Divers Find Shipwreck Likely To Be WWI Vessel Lost With Over 500 Sailors: REPORT

Divers have discovered a shipwreck believed to be a World War I ship that sank with more than 500 sailors on board, the BBC reported on Friday.

An underwater expedition off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has discovered a vessel believed to be HMS Hawk, a Royal Navy warship sunk during World War I. The ship was discovered about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh by a team of divers working on the Lost in Waters Deep project. According to The discovery sheds light on naval history, when HMS Hawke was torpedoed by the German submarine U-9 on October 15, 1914, killing more than 500 crew members.

Wreck of World War I warship discovered in ‘astonishing’ condition https://t.co/FWNfiyZl7H

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 16, 2024

Steve Mortimer, the team’s lead diver, reported finding the wreck in “remarkable” condition at a depth of 360 feet, the BBC reported. The subsequent investigation included analysing historical data such as U-boat logs and naval cruiser records, as well as investigating a “disturbance” reported by Scottish fisheries officials in the 1980s. (Related article: Former Coast Guard pilot discovers 155-year-old shipwreck)

Divers were amazed at how well the wreck had been preserved. Much of the ship’s structure remains intact, including the teak deck and the captain’s passage at the stern. “There’s a fantastic captain’s passage behind the stern. It was clearly a warship and so there are lots of guns,” Mortimer said, according to the BBC. “There’s also a lot of Royal Navy crockery, which is interesting. It was clearly a complete surprise as many of the portholes are still open.”

Mortimer also revealed that the area where the wreck is located is nutrient-poor, meaning no living creatures can feed on the wreck. “Looking through the porthole, you can see a chamber filled with artefacts such as teacups, bowls and plates,” the BBC reports. “It’s a really incredible time capsule.”