The SS James Egan Layne

History of the SS James Egan Layne

The SS James Egan Layne is a 441ft American Liberty Ship and was one of two leading vessels in the BTC-103 convoy.Crumbling though it may be, the wreck of the SS James Eagan Layne is still one of the British divers greatest thrills. Sitting on the seabed at 22m and looking up at the James Eagan Layne's bow hanging out over you is one of wreck diving's great sights, and makes a fine start to a tour of the ship.

How did she sink?
On 21st March 1945 she was torpedoed by U-1195 into her starboard side between No 4 and No 5 holds. At the time of the attack the James Egan Layne was carrying 4,500 tons of U.S. Army stores, and deck cargo of military motor boats and timber from Barry to Ghent. Once hit, her steering gear was out of action, her shaft broken and damaged holds and engine room flooded. With her stern awash she was towed to Whitsand Bay by HMS Flaunt and a minesweeper where she sank in the shallows.

Up until the 1970s the wreck was easy to locate with her mast showing above the surface which eventually collapsed leaving only her wreck buoy to mark her position.

Dive Guide
At the top of the bow in 10m, it is easy to see signs of recent change.
The forecastle is collapsing in on itself, and the anchor winches that used to be clear on the bow have fallen down into the forecastle. The chain locker is still there, and the diver can see where the chain ran out to the hawse holes. Further back, a cargo winch has now fallen into No. 1 hold.

Starboard side: On the starboard side of this hold and No. 2 and No. 3, in fact right back to the engine room, sections of the plating have broken away. So much has fallen that the whole side appears as if it has dropped to the seabed. This starboard side break-up ahead of the engine room is worse than on the port side of the wreck. You can swim from Hold No. 1 to No. 2 without difficulty. It is in this area that there are large numbers of wheels from the railway rolling stock that was being carried to Europe to replace that destroyed by Allied air sweeps prior to the Invasion. Here the decking has fallen in, leaving the ribs intact, together with the deck frames. Access to the main engine used to be simple from Hold No. 3 just ahead of it, but now the decking has fallen in on top. As the sides of the engine room are also collapsing, access to the engine is now almost impossible, and should not be attempted. The big open area behind the engine room does not look much like a hold, with its big piles of rubble, but is in fact No. 4. Ladders lie across the rubble and wire tangles around. Agricultural machinery was stowed here; and seed drills, pickaxe heads and water-pipe couplings can be seen poking up out of the debris. A.ll this part of the cargo was intended to help war-shattered Europe start feeding herself again. The ship is broken by No. 5 hold, and the last 10m of stern lies a short distance away.

Port side: Before leaving the main wreckage to find it, take a look at the port side. It is a marvellous sight, a vast sheet of white anemones and dead men's fingers that almost glow at you.

Stern: To find the missing stern section, swim out and away from No. 5 hold to the south along the bottom for about 15m in approx 24m depth. When the sand gives way to a dark mass of shell and shingle, turn west for another 20m, and the stern looms up at you. It lies on its starboard side and is covered with marine growth. Its decking has fallen in. But it only recently gave up another part of her cargo. Divers recovered sixty 5.5in brass shellcases from a compartment under the gun, which once sat on a platform at the stern and had its own ammunition hoist.

General Info

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