This is the information page about the shipwreck Hmsm a1, the water chart below shows the wreck in its immediate vicinity. The position of this wreck is 50 44.545 N,0 55.279 W (50.6523667, -0.6161833)

 

Open the Water Map of this area in a full window
 

The texts accompanying this shipwreck are in English 🇬🇧, as they are prepared by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) based on data from UKHO and the hydrographic services of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, among others. They include the known details of the wreck and the comments of the cartographers who have checked the position and condition of the wreck over time.

 

1. Afon dulais
2. Algiers
3. Angry fish
4. Armenier
5. Arno (possibly)
6. Axwell
7. Basil-2
8. Bettann (bow section)
9. Cambrian princess (probably)
10. Carbineer
11. Cuba
12. Donegal (possibly)
13. Elford
14. Flag theofano
15. Fpt iv
16. Gartland
17. Gascony
18. Gerarda
19. Germa geisha
20. Hedwig lunstedt
21. Highland corrie
22. Hms apley (possibly)
23. Hms evadne (possibly)
24. Hms hazardous
25. Hms pine
26. Hms prince leopold
27. Hms sapper
28. Hms vernon ii (possibly)
29. Hmsm a1
30. Lightfoot (possibly)
31. Lola (possibly)
32. Lowmount
33. Montecrana (possibly)
34. Rfa hungerford (possibly)
35. Sines (possibly)
36. U 1195
37. Ub 81
38. Vigda
39. Zaanstroom

 

Name: HMSM A1

Length 30.5 meter, width: 3.7 meter, tonnage 165 ton

Cause: 18.3.1904 built by vickers, barrow-in-furness. petrol engine, single shaft. 2 torpedo tubes. passage portmouth for the solent. sank following a collision 18.3.1904 with ss berwick castle. was raised and sunk as a target in aug 1911. (beneath the waves, srn & sibi).

Year of registration: 1976

Water depth above wreck: 9 meter, Height above seabed: 150 cm

Known since: 1976, last detected: 2013

Details measurements/cartography: 2.6.76 2.6.76 POSN 504400N, 010600W. VERY APPROXIMATE & FOR FILING ONLY. NCA. H1937/80 10.8.82 H1937/80 10.8.82 NOT FOUND DURING BASIC SOUNDING IN LISTED POSN. (SCESU, HI 4(B)). 26.4.89 26.4.89 REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN THE SOLENT. (LL, 6.2.89). 12.5.89 12.5.89 CONFIRMED THAT WK HAS BEEN FOUND. SITE ALLEGED TO BE WITHIN A 'FEW HUNDRED YDS' OF POSN OF BARGE WHICH SANK MARCH '89 (FPT IV?). (W BOWEN, TELECON 10.5.89). AMEND FILING POSN TO 504400N, 005400W. H3847/86 8.1.90 H3847/86 8.1.90 WK EXAM'D 16.6.89 IN 504430.2N, 005511.6W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER [3 LOP]. LEAST E/S DEPTH 5.5 IN GEN DEPTH 9.0MTRS. SCOUR 0.1MTR DEEP. DCS3 HT 3.5MTRS. LIES 318/138DEGS. HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN DIVED ON BY M WOODWARD & CONFIRMED AS WK OF HMSM A1. THERE ARE PLANS TO RAISE THIS WK. SHOWN AS SOUNDING OF 5.3MTRS ON FAIR SHEET. (HMSML GLEANER, HI 366). INS AS OBSTN 5.3MTRS.

- NM 214/90. 31.3.99 31.3.99 STATED TO HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC WRECK. (DIVER MAGAZINE MAR '99). 16.11.00 16.11.00 AREA WITHIN 100MTRS RADIUS OF 5044.52N, 0055.19W [OGB] DESIGNATED AS RESTRICTED UNDER THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT, 1973. SI 2708/98 REFERS. (M DEAN, ADU, EMAIL DTD 16.11.00). AMEND TO WK 5.3MTRS. BR STD. HH232/570/05 1.12.00 HH232/570/05 1.12.00 ABOVE DETAILS CONFIRMED. (STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 2708/1999). INS RESTRICTED AREA.

- NM 133/01. 20.2.07 SEP 2007/000014324 20.2.07 RESTRICTED AREA NOW RADIUS 300MTRS, CENTRED ON 5044.5511N, 0055.2792W [WGD]. (STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 2395/04).

- NM 1386/07. 26.1.10 26.1.10 EXAM'D 5.2003 IN 5044.545N, 0055.278W [WGD] USING DGPS. LEAST M/B DEPTH 7.9 IN GEN DEPTH 11MTRS. NO SCOUR. LENGTH 23.7MTRS, WIDTH 3.5MTRS, HT 3.1MTRS. LIES 145/325 DEGS. STRONG MAGNETIC ANOMALY. THE A1 SUBMARINE IS CLEARLY VISIBLE ON THE MULTIBEAM BATHYMETRY DATA STANDING PROUD OF THE SEABED AND HAS A MAGNETIC AMPLITUDE OF 2,451NT. THE WRECK IS RESTING ON EVEN KEEL AT A SLIGHT ANGLE BUT INCLINED FROM STERN TO BOW. THE STERN IS BURIED, WHILE THE BOW IS STANDING PROUD OF THE SEABED. THE HULL LIES IN NORTHWEST (BOW) TO SOUTHEAST (STERN) ORIENTATION. THE VISIBLE PART OF THE WRECK MEASURES 23.7M X 3.5M. THE CONNING TOWER IS SITUATED ABOUT 12M AFT OF THE BOW. IT STANDS 2M PROUD OF THE HULL (3.1M PROUD OF THE SURROUNDING SEABED). ABOUT 8.5M AFT OF THE BOW, TWO APERTURES ARE VISIBLE. THESE REPRESENT THE TORPEDO LOADING HATCHES. THE REMAINS OF ONE OF THE SUBMARINE'S LIFTING RINGS ARE VISIBLE BETWEEN THE HATCHES AND THE BOW. APPROXIMATELY 8M AFT OF THE STERN OF THE VESSEL A SMALL ANOMALY IS OBSERVED MEASURING 2.0 X 1.7 X 3.1M. A FURTHER SMALL ANOMALY IS OBSERVED SITUATED APPROXIMATELY 6M SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECK (0.8 X 0.5 X 0.1M) AND POSSIBLY INDICATES DEBRIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE A1 WRECK SITE. (MV EMU SURVEYOR, WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY, WRECKS ON THE SEABED). NCA. 26.1.10 26.1.10 EXAM'D SEPT/OCT 2005. THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION IS BASED ON DIVING ASSESSMENTS. THE BOW OF THE VESSEL IS LOCATED AT 50?44.549' N, 000?55.285'W; THE STERN IS LOCATED AT 50?44.538' N, 000?55.273'W. THE STERN OF THE VESSEL IS BURIED. DETAILS OF THE WRECK ARE DESCRIBED MOVING FROM THE BOW TO THE STERN OF THE VESSEL. THE BOW CAP OF THE TORPEDO TUBE IS STILL IN POSITION BUT IS HEAVILY CONCRETED AND IS UNDAMAGED. THE BOW AREA IS SITTING PROUD OF THE SEABED BY AROUND 1M. THIS GAP BETWEEN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOW RUNS AFT FOR ABOUT 2M WHERE THE TURN OF THE BOW MEETS THE SEABED. A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE UPPER CASING ON TOP OF THE HULL IS MISSING AND AS A RESULT THE BOW CAP OPENING MECHANISM IS NOW VISIBLE. MOVING AFT TOWARD THE CONNING TOWER THE NEXT FEATURE OBSERVED WAS THE FORWARD LIFTING RINGS - A UNIQUE FEATURE AND FOUND ONLY ON THE A1 AS A RESULT OF HER USE AS A SUBMERGED TARGET. THEY ARE LOCATED 1M FORWARD OF THE FORWARD TORPEDO HATCH AND APPEAR TO BE INTACT, WITH THE ASSOCIATED CABLES THAT RUN UNDERNEATH THE HULL STILL IN POSITION. BEHIND THE LIFTING RINGS THE TWO TORPEDO LOADING HATCHES ARE THE NEXT FEATURE ON TOP OF THE HULL. BOTH HATCH COVERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND ARE NO LONGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE WRECK. SEABED SEARCHES ON BOTH THE PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES OF THE WRECK WERE CONDUCTED, REACHING A DISTANCE OF 6M FROM THE HULL, BUT THE HATCHES WERE NOT RELOCATED. IT CAN THEREFORE BE ASSUMED THAT THE HATCHES HAVE EITHER BECOME COMPLETELY BURIED IN THE SEDIMENT CLOSE TO THE WRECK ARE HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED. JUST AFT OF THE AFT TORPEDO LOADING HATCH IS ANOTHER AREA OF CORROSION TO THE UPPERCASING. 1M AFT OF THIS CORROSION ON THE PORT SIDE A BREAK IN THE CASING EXPOSES THE REMAINS OF THE SURFACE STEERING GEAR LINKAGE. THE CONNING TOWER IS THE HIGH POINT AND IS ROUGHLY THE CENTRE POINT TO THE WRECK. AN INITIAL SURVEY OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACES OF THE TOWER WAS QUICK TO SHOW THAT ALL THE GLASS DEADLIGHTS ARE NOW MISSING, LEAVING EMPTY VOIDS IN THE TOWER. ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE TOWER ON THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE TOWER CLOSE TO THE PRESSURE HULL A LARGE HOLE WAS OBSERVED. THIS IRREGULAR HOLE MEASURED ROUGHLY 0.45M BY 0.6M AND IS IN THE APPROXIMATE POSITION OF AN ACCESS HATCH THAT IS SEEN BOLTED ON THE BASE OF THE TOWER IN CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHS. THE PERISCOPE MOUNT IS ALSO MISSING; ALL THAT REMAINS OF ANY PERISCOPE FITTINGS ARE THE FOUR BRASS BOLTS THAT WOULD HAVE ATTACHED THE MOUNT TO THE TOP OF THE CONNING TOWER. ON TOP OF THE CONNING TOWER ITSELF THE HATCH IS NOW MISSING. THIS WAS REMOVED BY THE LICENSEE TO PREVENT ITS THEFT. IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE CONNING TOWER ARE THE TWO FUEL FILLING POINTS FOR THE PETROL ENGINE. MOVING 1M AFT OF THE REMAINS OF THE COMPASS BINNACLE A LARGE HOLE HAS CORRODED INTO THE UPPER CASING. IT IS ROUGHLY OVAL IN SHAPE AND MEASURES 3M BY 2.2M. WITHIN THE HOLE THE EXHAUST PIPING BECOMES EXPOSED WITH BOTH PIPES BEING EXPOSED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE HOLE. WITHIN THIS HOLE AND BETWEEN THE EXHAUST PIPES ANOTHER SMALL CIRCULAR FLANGE, SIMILAR TO THE FLANGE OR BASE PLATE OBSERVED IN THE COMPASS BINNACLE AREA, WAS OBSERVED. THE EXACT FUNCTION OF THIS FEATURE IS UNKNOWN. ROUGHLY 0.2M AFT OF THIS LARGE HOLE IN THE CASING A SERIES OF SMALLER HOLES WERE OBSERVED ON TOP OF THE HULL CASING. A TOTAL OF EIGHT WERE OBSERVED AND MEASURED, WITH DIMENSIONS FOR THE HOLES RANGING FROM 0.1M BY 0.15M TO 0.5M BY 0.6M. IN FOUR OF THESE HOLES IT WAS POSSIBLE TO TRACE THE EXHAUST PIPES BACK TOWARD THE STERN OF THE WRECK. IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THESE HOLES THE STERN LIFTING RINGS ARE LOCATED. THESE SUBSTANTIAL LIFTING RINGS ARE STILL IN GOOD CONDITION AND ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE FORWARD LIFTING RINGS. THE LIFTING CABLES ARE LIKEWISE STILL ATTACHED. ABOUT 1M AFT OF THE STERN LIFTING RINGS THE REMAINDER OF THE WRECK IS BURIED IN THE SEABED SEDIMENT. SEABED SEARCHES WERE CONDUCTED AFT OF THIS POINT TO ASCERTAIN THE EXTENT OF THE BURIAL TO THE STERN SECTION. IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE WRECK IS COMPLETELY BURIED PAST THE STERN LIFTING RINGS, NO EVIDENCE OF THE RUDDER OR HYDROPLANES BEING OBSERVED. (MV XPLORER, WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY PWA DIVER ASSESSMENT). NCA. 14.10.13 14.10.13 EXAM'D 30.6.13 IN 5044.545N, 0055.279W [WGD]. LEAST M/B DEPTH 5.8 IN GEN DEPTH 9MTRS. NO SCOUR. LENGTH 22.3MTRS, WIDTH 4MTRS, HT 3.3MTRS. LIES 150/330 DEGS WTH BOWS NW. STRONG MAGNETIC ANOMALY. INTACT, UPRIGHT, STERN BURIED. (NETSURVEY, HI 1437). AMEND WK 5.8MTRS IN REVISED POSN. 11.11.13 11.11.13 LEAST M/B DEPTH 5.79MTRS. (SDC EXAMINATION OF DATA FOR HI 1437). AMEND WK 5.7MTRS.
Comment researcher: UK Hydrographic Office

Commentaar onderzoeker: UPRIGHT, BOWS NW, STERN BURIED

Position: 50 44.545 N,0 55.279 W

 

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