<![CDATA[The wreck of the HMS Hampshire, a Devonshire-class armored cruiser that was sunk by a German submarine during the First World War, is to be surveyed by a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV). While the site of the wreck has been known since at least 1977, when the first remote survey of the Hampshire was conducted during initial salvage operations, the sunken cruiser was designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act in 2002. This new survey, which is a collaborative effort between Seatronics, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Archaeology Institute, and ORCA Marine, will be the first extensive mapping of the ship’s final resting place since it sank a century ago. On June 5th 1916, the HMS Hampshire struck a mine that had been laid off the coast of Orkney by the German Navy’s U-75 submarine on May 29th. The Hampshire had been transporting then-Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener on a trip to meet Tsar Nicholas II in northern Russia. Only 12 out of the 749 individuals aboard survived; Lord Kitchener was not one of those number. The ship now rests in a sizable debris field, keel up, around 200 feet (60 meters) underwater. The survey will document the impact that environmental factors and salvage activities have had on the remains and the integrity of the wreckage, according to a press release from the UHI Archaeology Institute. A marine archaeologist from the university, Sandra Henry, stated that it’s highly significant that, as the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the HMS Hampshire approaches, an effort to map the wreck site and undertake a condition survey of the remains is underway. Henry stressed that the timing is ideal in order to not just show respect to those who lost their lives when the ship sank but also to remember the massive sacrifices made during the First World War by all mariners and passengers, on all sides of the conflict, who were claimed by the sea. Seatronics Senior Sales and Business Development Manager Alistair Coutts also commented, remarking that the company was nothing but delighted to come together with UHI Archaeology Institute and ORCA Marine to collaborate on such a historically significant and exciting project. Seatronics will be making extensive use of its Predator ROV, specially designed for inspection purposes, in order to conduct the survey. The Predator is equipped with cutting-edge two-dimensional and three-dimensional scanning technologies to provide insight and informative imagery of the site and its current conditions, by identifying key areas of interest. The HMS Hampshire was originally constructed and completed in 1905. Initially assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet after being completed, she was re-assigned to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909 after a refit. In 1911 she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. A year later she was re-assigned to the China Station until August 1914, before joining the Grand Fleet at the end of the year. The Hampshire was involved in the Battle of Jutland, which occurred from May 31st to June 1st 1916, in a minimal role. She was then assigned to transport Lord Kitchener, where she would meet her fate at the hands of the German-laid underwater mine. ]]>
Wreck of WWI-Era British Navy Vessel Surveyed by ROV
