Overview
The armed cargo steamer Neotsfield was torpedoed by the German submarine UB-64 off Ballyhalbert on 14 September 1918 while carrying coal and coke to Naples. Its human loss was not stated in the obvious matched sources.
The vessel and voyage
Neotsfield was a 3,821-ton cargo steamer built at West Hartlepool in 1906. It carried a 4-inch gun at its stern. On the final voyage it was taking 4,158 tons of coal and 808 tons of coke from the Clyde to Naples.
How it was lost
The German submarine UB-64 torpedoed Neotsfield off Ballyhalbert on 14 September 1918. The weapon opened a hole in the starboard side and the ship sank upright.
Deaths and survival
The obvious matched wreck account does not give a death or survivor total. That part is left unknown instead of assuming a complete rescue.
What remains
The wreck stands almost complete and upright on mud in about 45 to 50 metres of water, rising around 12 metres. Its stern gun remains in place, while the bridge has decayed to an open frame.
Why it mattered
Its coal and coke were basic fuel for wartime industry and shipping, which made an ordinary cargo vessel a submarine target. The upright hull and surviving gun clearly show both its merchant purpose and the weapons carried for defence.
History checked 2026-08-15 against the named sources below.
Add the human story, a picture, a first-hand message or a missing place.
Earn 5 points after the picture is checked and accepted.
Add a pictureAdd its storyTalk or ask a questionAdd a new placeA wreck point does not grant access or permission to dive, enter land, disturb the site or recover anything. Check current law and local conditions first.
Conversation about this place
Questions and messages sit beneath the source record. They are checked before appearing.
No questions or messages yet.
Ask a question or join the conversation