SS Sommerstad
Freighter · Norway · Lost 1918 · Long Island & the New York Approaches
A Norwegian freighter torpedoed by a German U-boat off Fire Island in 1918, now a deep wreck dive known to some as the 'Virginia.'
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The Vessel and Her Loss
The Norwegian steamer Sommerstad was torpedoed by the German submarine U-117 on August 12, 1918, while sailing in ballast from Bergen to New York, roughly 30 miles southeast of the Fire Island Lightship. There were no casualties. Divers know the wreck, sometimes called the 'Virginia' after early confusion over her identity, for her prominent boilers and largely intact stern.
Vessel
- 1906
- R. Stephenson & Co Ltd
- Newcastle, England
- Steel
- 340 ft
- 47 ft
- 3875
- Steam, single screw
- A. F. Klaveness & Co. (Klaveness Dampskibsselskab A/S), Sandefjord, Norway
Loss
- August 12, 1918
- Enemy action
- About 30 miles southeast of the Fire Island Lightship, New York
- Atlantic Ocean, New York Bight
- Bergen, Norway → New York
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 170-180
- Stern section largely intact and rising well off the seabed; scattered amidships where the torpedo struck
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 40.00° N 69.00° W
- Reported, unconfirmed
- Fire Island, New York
Position given in the U-boat attack record; local dive charts cite differing coordinates for the wreck itself.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)
The wreck's precise present-day coordinates vary between sources and are not confirmed against a single authoritative survey.
uboat.net WWI Ships Hit database
Build data, owner, tonnage, torpedoing details, date, casualties, position of attack.
njscuba.net dive site directory
Depth, wreck condition, local diver nickname 'Virginia'.
