and this has stayed with me ever since.

[@fartingfury]

I'm going to row against the current here and say that I don't mind the premiere function. This guy is making really interesting videos essentially for free, so if this method gets him a few more views and $, and the only cost to me is a few cm of feed length, then I'd say I'm still getting an absolutely mega-deal.

[@SilencedMi5]

Are you a machinist by trade by any chance? "Cost to me is a few cm of feed length" gives that as my only guess. Could you clarify? Much appreciated.

[@fartingfury]

@@SilencedMi5 I see how you came to that conclusion 🙂, but I meant "feed" in the same way as people say "Twitter Feed". So when I open the KZbin app, I have to scroll past the KZbinrs advertising Premieres on my KZbin feed. Given how much work these people do at no cost to me, I wouldn't want to complain about that extra scrolling...

[@SilencedMi5]

@@fartingfury Ah, now I understand. Thanks for clarifying. I agree that content creators deserve to promote their hard work to us. We follow them for a reason, after all!

[@doctorferris]

I was on the MV Grafton back then, a motor OBO which developed cracks from the corners of No 7 hatch over the deck and starting down the sheer strake. We were full of coal from Philly to Shimonoseki. She had 11 hatches so would have sunk slower than the Derbyshire if we broke in half at 7. We tried drilling the ends of the cracks but without the ultrasound you could not find the precise location. So we set up mooring wires from forward winches and bits across the cracks to the aft sets to tie the ship together. probably a complete waste of time but made us feel better. We reduced speed and added a crack thickness measurement to the log done by the engineer apprentice at the end of each watch then entered in the Masters logbook. Luckily we had no adverse weather after that and arrived in one piece to be welded up and plated in a Japanese shipyard after discharge. It could all have been avoided on the OBO's if they had retained the riveted sheerstrake to stop the cracks. They can only cross the welded joints. With riveting they have to start again. Long time ago.

[@mybrotherisnotapig6750]

We were anchored just outside the Yangtze river when we were hit by a massive typhoon. Many ships besides us tried to wait it out but were forced to leave. A ship with us lost one it's anchor due to the strong winds. The bulk cargo ship I was in was forced to sail for Taiwan. When we went for a sharp U-turn but our Engine died! We were dead on the water for minutes when 2 Massive freak waves hit us on the Port side. Everything not bolted to the ship fell down, the inclinometer went over 50 degrees! If not for my 2/E's quick thinking restarting the engines we would have capsized that day.

[@billyboots3730]

Crazy that you came back from 50⁰, you are a very lucky crew.

[@tc1817]

With no details about the name of the ship or typhoon...I'm gonna call bullshit.

[@Cinerary]

Lmao. A sharp U turn. 😂😂😂

[@FeatherWings78]

Seriously that happened

[@Trek001]

My old man worked for many years as both a rep for boat insurers and as a salvage engineer/consultant. In all the years he worked as both, the only vessel he refused to ever board again was Derbyshire - he said he could feel an evil wind on her. His guess was spot on with hatch covers popping as the bow went in.

[@Brecconable]

Was the ship cursed by any chance? I.e. the bottle failed to break?

[@MervynPartin]

As a former 2nd. Engineer on O/B/O carriers, I applaud your informative video. I was fortunate that there was no structural damage on those particular vessels during my sea-going career. As in your video, there was no raised foc'sle. I did previously serve upon one liquified gas carrier, however, where cracks were found in some of the frames. The Captain decided to head for port immediately, whereupon he was almost accused of panic (by head office and some on board), but I said then, and still say now that he made the right decision. The sea doesn't forgive easily-The horrifying death toll is testament to that.

[@davidoldboy5425]

I am an ex Bibby Line cadet and officer, seeing this has brought back many memories as I knew of, or had previously sailed with a lot of her crew on some of the other vessels mentioned, and I sailed on the old Derbyshire (and Worcestershire). I met Graham the 3rd engineer and his wife briefly in the Marine in Sea Road Sunderland about a fortnight before they joined her, it still saddens me to think they lost their lives because they wanted to sail on a vessel with nicer accommodation than the other vessel he had been offered (I can't remember which now). R.I.P. all, hope you are now at peace, going to sea was always dangerous and an adventure in those days. No it wasn't unusual at all for a vessel to be out of touch for many days then, nor was it unusual not to know exactly where you were. Hindsight is a great thing and this video is full of it, conjecture, hearsay, semi truths etc etc, I am now retired, am a Master Mariner and spent my entire career at sea or in shipping, including management at the highest levels. Although in general this account is fairly accurate, take a lot of it with a large pinch of salt, all the theories and evidence is fine, what struck me (and no doubt others) was the picture of the mooring line coming out of the hatch just as you would expect to see before berthing, I always wondered if she had sunk with it like that?, and every mariner will know what I mean, hope it happened afterwards.

[@MrRgr004]

The final investigation confirmed the the hatch was properly closed and secured. It is likely that the lid was destroyed during the sinking process. The forward mast and one of the heavy windlass is no longer visible on the mosaic images of the bow. It can be seen that one coaming side of the hatch is heavily dented

[@davidoldboy5425]

@@MrRgr004 Noted, however I have had my fill of 'experts' in my working life, 95% of whom have proved anything but. The modern way appears to be you need no practical experience, merely some sort of degree, any degree, where you gain 2nd hand knowledge to spout your theories. Shipowners are bedazzled by these creatures, and I can recount many many sad tales associated with this recent phenomena. Due to my personal involvement I have shunned reading the investigations and reports, which is remiss of me, however they may or may not be correct, this is an early science. I was on the Dart boats (mentioned) ice strengthened, but still suffering structural weakness, designed by 'experts', who had miscalculated, how many more men have died due to structural failure due to pressures on naval architects? Make them lighter, make them cheaper, make them more efficient, not their fault, but they go home to sleep soundly in their own beds at night. Do not get me started on class societies, I would scrap them all.

[@MrRgr004]

@@davidoldboy5425 Agree with you that a significant amount of "experts'" these days are useless. Regarding the conditon of the hatch lid you have to look at the nearby parts of the bow which was found devastated. No expert opinion, just facts. Regarding class societies, luckily the wind has been turning for some, like for instance during the legal battles that followed the sinking of Erika ...

[@davidoldboy5425]

@@MrRgr004 I could never bring myself to read the reports, and still can't. The demise of independent safety (such as the MCA) is a disaster for seamen. Class societies are 'bought' by shipowners and operate way outside of their expertise. Hardly any of them have actually sailed on vessels (unlike the old MCA, sadly now following them). Money is everything, and everything can be bought. Any regulatory body must be outside of a profit making structure, otherwise it is flawed at the beginning.

[@blowingfree6928]

@@MrRgr004 I know what you mean about experts as I have had my fill of them, but I did see a programme on the Derbyshire where the former Chief Officer said it was their practice to tie down that hatch with rope, and it was that rope that could be seen. The former Chief Officer was the expert who explained the presence of that suspicious rope.

[@stephensmith4480]

A lot of lads from my home city of Liverpool lost their lives in that tragedy Bless them.

[@martinking5040]

I was a Radio Officer on the Sevonia Team - a similar OBO owned by Denholm - which sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to South Korea loaded with coal (1980/81). Our route took us very close to the Derbyshire's in the South China Sea - and yes we hit a pretty severe storm too. At 830ft long the waves hitting the bow would still spray the bridge windows. I knew she'd broken up but not the detail. Thoughts go to fellow Merchant Navy families.

[@GraemeSPa]

As a 20 year old junior engineer, I was assigned to the Tyne Bridge - a ship that I had seen launched only a couple of years earlier. During my time on board, there were many small fires - one major fire in the pump room - many breakdowns, none of the control systems worked - the inert gas system was held together with cordobond and the steam system was so unstable, it could not be left on automatic control. We had an engine room fire caused by hot work carried out while the ship was discharging oil cargo in Finland. There was no bulk CO2 for firefighting, the emergency fire pump engine had been flooded and failed to work, the air compressor for the breathing equipment bottles didn't work, we were running short of refills for the foam fire extinguishers. This was my first real ship so I didn't really know much different. I went on to spend another 30 years at sea rising to Chief Engineer, Superintendent and eventually Fleet Manager and knowing what I know now, I realize that I and everyone on that ship was very lucky to have survived. In my entire career, have never seen or worked on any ship so badly constructed, operated or managed. I was not surprised when I heard about the Derbyshire but saddened because I knew one man who was lost with his wife. The worst of British Shipbuilding - a time when the workers just didn't care about their product - one of these welders was my ex brother in law who delighted in telling me the scams they would get up to. I never worked on a British built ship again - my working life was spent on Japanese and then Korean builds - far superior in all ways to the death traps of British Shipbuilders. My heart goes out to the people who died so violently on the Derbyshire and the families who were left behind and let down by the slithering machinations of the Government, the ship owner and the ship builder. And to those shipyard workers who cut corners , hid faults from the Class Surveyors and dogged welds in by laying over rods in gaps - you thought you were getting one over on the yard managers , yet your actions killed honest seamen. A well put together video, Mr MacVeigh - well done, sir.

[@stevec.2702]

Graeme, I'm a ex Bibby Engineer. I knew the 3rd Engineer and his wife, I left the British fleet and worked for a Swedish company "hid faults from the Class Surveyors and dogged welds in by laying over rods in gaps " ( copied and pasted from your post. The scam of laying rods in gaps happens in Japan as well. I was inspecting a new build ( Kawasaki heavy industries Tokyo bay yard ) and and came across this practice. Surprised , but not as much as the yard managers at the daily meet. ( It was a one off ) But yes the quality was infinitely superior to what the British yard were capable of. Would I go to sea now ? no chance what so ever.

[@GraemeSPa]

​@@stevec.2702 As a 4th engineer with Ellermans, I sailed on Clyde built ships from the 50's - general cargo, Sulzer SD engines with 'hoo hah' scavenge pumps, DC electrics - all riveted hulls built like a brick shithouse and as reliable as a sewing machine. This was the era when you could say British Ships Are Best and mean it. Then I sailed on an SD14 and learned otherwise... There was a time when "made in japan" was a joke - then it wasn't. Japan lost a lot of skilled men after a recession and never got their reputation back, however Korean builders took over the baton and I worked on some very well made ships. Now I suppose the yards of (cheaper) choice are Chinese - but I don't care anymore - I have retired. I joined the British Merchant Navy at 16 years old - I made Chief Engineer at 38 under the Red Duster and WAS retired at 58. I can still wear my uniform with four gold and purple stripes with pride. I despair at Britain throwing away her seagoing heritage - ruddy politicians.

[@dominicwood3451]

Hi Graeme, thanks for your comments. My father worked deep-sea from late 70's to early 90's with the now lost Harrison Line; he served on Pisces Pioneer and Pisces Planter, they were a lot smaller than the Bridge class ships, but the anecdotes he told me about life in general on board these vessels is pretty hair-raising. The forces that these ships undergo in heavy weather are incomprehensible to the lay-man who has never been at sea. People don't realise that the choices of metallurgy and the quality of welding are equally as important as issues such as the necessity of hull-flexing and the inevitability of metal-fatigue. In respect of the Derbyshire, it was a young ship, but as it encountered the fateful storm, the master would have been aware of the general dangers for his vessel, and I can only assume he honestly thought he had mitigated for the situation as required. If he considered the situation was becoming desperate, why would he not issue a Mayday? One can only assume that a vessel of similar size but of different design may have fared better. It is spine-chilling to think how suddenly the ship was lost.. I myself am not a mariner, but I can appreciate that this is horrific. I'm sure you share my sadness that we don't build ships in any size and volume in the UK any more, but judging by your anecdotes that may be no bad thing. Like you, I wish to convey thanks to Mr MacVeigh for the video.

[@MyWifeHatesThisCar]

The only thing worse than this are the other ships that went down and weren't reported. The poor families, how is that any way to treat people? RIP.

[@neilcampbell60]

Very sad. I knew the second mate.We were at Riversdale college together. A good lad .

[@Paladin1873]

If they weren't reported, how do we know they went down?

[@MyWifeHatesThisCar]

@@Paladin1873 well someone, somewhere, would be missing a ship?

[@Paladin1873]

@@MyWifeHatesThisCar That's my point as well. How could any company get away with not reporting a missing ship?

[@MyWifeHatesThisCar]

@@Paladin1873 I don't know. You'd assume that some point they'd want an insurance pay out to replace lost ship, or the people having their items shipped want them replaced. It's an interesting thought though, unless of course it's just the people working on the ship they don't record?

[@Tuberuser187]

Well narrated slice of history, I knew of the ship and how she was lost but I didn't know about her origin and the other details here.

[@datapolo]

Yes the background is fascinsting and often overlooked in favour of the poor engineering.

[@dillanma]

Was on the M.v.Anco Empress which caught the tail end of this storm.Some of the crew were friends of Derbyshire crew members.Thre is a good book out there called "A Ship too Far" by Dave Ramwell.Worth a read.RIP

[@girvinbuick8117]

I think I was on the Anco Empress at that time, and yes we lost good friends on the Derbyshire, they asked me to give Bibby line a shout and they returned to Bibby line. So sad 😔

[@peterwhitaker4038]

my partners step dad was a merchant sailor in Liverpool. he has been literally everywhere you can mention. he told me he should have been on the MV Derbyshire on it's fateful journey but due to a mixup he ended up on another ship somewhere. you can see the sorrow in his eyes when he tells the story..not jubilation that he was lucky but just thoughts and feelings to his fellow sailors. wherever you go in Liverpool you will meet someone that can tell you a story about the sea, and i will listen!

[@vannessar32]

Just as an aside. I would come home on leave and get into conversations about rough seas. When you've been at sea then, you've seen what rough weather really is. I'd always get some clown who'd tell me about crossing the Channel on a ferry in a force 8 gale. No mate , you've no idea.

[@MoultrieGeek]

Agreed. I spent 6 years in the USN and rode out 2 hurricanes during that time and the sheer violence of the storms is both fascinating and terrifying. I had the advantage of being on a military ship (CG-27 USS Josephus Daniels) that was obviously built to much higher standards than a commercial vessel and I was still hugely concerned for my safety. 35 foot seas and 40 degree rolls are no laughing matter.

[@vannessar32]

@ The ship appears to be a poor design built badly.

[@stephensmith4480]

@@MoultrieGeek My father was in the British Merchant Navy, he served on the North Atlantic Convoys, up to Murmansk and Archangel in Russia during WW2 he said really bad weather at sea, has to be seen to be believed.

[@gammon1183]

Lol I crossed the channel and it was blowing but that helped me make my mind up to stay on dry land. My father in law worked all over the world on big ships and from what he told me and the pictures he showed me left me speechless . Yeah crossing the channel ain't the same 😀

[@teutonalex]

This former Atlantic fleet deck seaman agrees.

[@koffkoff4274]

Well done. Great narration, interesting story, and not clinging to the "10 minutes long for the ad revenue" philosophy so many dummies on YT fall victim to. You've got my sub.

[@oktfg]

Extremely interesting video very well narrated. By the way. New subscriber here because of the premiere feature. I wouldn’t have know this channel or your content existed without it - so thank you for providing great content and using features that helps to spread it a wider audience.

[@eroche913]

I remember well the Kowloon Bridge wrecking here in Ireland when I was young, but until today had no idea it was a sister ship of Derbyshire, both of the flawed design and build. What a pity it took the loss of so many lives in so many wrecks to expose the inherent flaws.

[@me-us1lw]

FFS the Derbyshire loss had nothing to do with any structural flaws !!!

[@Madhouse_Media]

Even a well designed ship can sink in a typhoon.

[@adediver]

Sailed on the MV Furness Bridge and the Sir Alexander Glen many years ago. This tragedy was often on the crews mind especially in heavy weather.

[@douglasharre7156]

I will add my 2c worth - ditch the premiere idea. Your videos are good enough that we will watch when they arrive. It's not like we are waiting for the new James Bond movie.......

[@LewisLevy]

Speaking of James Bond, wasn't there a Royal Navy ship called the Derbyshire that was sunk in the South China Sea in one of the films?

[@AlanThomsonsim]

@@LewisLevy I think your correct it was tomorrow never dies

[@LewisLevy]

@@AlanThomsonsim You're right ... just checked and it was actually the HMS Devonshire in the movie

[@Pitcairn2]

I was Second Officer on a similar ship when we got the news- Our C/o was in this ship the month before when he decided to change companies .Coal Norfolk Va. to Taranto.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

This is the first I've ever heard of this tragedy. Thank you Ruairidh (and YT) for this and videos like it. 70 years old and still never too old to learn something new.

[@jacksnorth4074]

You have a great voice, reminds me of the radio broadcasters of old, but also brilliant video and facts! Definitely subscribing!

[@jamesyates8942]

I can remember way back around the 80's / 90's seeing a program which showed a bulk carrier in trouble in high sea and in Asian waters and in trouble so much so that the captain radioed for help to have the crew evacuated (at least I think that is what was requested) However a helicopter was dispatched and arriving over the ship was taking film while flying around it and on reaching the rear of the ship noticed a door at the rear was open and in the midst of conversing with the captain the ship is seen to disappear beneath the waves. That recording of the ship sinking beneath the waves in seconds has stayed with me right upto today. it was something you can never forget once seen.

[@eat_a_dick_trudeau]

I remember seeing that as well. I have looked everywhere for that video, but haven't been able to find it, or any information on the ship.

[@bazguymotors4777]

@@eat_a_dick_trudeau I do believe this vessel was off the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and it was the U.S. coastguard helicopter that filmed the open door and suddenly she slipped between the waves. A documentary of ships at sea if I remember correctly.

[@greebo7857]

Sobering statistics. In had no idea so many lives and ships had been lost in that timeframe. Great video.

[@captbumbler5356]

I worked for ICI close to the ship yard and watched these ships being built and launched. May the crew rest in peace and my heart goes out to the families even after all this time.

[@videowilliams]

Great job! I came across this story only yesterday on KZbin, in frustratingly under-explained excerpts and clips. This full account puts the whole story together nicely. It seems inevitable that ships will just keep getting bigger and bigger till some disaster shows we've moved beyond our skills for a given era. I had the feeling the cruise ship industry was moving that way too, but a year of COVID lockdowns seems to have cut that business off at the knees. It's a shame because those floating cities seem to have an extraordinary safety record. From what you say, today's merchant ships are safer too.

[@paulmahy]

Not all new designs have been good. On ships with certain hulls shapes, common to container ships amongst others, the phenomenon of parametric rolling has reared it's head. One Master describing his experience as being on a wild ride and uncontrollable!

[@rodholland4389]

Very very sad story. It had a profound effect on me when the news broke. No one knew anything at the time...just that this was a serious event and a catastrophe. For years and years I mulled over this story as bits of news filtered through and the chilling truth was established. Thinking of the terrible panic the crew must have experienced in such a short space of time in such awful weather conditions came into my mind intermittently as I had served on many old worn out ships. Interestingly I actually saw the launch of Liverpool Bridge off the slipway at the Haverton Hill Yard in 1976. I had joined Ocean Fleets a few years before as an apprentice deck officer and was home on leave when Mum said "lets go down and see this ship launch". So we stood on an elevated patch of windswept vegetation...hardly anyone there... on the opposite bank to Haverton Hill on this particular windy sunny afternoon and watched this monstrous steel monster slide down and create a large stern wave before being towed away. It all seemed so exciting and organised. That was the last vessel out of the yard I think. Of course I do remember savage weather at sea and wondering in the darkness of my cabin when everything creaked and groaned (being as it was often on an old "A" boat of the Blue Funnel Line) whether 27 degrees roll might be terminal or not....especially on one trip in the Bay of Biscay off Finisterre when 2 steamrollers broke loose in the upper tween deck and crashed from side to side in a Force 10. And I should add that earlier in my career we had been chipping rust from the decks of an A boat with chipping hammers and several times had opened up holes right through the deck, which the bosun promptly had us fibreglassing over. And then there was the mighty oil tanker Tantalus which again was a tad scary when looking down the deck... the first time on a tanker and I think we were off South Africa around the Cape...and seeing it flex up and down, kinda scary. Captain says oh dont worry its natural for it to flex a few feet either way....thats 20mm steel by the way for landlubbers. Didn't look safe to me when the bow was plunging and the swell was bursting over the focsle and the prop was cavitating. So yes this video was really interesting and informative and there are things in it I didnt know about. My heart goes out to the families concerning this tragedy...god bless. Funny enough when I left the Merchant Navy I ended up going back to Redpath Offshore (or Trafalgar House as it later became) to sell clocking on systems to this firm at their site on the Tees opposite Haverton Hill yard in 1988. I remember a conversation I started with the older yard guys in which they almost said as much; that welding rods had been used to fill out the gusseting to help line up the beams and the plates. One must remember it was a time of depression and despair on Teesside in the Seventies and workers were not well motivated nor was there investment in the business so it was a messy time. This video for some reason just appeared in the list on the left today which was quite a surprise and most informative. You never know what You Tube is going to throw up next.

[@oldstudbuck3583]

Must have been terrifying to watch the ship break apart and know you have minutes left to live.

[@julianwalker1546]

In May 1980 I joined the Salvage Association, a worldwide surveying organisation funded by the London Marine Insurance Market as a non profit organisation. Some of our top people were involved for years trying to find out what happened. Thank you very much for this excellent programme.

[@muchasgracias6976]

Really informative account of a painfully tragic event.

[@thecatsman]

Only 149 ships and crews reported lost! Owners and governments had more respect for profit in those days than to act on known design flaws and loss of life.

[@RichO1701e]

Nothing as changed. The BSE crisis of the 80's/90's and the last year of Covid has taught us yet again the government(s) prioritises profit over people. Always will.

[@peterwoods5310]

Swan Hunter also built the VLCC "Texaco Great Britain". Age ten years this ship was travelling in ballast down the African west coast when suddenly the main deck fell down as one of the tank bulkheads beneath it collapsed. The ship had to be towed away for scrapping. Technical inspection revealed faulty welding due to the insertion of welding rods before welding over. I myself spent 8 months aboard the "Texaco Great Britain". The 2nd Engineer at the time of this disaster was the competent Harry Campbell.

[@gordbaker896]

I have seen that , handfulls of electrodes laid in the gap and welded over. Water Intake structure for Ontario City.

[@peterwoods5310]

@@stormytempest3907 The accident report of the examining Lloyds Surveyor states the true facts used by the insurers. It was explained to me by a Tyneside engineer that during the GB new-build Swan shipyard workers went on strike. By Union agreement apprentices carried on working. This is a possible explanation for the "making it fit" welding defect.

[@gordbaker896]

@@stormytempest3907 Obviously they DID crap welding on many vessels which along with poor engineering and fitup created huge dangers and destruction. Some people just don't care.

[@gordbaker896]

@@stormytempest3907 Seems they found faults with welding on Inspection. Watch it again.

[@peterwoods5310]

@@stormytempest3907 As a youngster I was taken "doon the watter" past John Browns on Clydebank. The ships plates were then (1956) being riveted together, not welded. One could see the white hot rivets glow. What a noise it made!

[@dmv5552]

Excellent video and a salutary lesson regarding the development of technology without taking due regard to safety. If the builders on Teesside knew they were death traps why did they ever get to sail? Tragic that in order to resolve this 44 people died in circumstances that must have been absolutely terrifying but mercifully short.

[@Mark1024MAK]

Back then a company often ignored the concerns of its employees. History is littered with disasters where problems were known about in advance, but concerns were ignored. Unfortunately money/turnover/profit and not wanting delays or a bad publicity sometimes results in bad management decisions...

[@stormytempest3907]

@@Mark1024MAK Criminally bad management decisions.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always! Hilmar Reksten went belly up at the same time. The Norwegian gov took Hambros Bank to court for the next ten yrs for hideing Rekstens money from the gov and not paying taxes. Anders Jahre also did the same thing. He used Panama as his hub.

[@VirtuellJo]

I remember the OBO-ships Berge Vanga and Berge Istra from the news in my childhood. Both apparently lost in seconds. Only 2 Spanish sailors survived the horrors.

[@davedaly1216]

God rest there souls 67-77.

[@royferguson2297]

Had nightmares after this sinking thinking off those on Board, I served on a few bulk carriers, must have been a horrible death.

[@thegongman]

Served on the Australian Bridge at the time..... Inert gas system in the holds to prevent explosions. But each time I descended down the hold ladder the rungs flaked away in my hands due to corrosion...........

[@bmac454]

I was working as galley boy on another Bibby boat mv Wiltshire at time ,(think we in dry dock Malta at time ), when the Derbyshire sank . I remember walking into a unusual silent crews mess room ,and jokingly asking "who's died then " One of lads told me look at crew notice board , &there was a bulletin saying Bibby line &no one had managed contact with Derbyshire for 24 hours . The Sailiors unfortunately knew all too well what that meant . RIP to all lads on board Derbyshire

[@grahamgray2421]

The Loss of the MV Derbyshire was so sad Rip to everyone on board her .

[@TheMaintopman]

Just came across this video. It brought back memories of when I was Chief Officer of a sister ship "Sir Alexander Glen" I did the final voyage before the vessel was sold in Singapore. That ship taught me a lot. Crap ship but nice bunch of shipmates. My sympathy goes out to the families of those lost on the "Derbyshire".

[@de1962]

Was a friend of Adrian Stott O.S. Was with him at Gravesend seaschool RIP.

[@clairabradbury211]

i was at gravesend also in 76 and my last trip at sea was on board the Derbyshire 7 months before she went down, i knew many of the crew as we sailed together on three other bibby vessels, canadian bridge and devonshire

[@dboconnor57]

I’ve learned quite a lot here, so very well done. Please keep making these excellent documentary shorts. Thanks so much!

[@peteacher52]

I couldn't help drawing a comparison with the Edmund Fitzgerald. Rest in peace, gentlemen all.

[@tonywilliams8426]

YES! Very similar tragedy, especially the cascading hatch cover failures. The truth is, there is not a ship BUILT that the seas cannot sink. We need to respect this fact.

[@Kazilikaya]

@@tonywilliams8426 tis true. You’d think they’d have learned the lesson after the Titanic: An unsinkable ship is an impossible dream. If it can float, then it can sink.

[@alan-sk7ky]

I remember listening to a radio 4 documentary about the Derbyshire, as i recall the design around frame 65 and the longitudinals was changed after the two lead ships were built due to the costs of construction of the fwd engine spaces bulkhead (f65) to 'jog' the aft of the longitudinals to allow off hull construction of the engine spaces more economically etc. Sad stuff indeed...

[@benwilson6145]

Frame 65 had nothing to do with the loss of the Derbyshire, there is a full investigation published, it can be found online,

[@stormytempest3907]

@@benwilson6145 Hi, any chance of a link, please.

[@benwilson6145]

@@stormytempest3907 Go to the Wikipedia page on MV Derbyshire, links at the end

[@petertyson1112]

I was interviewed on a BBC Radio 4 programme on the Derbyshire in, probably, 1988? I had sailed on Denholm's "Kona", formerly the "Sir John Hunter" as Second Mate. On joining the Old Man remarked to me "Welcome aboard. Some of the valves don't pass and some of the bulkheads are sound.". Not a reassuring start. Days later the "Kowloon Bridge" went onto the rocks. My wife knew that the ships were sisters and tried to get in touch with me by radio telephone (Pre-satellite days) but was reassured by the Marconi Man at Portishead, who convinced her not to call me. The "Kona" was an absolute abortion, badly designed, badly laid out, badly built. She'd had brackets retro fitted around frame 65, and the brackets were buckled!

[@petermcerlane8503]

Yes extremely well done short documentary on the very large bulk carriers, particularly the Derbyshire. Relevant film and picture content, and a precise and informative commentary done without sensationalism.

[@helvisea]

I love the pictures of the riveted ships under construction, build long before the first „bridge class“ OBO has been launched ;-)

[@FireRisinWithin]

An absolutely horrifying way to die. Cold and dark with nowhere to go and nothing you can do. Utter destruction in two minutes. My heart goes out to those families.

[@boydownunder007]

thankyou for this. i read before about the terrible loss of the MV Derbyshire in the late 70s with loss of all onboard late on that fateful and terrible night but this video really explains all the events surrounding the ship and why it was lost

[@gnomevoyeur]

Thank you for producing this video. I didn't enjoy it in the slightest but appreciate the story being told. I haven't heard about many maritime disasters but this, like the loss of the MV Union Star (aka The Penlee Lifeboat Disaster) seem to be about innocent lives lost to an immediate cause of awful weather, but ultimately bad decisions made due to financial pressures. I'm sure there are many more.

[@mickm234]

Watched it being built, whilst crossing backwards and forwards to work on the Transporter as a teenager.

[@stormytempest3907]

Hi, Must have been some sight!

[@AlexJacksonSmith]

When the lifeboat with ripped anchor points was mentioned it reminded me of the MS München. "The subsequent investigation into the disappearance of München centred on the starboard lifeboat and in particular the forward block from which it had hung. The pins, which should have hung vertically, had been bent back from forward to aft, indicating the lifeboat hanging below it had been struck by a huge force, that had run from fore to aft of the ship, and had torn the lifeboat from its pins. The lifeboat normally hung 20 metres (66 ft) above the waterline. With the existence of rogue waves then considered so statistically unlikely as to be near impossible, the investigation finally concluded that the severe weather had somehow created an 'unusual event' that had led to the sinking of München.[2][3]" - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_München Also mentioned in the video: "Horizon - Freak waves" - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3Sbk3uunMl7fpY

[@bobferris8361]

Thanks, there has been a lot of research gone into this video, very informative

[@kroneditor9266]

Excellent production! Well done!

[@fordlandau]

Bibby line was a very famous old shipping line. The British ship building industry was world leading until the 1950s. Then it became archaic.

[@PinacoladaMatthew]

forecastle! I remember reading about it in the book Bulk Carrier Practice. Ever since then, they brought back the conventional forecaslte on bulkers.

[@japeking1]

I nearly went to work for Furness but did a couple of years OE and when I came home they were no longer taking anyone on. Lucky me.

[@andrewmcphee8965]

Enjoyed the video, thank you.

[@McRocket]

A very interesting and well told video. Very informative (to me) as well. Thank you.

[@malcolmgood7738]

While in college in Cork in the early 1980,s there was a form floating around from Bibby to be used by the Mates to record cracks in bulkheads in the hatches which to me indicated a very scary problem .It is good to see that the sinking was finally explained .thank you for the video .Very good.

[@deltavee2]

Just like the Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Ontario, bow compartments filled with water and it finally just went under a wave and didn't come up. It turned into an underwater dive before the crew could react. Hit the bottom so fast and so hard that all the hull between the bow and stern sections was literally shattered on impact. The cargo was iron ore pellets. Sympathies to the crew and families of the MV Derbyshire.

[@skinbackyourpeel]

Cargo was indeed Iron ore pellets, as such vessel's GM is much greater and they tend to roll more violently due to the density of the cargo. A lot of the destruction of which you are suggesting would of occurred due to implosion due to water pressure considering the depth of water she sank in.

[@niceday411]

16:00 This footage was taken in my home town. Odessa, Ukraine. After big storm that vessel had lost power on it main engine and by the strong waves was ran aground near the shore all of the crew members were saved by the cost guard. But m/v Delfi had been stayed there for at least for 10 more month after that it was removed by the local authorities.

[@jarigustafsson7620]

what, seriously??? so many ships lost and not investigated, wtf.

[@rockets4kids]

Profit.

[@manatee2500]

The H&M insurers and PANDI clubs do investigate every claim.

[@woolyimage]

Many years ago I sailed with a chap who was waiting in Japan to join the Derbyshire, I guess he had a lucky escape. My thoughts to the relatives of those lost.

[@stormytempest3907]

@@manatee2500 Hi, PROPERLY investigate? Peace.

[@stormytempest3907]

@@woolyimage Was he a Liverpool Fella?

[@JurisKankalis]

Great research of an epic tragedy. RIP.

[@lucienberton4538]

Excellent, clear, and precise presentation. Bravo! There was a very good documentary on this on Discovery in the early 2000s before it went bad. It featured one of the marine engineers who took part in the investigation. Regards; L.

[@misslittledove]

I think I remember hearing somewhere that the line of ships MV Derbyshire was part of became known as coffin ships because of their checkered history. For a vessel so large it can’t even fit through the Suez Canal to sink in under 2 minutes is mind boggling. I can’t imagine the terror the victims experienced in those last 120 seconds.

[@mcguire2038]

Always been interested in lost ships, never heard of this though. Great video. Top narration too.

[@MoultrieGeek]

As in all your films, well documented and well presented. You obviously have a passion for history and it shows. One minor quibble is you speak very clearly but perhaps a trifle too quickly. Subscribed.

[@shermananderson700]

I second this motion that you slow down your speech rate.

[@fredfarnackle5455]

Poor sods, it (and others) should never have happened. As ex-MN myself I feel for the families left behind.

[@vchiu9560]

This reminds me of the sinking of the SS marine Electric which sunk off the U.S. East coast in 1983. The root cause was poor maintenance and inefficient Safety controls which affected her seaworthiness. Going through a heavy storm, she took water from the bow, going deeper as each new wave was filling the front hatches through the untight hatch covers. At the tipping point, the ship capsized in a matter of minutes. Only 3 crew members out of 34 survived the frigid waters to tell the story.

[@MrTarmonbarry]

The last message sent by the captain gives the answer , heavy swells . They are a killer for this type of ship with that sort of cargo , the stresses are enormous

[@TheBuckStopsHere480]

An interesting and informative vid! Bless the poor crewmen and the 2 wives who were lost on that ill-fated vessel.

[@dannygayler90]

One good thing about this tragedy is ; That lessons were learned and the construction of safer vessels being the positive result !

[@blowingfree6928]

What lessons were learned? Did the narrator say? It was not a structural failure, nor crew error.

[@benwilson6145]

@@blowingfree6928 The construction parameters for the hatch covers are insufficient and large waves can damage and destroy them.

[@johnklar5131]

Some things reach the point of being so large they become scary, ships this size do so.

[@Zerofightervi]

A very typical story of a once great British industry with very little investment trying to hold on to past glories. These ships should never have been put to sea with such glaring design flaws. The fact the ship builders knew these vessels were cobbled together shows that this kind of incident was inevitable.

[@glengrieve544]

Great content and beautifully presented thank you for you're time and effort in making this video 😢

[@miked8623]

I worked on the building of this ship in Haverton Hill shipyard 1976 as an apprentice electrician for Campbell and Isherwood ..Remember it well as yes I seen welding rods welded over ..Shocking !!

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

A shame about the design flaws, the Derbyhshire was very impressive on the outside ... I never could have guessed their welding etc. was so bad .... friend of mine lost a cousin on board - unfortunately his wife was on board too, he was 3rd Engineer and she'd come along with him - may they RIP

[@miked8623]

@@neptunenavalmods4420 So sad to hear

[@warringtonminge4167]

Was wondering when Kowloon Bridge was going to get a mention! Had heard before about the Frame 65 problem but didn't know about the weakness being misalignment of the longitudinal beams fore and aft of it. Another excellent presentation based on fabulous research👏👏

[@B5rny]

i was also in same Typhoon as the Derbyshire serving onboard Hms Coventry heading from Subic Bay in Phillipines towards Japan with a task force of British warships - no SOS or any communications were received from the MV Derbyshire and the force of the Typhoon was the worst storm i have ever been in at sea actually lasting almost 2 weeks - we only heard about the loss weeks later .RIP ALL THE

[@robinwells8879]

I recall that my Father was heavily involved in the enquiry. I believe that the issue was very similar to those encountered with the Liberty ships decades before. Ship building, with its massive scale, doesn't look like it but it involves very fine fabrication tolerances but it does.

[@dorothygale5896]

The bow was pressure compensated, i.e., filed with water. That an air vent or a hatch was the cause is sheer speculation. There had to have been a failure in the shell plating.

[@MrRgr004]

When the wreck survey was made it was find out that one of the windlass had gone, trust that gives you an idea of the damages that can be made in heavy weather conditions. Another sister ship got same problems and there are photographic evidences that mushroom head of ventilators had been destroyed by waves

[@glennpowell3444]

From an engineering point of view these vessels amaze me.The stresses they endure are pure physic, s on steroids. Steel can only do so much and beyond a point reacts like a piece of paper structurally. Cheers.

[@chrisburn7178]

With the huge difference that paper will never completely fail due to fatigue from repeated stressing whereas steel will.

[@glennpowell3444]

@@chrisburn7178 Good point.

[@snubbedpeer]

The loss of MV Derbyshire sounds suspiciously similar to MS Berge Vanga and MS Berge Istra. Those OBO combination vessels had a different flaw: During a bulk voyage they sailed with empty oil tanks and relied on (the then unreliable) inert gas systems to avoid the buildup of explosive vapours in the tanks. Berge Istra had two survivors that explained that one day there was a big explosion that tore up the whole deck and caused the entire ship to vanish in super quick time. The scattered wreckage over a large area to me indicates that an explosion might have been the cause of the accident. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Berge_Istra

[@benwilson6145]

There was no similarities i,n the loss.

[@HMSHOOD1920]

It’s said that the Derbyshire imploded.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

as far as I understand, it was actually the lack of damage to parts of the ship that leads us to believe much of it was filled with water before it went down... a normal modern ship going down to those depth is distorted to twisted metal by the forces exerted on it... the steel (or whatever it is they use) is not so thick any more, so whole wrecks are not found on the pacific floor.

[@MrOpenGL]

I think a more similar accident is the one of an ore freighter in the Great Lakes (I sadly can't remember the name). It also went down because the hatches didn't seal properly and allowed huge amounts of water to get into the cargo holds.

[@RubenKelevra]

If the load would had been flammable, but the load was iron ore

[@jonb6417]

Thanks for this excellent, comprehensive and clear account!

[@postwar46]

Thank you so much for posting , with an account that explains the background, and the event in detail.

[@jimhallinsn1023]

I remember this tragic loss. I was a radio officer on her sister ship, the Sir Alexander Glenn. We where crossing the Indian ocean at the time when the Derbyshire went missing, and that I'll dated ship we hit a severe tropical storm and suffered considerable damage to deck fitting on the bow. A very ill fated family of ships. I think they all came to have major problems of one form or another. In the case of the Sir Alexander Glenn, her rubber fell off.

[@petermcerlane8503]

Should be longer! But that is a subtle compliment. Very well researched and presented indeed!

[@ScepticScientist]

Excellent work. All the background and technical details most other presentations lack.