SS Gairsoppa - Frequently Asked Questions

What was the SS Gairsoppa?
The SS Gairsoppa was a 412 foot steel-hulled British cargo steamship launched in 1919, servicing the British India Steam Navigation Company. Throughout her career, the Gairsoppa was engaged in commercial shipping activities in the waters off the Far East, Australia, India and East Africa. In 1940, the UK Ministry of War Transport enlisted the Gairsoppa to transport vital military supplies in World War II. The Gairsoppa was sunk by a German U-boat torpedo on February 17, 1941 approximately 300 miles off the coast of Ireland. She was reportedly carrying a diverse cargo which included substantial quantities of pig iron, tea and up to 7,000,000 ounces of silver. To learn more about the history of the Gairsoppa click here.

Why did the UK Department for Transport award Odyssey the exclusive contract for the cargo aboard the Gairsoppa?
At the time of her sinking, the Gairsoppa operated under the service of the UK Ministry of War Transport and was insured through the UK War Insurance program. The UK Ministry for War Transport became the owner of the cargo when it paid the claim associated with her loss. Private parties typically bid for the salvage rights of various cargoes owned by the UK Department for Transport. Through a competitive bid process, the UK Department for Transport awarded Odyssey the contract for the SS Gairsoppa in 2010. As part of the agreement, Odyssey assumed the risk, expense and responsibility for the search, cargo, recovery, documentation and marketing of the cargo. Odyssey will retain 80% of the net salved value of the silver bullion recovered under the contract.

How did Odyssey locate the Gairsoppa?
Odyssey conducted extensive research using multiple sources to determine the highest probability area to search. Odyssey also acquired data from a previous search for the shipwreck. The Gairsoppa was located outside of the previous search area; near the location that Odyssey’s research department believed that the ship would be located. The target shipwreck was located using the MAK-1M (deep-tow low frequency sonar system), aboard the chartered Russian research vessel RV Yuzhmorgeologiya. Visual inspection of the site was conducted with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from the Odyssey Explorer. The Gairsoppa was discovered approximately 4,700 meters below the surface of the north Atlantic, in international waters approximately 300 miles off the coast of Ireland.

How did Odyssey confirm the identity of the Gairsoppa?
Extensive research has been conducted to understand the features that would be expected on the SS Gairsoppa, taking into consideration what other ships could possibly be in the area. During the visual ROV inspection, the archaeology and marine operations teams examined the shipwreck looking for expected characteristics and any characteristics which could rule out the site as that of the Gairsoppa. The video and still images acquired during the ROV dive on the wreck was analyzed at length. The identity of the shipwreck as that of the SS Gairsoppa was confirmed by many features including:

• length, width and height of shipwreck
• torpedo damage located as per the U-boat log entry
• large cargo of tea chests observed, which matches manifest listing 1700+ tons of tea
• the "three island" cargo ship profile
• five cargo holds (number 3 hold particular to this class and type of vessel)
• nine derricks
• steam driven derrick winches
• anchor type and location on bow
• shape of bow
• forward accommodation layout and location of pantry stores hatch
• poop deck layout and features
• bollard and scupper locations
• forecastle layout and features
• hull colors match the British India Company color scheme
• cracks on either side of the hull relate to accounts of the sinking

What does Odyssey expect to find on the Gairsoppa shipwreck site and what is it worth?
Contemporary research and official documents indicate that the ship was carrying as much as 7,000,000 ounces of silver as well as other diverse cargo, including substantial amounts of pig iron and tea.

The most common research citations, including Lloyd’s Record of War Losses, indicate the Gairsoppa carried a cargo of silver worth £600,000 at the time, which would equate to approximately 7 million ounces of silver. One record clearly indicates that 2,817 silver bars were loaded at one port and another report lists an unconfirmed amount of silver specie. The UK Department for Transport has records that indicate that they paid out an insurance claim for approximately £325,000 of silver bars after the loss of the ship.

War Risk insurance was paid out only on privately owned cargoes. Government owned cargoes were self-insured. The Government also did not typically record its own high-value specie or precious metal cargoes on manifests for security reasons, often referring to them as “general cargo” or even “nails” or other heavy boxed cargo. The difference between the amount paid out under the War Risk policy and the £600,000 sterling is possibly explained by the uninsured silver lost (£275,000) as having been owned by the government, in which case it may not have appeared on the manifest nor as an insurance claim. The official UK Government record of war loss mentions that the cargo consisted of “silver specie” (which refers to coinage), clearly differentiated from bullion or bars, which was the cargo that was paid out by War Risk insurance.

Although extensive research has been conducted, the ultimate value of the cargo will only be known after recovery and determination of the total amount of silver recovered and how much of it, if any, is in specie.

When will Odyssey begin recovery operations on the Gairsoppa cargo?
Odyssey has already identified the technology and equipment necessary to recover the silver cargo from the Gairsoppa and mobilization plans are being finalized. One of the world's top deep-ocean salvage experts was aboard during the verification expedition to consult with Odyssey on customization of the system that will be used for the recovery operations. A number of consultants, who have combined experience salvaging scores of modern steel-hulled shipwrecks, are advising Odyssey on the project. Among other ground-breaking projects, one of the companies has successfully penetrated four decks of a large steel-hulled shipwreck at a depth of nearly 3,000 meters in order to completely empty the mail room. In addition, several Odyssey team members have experience with modern salvage to depths of nearly 6,000 meters on military and government missions.

Will Odyssey see any income from the cargo before 2012?
Given the current state of the commodities market there has been a high level of interest in securing rights to the silver in this cargo, which might include options to purchase the cargo and other rights. Discussions with several parties commenced before the Gairsoppa was even located.

What is the condition of the shipwreck?
The Gairsoppa lies upright at a depth of approximately 4,700 meters in an east/west direction. The torpedo hole is clearly visible and the hatches covering the cargo holds are no longer in place. The orientation and condition of the holds are very favorable for salvage, which can likely be conducted without damage to the rest of the ship .

Do you expect to find any human remains?
Human remains are not expected to be found during work on the shipwreck of the Gairsoppa due to the depth, age of the shipwreck, circumstances surrounding the sinking, and the area where work is to be carried out. The Gairsoppa was a cargo ship and the silver cargo is located in one of the cargo holds. Crew members would not have been in one of these holds. Nevertheless, this site deserves respect in recognition of the brave merchant mariners who sacrificed so much on behalf of the war effort.

According to Lloyd's War losses, 83 crew members and 2 gunners were aboard the Gairsoppa when she was hit by the torpedo. The crew of British and East Indian sailors abandoned ship under U-boat machine gun fire, but only one person, Second Officer, Mr. R.H. Ayres survived the long journey to shore after thirteen days in a lifeboat.

In the unlikely event that any human remains are encountered they will be treated with the utmost respect and the UK Department for Transport will be notified.