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Warship that sank in 1908 found off U.K.: "Undisturbed for 118 years"

From CBS News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The wreck of the HMS Tiger, a British torpedo boat destroyer that sank in 1908, has been discovered off the Isle of Wight.
  • The ship sank after a collision with the HMS Berwick, resulting in the deaths of over half of its 57 crew members.
  • A dive team spent five years researching archival data to locate the wreck, finding various artifacts and evidence of the ship's final moments.

A British naval ship that sank over a century ago has been found resting on the seabed off England's Isle of Wight. The HMS Tiger, a torpedo boat destroyer, met its demise in 1908 after a collision with the larger cruiser HMS Berwick. The impact sliced the Tiger in two, with its bow sinking immediately and its stern following minutes later. More than half of the 57 crew members on board perished in the tragedy, which was widely reported at the time, with one newspaper describing the ship as "crushed as an eggshell."

For over a hundred years, the Royal Navy and shipwreck hunters searched for the remains of the HMS Tiger. A dive team, known as ProjectXplore, finally pinpointed the wreck's location after a five-year effort involving the meticulous piecing together of archival data. The team discovered significant artifacts, including the stern engine revolution telegraph and the rudder position indicator. These findings suggest the ship did not alter its course or reduce speed before the collision.

Our recent exploratory project at the HMS Tiger site yielded compelling evidence regarding the final moments leading to the collision, preserving details that have remained undisturbed for 118 years.

— ProjectXploreA social media post by the dive team detailing their findings.

ProjectXplore's expedition also uncovered numerous other relics from the vessel, such as a compass, torpedo tubes, guns, ammunition, an anchor, and the ship's bell. The discovery is particularly poignant as new legislation is set to safeguard shipwrecks like the HMS Tiger once they are found. Leo Fielding and Dan McMullen, co-organizers of ProjectXplore, expressed their privilege in documenting the wreck and hope their work will ensure the ship's story and the memory of those lost endure for future generations.

It has been the privilege of a lifetime to research, discover and document the wreck of HMS Tiger. We sincerely hope that our work will ensure that HMS Tiger, her story and the memory of those connected with her endure for future generations.

— Leo Fielding and Dan McMullenCo-organizers of ProjectXplore commenting on the discovery and its significance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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