Inkerman and Cerisoles Minesweepers
Encyclopedia
The Inkerman and Cerisoles Minesweepers are two French warships named after two major battles fought during the Crimean War
, that vanished on their maiden voyage in a Great Lakes
storm in Lake Superior sometime in mid-November 1918. No traces of the two vessels have ever been found. Seventy-six French sailors and two Canadian captains disappeared along with the Minesweepers. The Inkerman and Celisoles are the last naval warship
vessels to disappear in the Great Lakes and are the largest loss of life on Lake Superior
.
. The vessels laid at 140 feet long, and 22 feet in width, weighted 630 tons, with a single smoke stack. Sailed by two steam-powered propellers. The vessel class was divided into four watertight compartments. Two 100 mm deck guns were located forward and aft with a range of about 20 kilometers. They had a speed of about twelve knots. Consisted manly of a metal hull with wood deck. It was rumored that because of the end of World War I
, funds were cut short and wooden plugs took the place of metal rivets in the Minesweepers, which could have led to their demise. The vessels were in the Navarin-type Minesweeping class and were designed to clear hundreds upon thousands of underwater mines
in the English channel
. Along with the Inkerman and Celisoles, a sister ship, called the Sebastopol, was built alongside the two, almost sinking on its maiden voyage itself.
through the St. Lawrence River after crossing the Great Lakes. Seventy-six French sailors made up the crew of the Inkerman and Cerisoles, with the addition of two veteran Canadian captains, Capt. R. Wilson and W. J. Murphy. These vessels were built to fight even the heaviest waves of the ocean. As the ships steamed further into Lake Superior, a blizzard came across the lake with recorded winds of 50 mph, and waves 30 ft high. All three ships soon lost visual sight of each other through the snow and waves. The storm was so bad that a sailor from the Sebastopol said "We had to get out the life boats and put on lifebelts ... the boat almost sank – and it was nearly `goodbye' to anyone hearing from us again, "You can believe me, I will always remember that day. I can tell you that I had already given myself up to God." Water had poured into the Sebastopol, flooding part of her engine room and nearly putting out the coal fires in her boilers. The storm pounded the Sebastopol for two days, but the vessel managed to pull into Sault Ste. Marie
. What soon became apparent was that the Inkerman and Cerisoles were nowhere to be found. As days passed, rumors that the warships sailed through the locks unnoticed all the way to the St. Lawrence River, but it was assumed the ships were lost. On December 3, 1918, ten days after the three ships left what is now Thunder Bay
, a search effort was launched, but because of wartime censorship it was small, and the public people were left out of the search. No wreckage was ever found of the ships, and their whereabouts are unknown. The public knew nothing of the Inkerman and Cerisoles till wartime censorship
ended in Canada
in 1918.
, which is an area of the lake that has extremely shallow water, and ships have been know to bottom out and sink. Ideas came about suggesting that the ships sailed on through the lakes under wartime censorship, but if that is the case, then it leaves unexplained what happened to all the sailors. Some extreme thoughts were that a German U-boat
sailed into the Great Lakes and sank the warships. What is clear is that the ships are still missing after over 90 years without a trace.
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, that vanished on their maiden voyage in a Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
storm in Lake Superior sometime in mid-November 1918. No traces of the two vessels have ever been found. Seventy-six French sailors and two Canadian captains disappeared along with the Minesweepers. The Inkerman and Celisoles are the last naval warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
vessels to disappear in the Great Lakes and are the largest loss of life on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
.
Vessel specifications
Built at the Canada Car and Foundry Company in what was then known as Fort William, OntarioFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
. The vessels laid at 140 feet long, and 22 feet in width, weighted 630 tons, with a single smoke stack. Sailed by two steam-powered propellers. The vessel class was divided into four watertight compartments. Two 100 mm deck guns were located forward and aft with a range of about 20 kilometers. They had a speed of about twelve knots. Consisted manly of a metal hull with wood deck. It was rumored that because of the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, funds were cut short and wooden plugs took the place of metal rivets in the Minesweepers, which could have led to their demise. The vessels were in the Navarin-type Minesweeping class and were designed to clear hundreds upon thousands of underwater mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in the English channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Along with the Inkerman and Celisoles, a sister ship, called the Sebastopol, was built alongside the two, almost sinking on its maiden voyage itself.
Maiden voyage
In the middle of November the 3 minesweepers Inkerman, Cerisoles, and Sebastopol Left the harbor of Fort William, Ontario in Lake Superior. The three vessels were to reach the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
through the St. Lawrence River after crossing the Great Lakes. Seventy-six French sailors made up the crew of the Inkerman and Cerisoles, with the addition of two veteran Canadian captains, Capt. R. Wilson and W. J. Murphy. These vessels were built to fight even the heaviest waves of the ocean. As the ships steamed further into Lake Superior, a blizzard came across the lake with recorded winds of 50 mph, and waves 30 ft high. All three ships soon lost visual sight of each other through the snow and waves. The storm was so bad that a sailor from the Sebastopol said "We had to get out the life boats and put on lifebelts ... the boat almost sank – and it was nearly `goodbye' to anyone hearing from us again, "You can believe me, I will always remember that day. I can tell you that I had already given myself up to God." Water had poured into the Sebastopol, flooding part of her engine room and nearly putting out the coal fires in her boilers. The storm pounded the Sebastopol for two days, but the vessel managed to pull into Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie may refer to:* Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , a Canadian city** Sault Ste. Marie , a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada...
. What soon became apparent was that the Inkerman and Cerisoles were nowhere to be found. As days passed, rumors that the warships sailed through the locks unnoticed all the way to the St. Lawrence River, but it was assumed the ships were lost. On December 3, 1918, ten days after the three ships left what is now Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, a search effort was launched, but because of wartime censorship it was small, and the public people were left out of the search. No wreckage was ever found of the ships, and their whereabouts are unknown. The public knew nothing of the Inkerman and Cerisoles till wartime censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
ended in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1918.
Speculation
Since no wreckage or bodies were ever officially found, it is hard to say what really happened. Most believe the vessels went down because of the Lake Superior storm, and others believe the warships may have struck the Superior ShoalSuperior Shoal
The Superior Shoal is a geologic shoal of approximately located north of Copper Harbor, Michigan in the middle of Lake Superior whose highest point lies only below the lake's surface. The shoal is a volcanic hump in an otherwise deep part of the lake, and though fishermen had known of its...
, which is an area of the lake that has extremely shallow water, and ships have been know to bottom out and sink. Ideas came about suggesting that the ships sailed on through the lakes under wartime censorship, but if that is the case, then it leaves unexplained what happened to all the sailors. Some extreme thoughts were that a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
sailed into the Great Lakes and sank the warships. What is clear is that the ships are still missing after over 90 years without a trace.
Search for the wrecks
In what is being called the "Holy Grail" of the Great Lakes, a search for the Inkerman and Cerisoles is underway, led by famous shipwreck hunter Tom Farnquist, known for removing the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald. The search has been ongoing, but no strong clues to date.List and fate of the French minesweepers built by Canadian Car and Foundry
| Hull # | Original Name | Original Owner | Vessel Type | Built | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narvarin | French Navy | Trawler | Sept-18 | Deleted 1965 |
| 2 | Mantoue | French Navy | Trawler | Sept-18 | sold 1949 |
| 3 | St. Georges | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Deleted 1952 |
| 4 | Leoben | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Deleted 1933 |
| 5 | Palestro | French Navy | Trawler | Oct-18 | Deleted 1936 |
| 6 | Lutzen | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Wrecked on Cape Cod 1939 |
| 7 | Bautzen | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Foundered 1961 |
| 8 | Inkerman | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Unknown |
| 9 | Cerisoles | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Unknown |
| 10 | Sebastopol | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Wrecked in 1933 off Cape St Francis |
| 11 | Malakoff | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Foundered Bay Roberts 1974 |
| 12 | Seneff | French Navy | Trawler | Nov-18 | Wrecked near Canso 1955 |