Simplified Wreck Survey
UK Hydrographic Office survey records for the underwater wreck located at coordinates 50 37.661 N, 0 26.506 W in the English Channel off the southern coast of the United Kingdom detail a historically significant and well-broken wreck site. Originally located in 1973 at a general depth of 90 feet, the site later yielded a 1914 thirteen-pounder howitzer shell case recovered in 1976, which was thought to be part of a cargo shipment. Often referred to as an Admiralty drifter, the wreck has been extensively surveyed using modern multibeam sonar and DGPS technologies. Recent surveys confirm the wreck lies in a general depth of 24 meters with a least depth of 21.55 meters. Measuring approximately 55 meters in length and 8 meters in width with a height of 2.9 meters, the structural remains are oriented along a 120/300 degree axis and broken into two main parts separated by 15 meters. The southeast section spans 26 meters and features two prominent boilers at its northwest end, while the 18-meter northwest section consists of a disorganised mass of debris.
Surveying Details
H3958/73 15.8.73 LOCATED IN 503721N, 002658W, USING E/S & TRANSIT SONAR. IN GEN DEPTH 90FT. (KELVIN HUGHES, SURVEY [K6719/1-4]). CHART AS OB USC 15.0MTRS. NC 1652. H1289/76/351 21.10.76 THE CASE OF A THIRTEEN POUNDER HOWITZER SHELL DATED 1914 WAS RECOVERED FROM THIS WRECK. THESE ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN PACKED FOR CARGO. (R D SOTHERN, 18.10.76). H4121/76 14.1.77 WRECK LOCATED 5.9.76 IN 503737N, 002625W [OGB] USING HI-FIX [2 LOP]. LEAST E/S DEPTH 21.9MTRS IN GEN DEPTH OF 25MTRS. SCOUR DEPTH 0.1MTRS. DEFINITE WK. DCS3 HEIGHTS 1.3 AND 1.4MTRS. LENGTH 58MTRS. ORIENTATION SE/NW. OTHER SONAR CONTACTS IN AREA, POSSIBLY DEBRIS. (HMS FOX, HI 52/76). AMEND TO WK 21.5MTRS IN REVISED POSN. NC 2450. 24.8.84 REFERRED TO AS WK OF ADMIRALTY DRIFTER BY A RIGGALL. (MARKED-UP CHART). NCA. HH091/002/01 14.11.02 EXAM'D 25.8.02 IN 5037.662N, 0026.507W [WGD] USING DGPS. SWEPT CLEAR 21.7, FOUL 22.0MTRS. LEAST E/S DEPTH 21.9 IN GEN DEPTH 24MTRS. NO SCOUR. LENGTH 30MTRS, WIDTH 10MTRS. DCS3 HT 3MTRS. LIES 090/270 DEGS. MODERATE MAGNETIC ANOMALY. WELL BROKEN, ?IN FOUR PARTS. (NP 1016, HI 1002). AMEND TO SW 21.5MTRS. BR STD. SEP 2018/000198963 13.08.18 EXAM'D 08.02.18; IN 5037.661N, 0026.506W [WGD]. LEAST M/B DEPTH 21.55MTRS IN GEN DEPTH 24MTRS, LENGTH 55MTRS, WIDTH 8MTRS, HEIGHT 2.9MTRS, ORIENTATION 120/300 DEGS. BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS, 15MTRS APART. THE SE PART, LENGTH 26MTRS, WITH THE TWO BOILERS AT ITS NW END BEING THE MOST NOTABLE FEATURES. THE NW PART, LENGTH 18MTRS, IS A DISORGANISED MASS OF DEBRIS. THE TWO BOILERS, LENGTH 5MTRS, WIDTH 3MTRS, SHARE DIMENSIONS WITH TWO OTHER BOILERS, LISTED AS OBSTRN 19992, ABOUT 130MTRS ENE. THIS WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THEY ALSO CAME FROM THIS WRECK BUT A VESSEL OF LENGTH 55MTRS WOULD NOT TYPICALLY HAVE FOUR BOILERS. (IN 2002, THIS WRECK WAS THOUGHT TO POSSIBLY BE IN FOUR PARTS, SEEMING TO INDICATE THAT ALL FOUR BOILERS CAME FROM THIS WRECK.) (MMT, HI 1498). AMEND DW 21.5MTRS IN REVISED POSN.
General Comments
BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS, 15 METRES APART, TWO BOILERS PRESENT. (PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE IN FOUR PARTS. TWO BOILERS LISTED AS OBSTRN 19992 130 METRES TO ENE WITH SAME DIMENSIONS MAY BE LINKED.)