World War I Royal Navy Warship HMS Hawke Discovered in Remarkable Condition Off Aberdeenshire Coast

Aberdeenshire, Scotland – August 16, 2024 – A significant maritime discovery has been made off the Aberdeenshire coast as divers have located what is believed to be the wreck of the Royal Navy warship HMS Hawke.

The ship, sunk by a German torpedo during World War I, was found approximately 70 miles east of Fraserburgh in what experts describe as “remarkable” condition.

The discovery was made by the Lost in Waters Deep group, a team dedicated to uncovering and remembering shipwrecks from wartime periods in Scottish waters.

The wreck, lying 360 feet below the surface, is the final resting place of over 500 sailors who perished when the ship was attacked by a German U-boat on October 15, 1914.

HMS Hawke, a 387-foot Edgar-class protected cruiser, was originally launched in 1891. Over its lifetime, it had seen significant events, including a severe collision with RMS Olympic, the Titanic’s sister ship, in 1911.

At the outbreak of World War I, the vessel was assigned to the 10th Cruiser Squadron and engaged in blockade duties between Shetland and Norway. The ship was tasked with preventing German warships from targeting troop convoys traveling from Canada.

On that fateful October day, HMS Hawke was patrolling off the coast of Aberdeen when it was struck by a single torpedo fired by German submarine U-9. The attack, occurring in the early stages of the war, underscored the vulnerability of the Royal Navy to German U-boats, even in the relatively distant waters of northern Scotland.

The torpedo strike caused a catastrophic fire and subsequent explosion, leading to the ship’s rapid sinking in under eight minutes. Out of the 524 crew members on board, only 70 survived the attack.

The loss of HMS Hawke was a significant blow to the Royal Navy and marked a grim milestone in the early naval battles of the First World War.

The search for the wreck was conducted from the vessel Clasina. According to Steve Mortimer, a diver working with the Lost in Waters Deep project, the discovery of HMS Hawke involved extensive research and perseverance.

The team meticulously analyzed historical data, including the day journal of the U-boat commander who launched the torpedo. They also reviewed logs from other Navy cruisers that had communicated with HMS Hawke shortly before it was sunk.

One crucial piece of information was an “obstruction” reported by Scottish fisheries in the 1980s, which led the team to investigate various sites until they stumbled upon the massive shipwreck.

Mortimer described the process as labor-intensive but ultimately rewarding. The actual underwater exploration, he noted, was relatively brief compared to the years of research that preceded it.

The wreck of HMS Hawke, despite being submerged for over a century, remains in an extraordinary state of preservation. Divers observed numerous features of the ship, including intact teak decking, numerous guns, and various items of Royal Navy crockery.

Remarkably, many portholes remain open, allowing a glimpse into the ship’s interior. The low-nutrient environment of the seabed has helped preserve the wreck from significant biological decay.

The discovery of HMS Hawke provides a poignant reminder of the ship’s tragic fate and serves as a time capsule preserving artifacts from a bygone era.

The wreck offers an unprecedented view into the life aboard a World War I warship, with items such as teacups and plates still visible inside the portholes.

Mortimer emphasized the significance of this find, noting the vessel’s condition as a testament to the efforts of the Lost in Waters Deep team and their dedication to honoring wartime losses.

The next step for the team and the Royal Navy will be to formally identify the wreck as HMS Hawke. This process is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, with the wreck potentially becoming an official war grave and a site of historical importance.

The discovery of HMS Hawke adds a new chapter to the history of naval warfare and provides a tangible connection to the sacrifices made during World War I.

It highlights the ongoing importance of maritime archaeology in preserving and understanding the past, while also commemorating the bravery and loss of those who served at sea.

For those interested in maritime history and the enduring legacy of naval warfare, the wreck of HMS Hawke stands as a profound symbol of both tragedy and remembrance.