Wreck near planned wind farm site may be WW1 ship

The SS Cheltenham was captured in 1904 and renamed Tobol

A wreck discovered near the site of a planned floating offshore windfarm off the Aberdeenshire coast may be a ship sunk during World War One.

Russian merchant vessel Tobol - originally SS Cheltenham - was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1917.

ScottishPower and Shell are behind the proposed MarramWind offshore windfarm about 75km (46 miles) off the north east coast of Scotland.

Scans during survey work discovered what it is thought could be the wreck of Tobol. An exclusion zone has now been set up to protect it.

The ship had operated as the SS Cheltenham until it was captured in 1904.

After being transferred to Russian control and renamed Tobol, it was later torpedoed in September 1917.

ScottishPower said data gathered by sonar scans carried out during geophysical and environmental surveys for the proposed MarramWind floating offshore windfarm had identified the "likely resting place" of Tobol.

The UK Hydrographic Office and Historic Environment Scotland have been notified of the wreck find, though its identity has not yet been verified or confirmed.

'Something special'

Colin Anderson, the development manager for MarramWind, described it as an "extraordinary" find.

“We always expect to come across wrecks when carrying out works like this, but these tend to be smaller vessels and known to the authorities," he said.

"While the Tobol was known to have been torpedoed in the war, its location was unclear, so to discover it after more than a century and uncover its history is something special.

“It has a fascinating story and it would be amazing if we could find out more about the fate of the people who were on board as online information suggests there were some survivors – although this has not been verified."

However he added: "We also need to be mindful that the wreck could be the final resting place for crew members, so hopefully our find will provide closure and comfort for their families and descendants."