SL/E/THIR/M/28

This shipwreck is positioned at a maximum depth of 8m, about one kilometer off the coast of Thirukkovil, an area which is about 78km southeast of Batticaloa. Constructed by Hamilton Wm. & Co. Ltd. in Glasgow (Scotland), and owned by Wallem & Co. Ltd (Haakon J. Wallem), SS Norviken was employed as a Norwegian cargo ship, starting from 1925. This iron vessel weighed 2924t and was 93m (305ft) in length and 13.9m (45ft 6in) in breadth. The hull depth of the ship was 7.9m (26ft). Powered by two boilers and a 3-cycle triple expansion engine with a single propeller, this steam vessel was of 244-horsepower and could reach a maximum speed of 11knots (nautical miles per hour).

On the 09^th April 1942, this ship was en route from Madras (India) to Bombay (India) carrying cargo, when it was attacked by the Japanese air strikes during the World War II. According to the Captain’s description, a radio message had been received around 10 am, informing of an air raid by the enemy forces north to the ship’s location. Hence, everyone had been instructed to be prepared for any emergency and to lower the lifeboats and use them in case of an attack. At 11.20 am, enemy aircrafts had been seen in the sky above the ship and, few seconds after the appearance of the aircrafts, the bombardment has begun. Accordingly, the first bomb had struck the mid part of the Port’s side of the ship while another two had struck the rear part of the deck of the ship’s Star board side. Soon after, the steam pipes of the engine room had exploded leaving the engine room and the surrounding area covered in smoke.

SS Norviken is one of the seven World War II shipwrecks in Sri Lanka that are divable, the others being SS British Sergent, SS Sagaing, HMS Hermes, HMS Hollyhock, SS Athelstane and HMAS Vamfire.

Since this wreckage is currently resting 360m northeast of the last known location of the SS Norviken in 1942, the wreck is highly believed as the Norwegian cargo steamer, SS Norviken.