Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

News Event

Saturday, April 3, 1965 @ 1200
The date is correct but time is unknown and the time shown here is only our best estimate
ORISSA (1965-1974 Oil tanker 780 feet long of Trident Tankers, London : 1984 scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan) Own Page

New tanker ORISSA on trials in the Clyde sights a floating mine

Ship's locationFirth of Clyde (Scotland, U.K.) off Isle of ArranPort of RegistryLondon (UK)
Net Tonnage23,716
Gross Tonnage39,035
Deadweght Tonnage63,075
     

Royal Navy explodes a floating mine by rifle fire

     

From "The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald" dated 9th April 1965.

 

A mine sighted off Arran last Saturday during acceptance trials of the 63,000 ton tanker ORISSA was

exploded by rifle fire early on Sunday morning after a nine-hour search by six members of the crew of

the Royal Navy Frigate H.M.S. RUSSELL from Greenock.

The ORISSA had just completed a trial run on the measured mile off Arran when the mine was sighted.
A signal was immediately flashed to an accompanying tender which kept the mine under observation

by spotlight, until arrangements could be made to have the Navy deal with it.

Lieut. R. H. Rodgers and other members of the party worked throughout the night to locate and sink the mine,

which was lost for several hours in the darkness.

It was finally located and sunk by rifle fire at 6.45 am. on Sunday.

Throughout the search, warnings were issued to shipping to avoid the area.