Latest news with #navalbattles
The Sun
01-08-2025
- General
- The Sun
Incredible 350-year-old WARSHIP found off UK coast after sinking in ‘storm' – as mystery swirls over 3 other vessels
DIVERS have discovered more well-preserved sections of an incredible warship from the 17th century at a wreck off the UK coast. Recent surveys have found that the ship - HMS Northumberland - is in a remarkable state of preservation, with divers uncovering its hull 20 metres deep and roughly nine miles off the Kent coast. 4 4 4 The warship was built in 1679 and served in many major naval battles before it sank during the Great Storm of 1703. After first being discovered in 1980, divers have now been able to see a large section of the ship's hull thanks to sinking sands off the Kent coast. Crews have found timbers and ropes still attached to the ship as well as unopened caskets - all of which have been protected from erosion and decay in the sand. On top of this, divers have found copper cauldrons and wood chests with some preserved cannonballs inside which have survived "particularly well". Mystery also surrounds three other warships that sank during the same storm. The vessels, which were all part of the fleet of Queen Anne, were brought down by the historic storm, but HMS Northumberland is the only one of the four to have ever been found. Historic England's survey, organised with divers from MSDS Marine, discovered more of the preserved wreckage but there are now concerns erosion could take place. Since the sands have now shifted, the well-preserved sections of the ship are exposed, leaving it at a high risk of deterioration, Historic England said. The warship is considered to be one of the 'best preserved' wooden ships. Dan Pascoe, holder of the licence to dive at the wreck site, said: "The Northumberland has the potential to be one of the best-preserved wooden warships in the UK. "However, at 20 metres underwater and nine miles offshore, it is out of sight and mind to most people." The Northumberland was a third rate 70-gun warship built in Bristol as part of Samuel Pepys's regeneration of the English Navy. 'IT IS A RACE AGAINST TIME' A film made by streaming service History Hit aired yesterday, detailing the new survey and the initial construction of the Northumberland. Creator Dan Snow said: "Northumberland is the missing link. "Built roughly halfway between the Mary Rose and HMS Victory, this wreck can fill in crucial details of shipbuilding and life at sea at that pivotal moment in our history. "We have the Mary Rose, the 'Tudor time capsule' – well here's a Stuart time capsule to sit alongside it." Future work on the site may include taking wood samples or dendrochronological sampling to find out more about the ship's construction and confirm its identity. Paul Jeffery, marine leader at Historic England, said: "The completeness of the Northumberland wreck site is remarkable. "It is a race against time as more of the Northumberland wreck becomes exposed." 4
CBS News
22-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Explorers find torpedoes, bell from U.S. destroyer that sank with 167 crew on board during WWII
Explorers on a quest to study a famed wartime shipwreck site have discovered new artifacts from one lost American destroyer. The USS DeHaven, which was sunk during an attack off the Solomon Islands in World War II, still has torpedoes and a bell that are still largely intact, according to the Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit that recently surveyed and filmed the wreckage with remotely operated vehicles. The DeHaven went down in February 1943, after operating out of Guadalcanal throughout the U.S. military campaign there, according to the Destroyer History Foundation. The ship was bombed multiple times and eventually sank, with 167 crew members on board, near Iron Bottom Sound, a section of the ocean near the Solomon Islands known for its WWII-era shipwrecks. The Ocean Exploration Trust set out to learn more about the maritime history of Guadalcanal and Iron Bottom Sound — the site of five pivotal naval battles between August and December 1942. The team used a sonar device to locate wreckage from the surface of the sea before dispatching a pair of remotely operated vehicles down to the seabed. Those ROVs were able to capture high-resolution footage of what remains of the DeHaven, more than 80 years after it plunged to the ocean floor. Video of the expedition has now been published online. During their mission, explorers identified a number of relics among the wreckage of the DeHaven, including propellers, artillery and torpedo mounts, and multiple torpedo warheads, the organization said. They also spotted the ship's bell with help from viewers watching a livestream of the deep-sea initiative, which the organization called "a very unique sighting." Team leaders said the data gathered from the project can provide important frameworks for historians, as well as resource managers of heritage areas "to understand this site's history and future." The Ocean Exploration Trust partnered with NOAA Ocean Exploration, the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, the Solomon Islands Government and a number of archaeological centers at universities around the world to help carry out the expedition. The Ocean Exploration Trust has explored the wreckage of World War II warships in the Solomon Islands before. Its teams recently discovered a famed Japanese destroyer sunk by U.S. torpedoes as well as the severed bow of another well-known American warship called the USS New Orleans, which also sank in the Iron Bottom Sound.
