Erg (tug)

''Erg'' was a vessel built and owned by Halifax Steamship Ltd. in 1915. She was used to ferry workers across the harbour to vessels under repair during the Second World War. ''Erg'' was sunk in the Halifax Harbour three times and is currently located in the Bedford Basin.

Early service

''Erg'' was originally a steam tug called ''Sambro'' and was built by the Halifax Shipyard in 1915. She was one of the earliest steel vessels to be built in Halifax. ''Sambro'' was 55 feet long and almost 15 feet wide, with a depth of 7 feet and her maximum tonnage was 28. The tug was originally sunk during the Halifax Explosion of 1917. In 1927, ''Sambro'' was raised out of the harbour and was converted from steam to diesel, being given a 4 horsepower engine. With this change, the tug was given a new name and a new purpose. The vessel was renamed ''Erg'' and was used as a transport tug, ferrying workers and their equipment from the shipyard to vessels under repair.

Wartime harbour

Halifax Harbour was an extremely busy port during the Second World War. Because of this, navigational dangers increased with the congestion in the harbour. The Naval Service of Canada, which kept records of the activity in the harbour, advised that from 1940 to 1943, there were at least 12 vessels involved in accidents within Halifax Harbour. Vessels such as ''Camperdown'', ''Claire Lilley'' and ''Nueva Indalucia'' ran aground, whereas others such as ''Otter'', and ''Trongate'' caught fire and sank (or, in the case of ''Trongate'', was made to sink as the flames were completely out of control). In 1940, ''Herbidean'' was sunk by the British ship ''Esmond''; a forerunner to the fate of ''Erg''.Tucker, Gilbert Norman (1952). ''The Naval Service of Canada: Its Official History: Volume II: Activities on Shore During The Second World War''. Ottawa: King's Printer.

Wreck

On July 6, 1943, ''Erg'' was carrying workers and equipment (air compressors and electric generators) through the fog and rain, when she was run down by a Norwegian freighter – a steamship named ''Norelg'' (See Convoy SC 94 for more information on this ship). The tug immediately began sinking and as a result, 19 men lost their lives. On July 19, the Royal Canadian Navy utilized the floating crane ''Lord Kitchener'' to raise the wreck of ''Erg'' so the bodies of the deceased could be recovered. Only 10 bodies were discovered and removed from the wreck. ''Erg''s sinking was and still is considered one of the worst accidents to have taken place in the Halifax Harbour and is the greatest loss of life in regards to a shipwreck within these waters.

Upon inspection, it was decided that ''Erg'' was beyond repair and on August 24, 1943, she was taken to her final resting place and sunk for the third and final time.

Final resting place

The ''Erg'' shipwreck site was rediscovered in 2001 in the northern part of the Bedford Basin (near Roach Cove) by the Nova Scotia Exploration Society. The site is a protected heritage site and is visited by many divers. Objects which were recovered from ''Erg'', such as the ships' whistle and portholes are currently on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on Lower Water Street.

References

{{July 1943 shipwrecks

Tugboats of Canada
Ships built in Nova Scotia
Ships lost with all hands
1915 ships
Maritime incidents in July 1943
World War II merchant ships of Canada