British warship sunk during World War I was discovered, copper products "still sparkling"
2024-08-20
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A British diving team has discovered a shipwreck in Scottish waters, AFP reported on August 17. It is believed to be a British Royal Navy warship that sank during World War I, but is "almost intact." Earlier this week, the diving team discovered what it believed to be the wreck of the cruiser "Hawk" on the bottom of the North Sea-the battleship sank after being hit by a German torpedo in October 1914. Paul Downs, a member of the diving team, took pictures of the long-lost shipwreck. Due to the "incredible" condition of the wreck, he described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery. He told AFP reporters: "It's almost intact. For a shipwreck that is more than 100 years old and has suffered violent attacks, its state of preservation is incredible.
. " Subnautica, an organization that searches for World War I shipwrecks in Scottish waters, has spearheaded the years-long effort to find the battleship. After providing the Royal Navy with their findings, the diving team is awaiting official confirmation from the Royal Navy. In the early days of World War I, the cruiser HMS Hawke was attacked by a German U-boat. Only 70 of the crew survived and more than 500 were killed. The battleship was an Edgar-class cruiser launched in 1891, 387 feet long (about 118 meters) and 60 feet wide. After catching fire and exploding, the battleship disappeared in the waters of the North Sea near northeast Scotland in less than eight minutes. Since then, the battleship has been sleeping 360 feet deep on the seabed. Downes said this is likely a factor in its well-preserved state.
Despite lying on the seabed for more than a century, its guns, other weapons and equipment, decks, and some items inside the ship, such as clocks and wall-mounted barometers, are still visible, according to the report. "It has avoided the winter storms of the North Sea," Downes explained. He pointed out that the warship was also built with "absolutely top-notch" materials during the heyday of the British Empire. He said: "All the copper products on the wreck, such as portholes and openings for deck guns, are still shining... This may be because it was built so well." (Compiled by Liu Baiyun)
Source: Reference News
