For nearly 110 years, the final resting place of the HMS Hawke and the 524 sailors who perished with her during World War I remained a haunting enigma. Struck by a German U-boat’s torpedo on October 15, 1914, the ship sank rapidly in the North Sea, leaving behind only questions and sorrow.
However, recent efforts by the Lost in Waters Deep team have finally brought closure to this maritime mystery. On August 11, divers located the wreck 70 miles east of Fraserburgh, Scotland, and made an astounding discovery—the HMS Hawke is remarkably well-preserved.
A Time Capsule From The Great War
The HMS Hawke, an Edgar-class protected cruiser launched in 1891, has survived the ravages of time in a state that few shipwrecks of its era can boast. Much of the ship’s teak decking remains intact, with the captain’s walkways still secure on the stern. The wreckage also retains its World War I-era guns and even Royal Navy crockery, untouched on the seabed.
Steve Mortimer, a diver with the project, expressed his amazement at the ship’s condition, noting, “She clearly was taken completely by surprise because a lot of the portholes are still open. You can look into the portholes and see rooms with artifacts—teacups, bowls, and plates just there on the floor.”
The Tragic Day HMS Hawke Went Down
On that fateful day in October 1914, the HMS Hawke was conducting patrols as part of the Royal Navy’s 10th Cruiser Squadron, which was responsible for blockade efforts in the North Sea. The ship had just completed a mail transfer from the USS Endymion when it was ambushed by a German Type U-9 submarine. A single torpedo struck the Hawke’s starboard side, causing catastrophic damage and sinking the ship in less than eight minutes. Only 70 sailors survived, with further rescue attempts thwarted by the lurking threat of additional U-boats.
Rediscovering The Lost Ship
The Lost in Waters Deep team’s discovery was the result of meticulous research and a bit of luck. Utilizing data from 1914, including the U-boat commander’s logs, the team pinpointed a likely search area. They were also guided by reports from Scottish fisheries in the 1980s, which mentioned an “obstruction” on the seabed near the target zone. Less than a mile from this obstruction, the HMS Hawke was finally found.
Steve Mortimer explained that the ship’s preservation is due in part to the nutrient-poor waters of the North Sea, which have limited the growth of marine life that could have otherwise damaged the wreck. “It’s a really remarkable time capsule,” Mortimer remarked, emphasizing the significance of this discovery in both historical and archaeological contexts.
Resources:
Scottish Shipwrecks: HMS Hawke
Lost in Waters Deep
Maritime Archaeology Trust: Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War
References:
Popular Mechanics: A Torpedoed WWI Warship Has Appeared at the Bottom of the Sea, 110 Years After It Sank
CNN: Wreck of torpedoed World War I warship found in ‘amazing’ condition
The Guardian: ‘Virtually intact’ wreck off Scotland believed to be Royal Navy warship torpedoed in first world war