A team of divers has recently uncovered the wreck of a Royal Navy warship, believed to be HMS Hawke, off the Aberdeenshire coast, approximately 70 miles east of Fraserburgh. The ship, which was sunk by a German U-boat during World War One in October 1914, was found in “remarkable” condition. Sadly, the attack claimed the lives of over 500 crew members.
The vessel was engulfed in flames and, after a devastating explosion, sank in under eight minutes, leaving only 70 sailors alive. The Royal Navy is expected to officially confirm the wreckage’s identity in the next few weeks.
The Lost in Waters Deep group, dedicated to uncovering shipwrecks to honour wartime sacrifices in Scottish waters, discovered the wreck. HMS Hawke, an Edgar-class protected cruiser measuring 387 feet in length and 60 feet in width, was originally launched in 1891.
History of the HMS Hawke
In 1911, HMS Hawke suffered significant damage after colliding with RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic, in the Solent. At the start of World War One, Hawke was deployed to the 10th Cruiser Squadron and took part in blockade operations between Shetland and Norway. By October 1914, the squadron had moved further south in the North Sea, aiming to prevent German warships from targeting Canadian troop convoys.
On October 15, 1914, while patrolling off the coast of Aberdeen, HMS Hawke was hit by a torpedo launched by the German submarine U-9. This early attack underscored the Royal Navy’s vulnerability to German U-boats, even in the remote northern waters of Scotland.
Locating the sunken ship found
The wreck, lying 360 feet (110 metres) beneath the sea, was discovered on August 12 and is the final resting place of 524 sailors. Steve Mortimer, a diver collaborating with the Lost in Waters Deep project, shared with BBC Scotland that uncovering HMS Hawke’s location required a tremendous amount of effort.
To pinpoint the wreck, the team delved into historical records, including the day journal of the U-boat commander, which offered clues about the submarine’s position when the torpedo was launched. They also examined the logs of other Navy cruisers that had recently communicated with HMS Hawke, helping to narrow down the potential location of the sunken ship.
Another clue came from a report by Scottish fisheries in the 1980s about an “obstruction” on the seabed. Although the dive team found nothing at the reported site, they uncovered a massive shipwreck just a kilometre away.
The dive was conducted from the vessel Clasina (Source: BBC)
Wreckage in Remarkably Preserved State
Mr. Mortimer noted that while HMS Hawke had significantly deteriorated over a century on the seabed, it remained in surprisingly good condition. Much of the teak decking is still intact, and a well-preserved captain’s walkway can be seen around the stern. Numerous guns are scattered around, reflecting its status as a warship. The wreck also contains a variety of Royal Navy crockery, adding to its intrigue. The presence of open portholes suggests the ship was caught off guard.
Mr. Mortimer explained that the shipwreck’s location in a nutrient-poor part of the sea has helped preserve it from being consumed by marine organisms. He described the scene as a “remarkable time capsule,” where you can peer through the portholes and see rooms still containing artefacts like teacups, bowls, and plates lying undisturbed on the floor.
