Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, but may be in the vicinity.

Event and Historical Information:
The STRUMBLE was a sailing smack fitted with an auxiliary engine. It was built by J W & A Upsham, Brixham, in 1912. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 56.45gt, 44.80rt (deductions allowed for boatswains store, sail room, chart space and steam capstan); Length from forepart of stem under the bowsprit to the aft of the head of the stern post 70.7ft; Main breadth to outside of plank 19.3ft; depth in hold from tonnage deck to ceiling at midships 8.9ft; 1 deck, 2 masts, ketch rigged, square stern, carvel built, wood trawler; fishing number M 135. At time of loss, the vessel was owned by Alfred George John of Milford Haven (or John James, Goodwick - sources differ). The smack was on Admiralty service having been armed and fitted out as a decoy vessel in June 1916. The ketch-rigged smack had been fitted with a 12 pounder gun, carried a crew of 14, and was based at Milford Haven with HM yacht IDAHO as its parent vessel. The STRUMBLE was at sea when challenged by the German submarine UC 65 off Strumble Head on 5 May 1917. The submarine refused to close on the STRUMBLE, so that it was unable to carry out a surprise attack. UC 65 gave the crew of the smack a chance to escape in their own boat, after which the submarine continued to shell the smack until it sank 10 miles north-northeast of Strumble Head. The UC 65 was under the command of Kapitanleutnant Otto Steinbrinck. Before being torpedoed by HM Sub C15 in the November of the same year, the UC 65 undertook 11 patrols and sank 105 ships including the destroyer TARTAR and the hospital ship GLENART CASTLE (162 people were killed).

Sources include:
Goddard, T, 1983, Pembrokeshire Shipwrecks, pg106
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Mercantile Navy List 1915, pg995
Port of Milford Shipping Register 1907-1922, Pembrokeshire Archives, T/SHIP/2/14, folio 61

WWW resources include:
U-Boat Net, https://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/5811.html

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, June 2019.