Divers discover HMS Hawke wreck off Aberdeenshire coast

Divers were astonished upon discovering a British warship, believed to be HMS Hawke, previously thought to have been destroyed by German torpedoes.

Located off the Aberdeenshire coast, the wreck of what is presumed to be the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke, was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Sea during World War I. The sinking in October 1914 resulted in the tragic loss of 524 crew members. The ship had remained a mystery until the underwater exploration team, Lost in Waters Deep, potentially found it.

Last week, divers found the wreck about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh after extensive research. They now await the Royal Navy’s official confirmation. Marine biologist Will Schwarz, one of the first to examine the site 100 meters underwater, was amazed by the ship’s preservation. He noted that even after over a century, the ship’s guns seemed “ready for battle.”

Schwarz told Sky News: “The team from Lost in Waters Deep have been searching for her for years. The wreck itself is just remarkable. The lack of nutrients in the water means there is very little growth on some of the items. There were bits that were shiny; it is bonkers.”

During World War I, HMS Hawke played a crucial role in the 10th Cruiser Squadron, conducting blockade operations between the Shetland Islands and Norway. The Edgar-class protected cruiser, launched in 1891, measured 387ft in length and 60ft in breadth.

The Royal Navy expressed appreciation for the efforts to uncover HMS Hawke. A spokesperson stated: “Once the evidence to support this find is received, it will enable our historians to formally identify the wreck.”