parts, which not only obstructed their ability to exa-
mine the wreck but also posed a threat to divers.
Initial dives were spent removing as many of these
obstructions as possible. This allowed them to begin
surveying both sections in the hopes of establishing
what kind of ship she was, and if they were indeed
from the same vessel.
In their spare time, over many weekends and eve-
nings, they painstakingly measured and recorded as
much information as possible, ultimately concluding
that both parts were from the same ship.
They found that the keel size corresponded on
both sections and that the hull plating thickness was
also identical. However, with no sign of a middle
section to be found and with no luck finding the iden-
tity of the vessel in the form of a name embossed on
the bow or even a manufacturers serial number, they
were still unable to name her.
Armed with their measurements and surveys, the
research began. Phil had never done anything like
this before and found the lull the most difficult part
of the process. Months passed with only small bits
of information coming in sporadically. They sent
articles and requests into several publications and
organisations such as Navy News and the National
Maritime Museum. But they needed something more
concrete to enable more detailed research.
Finally, with a potential re-construction of the
vessel drawn-up, they were able to establish that
the ship’s design resembled that of a World War II
armed trawler. With this new and exciting informa-
tion, they were able to narrow their search down to
three likely contenders.
After World War I, the Admiralty required all
new commercial fishing trawlers be built to a spe-
cific design, enabling them to be converted quickly
for military use in times of war. Hundreds of these
trawlers were then requisitioned by the Royal Navy
during WWII and served as minesweeping ships or
for anti-submarine duties.
Due to Gibraltar’s significance and the Straits
being the gateway into the Mediterranean, several
of these trawlers came to Gibraltar to safeguard
against enemy submarines as part of the 7th An-
ti-Submarine Group.
With this new piece of vital information, they
then discovered that three of these trawlers were
54
OTWO 02 / SEPTEMBER 2019
OTWO 02 / SEPTEMBER 2019
ba de dos partes de la misma embarcación o por el
contrario, se trataba de dos buques diferentes.
El ‘Inner’, es la parte inferior de una sección de
proa y la más cercana al muelle. El ‘Outer’, se en-
cuentra a 40 metros de distancia y son restos de
una sección de popa deformada y descompuesta. No
hay signos de ninguna sección central, quedando
unos restos que constituyen un 20% de un buque,
aproximadamente. Si se trataba de una sola nave,
quedaban muy pocos vestigios para trabajar con fun-
damentos.
Ambas partes, están cubiertas por varias redes de
pesca y diverso cableado, complicando en demasía
el examen de los restos del naufragio, y lo que es
más embarazoso, representan ambas causas una
amenaza para los buceadores. Las primeras inmer-
siones, eliminaron la mayor cantidad de estorbos, lo
que les ha permitido comenzar a inspeccionar ambas
secciones, con la esperanza de establecer qué tipo
de barco era y si se trata de un solo buque o no.
Aprovechando sus jornadas libres, han sido
muchos fines de semana y noches las que se han
ocupado en medir y registrar con todo detalle cada
información posible, hasta concluir que se trata de
dos partes de una misma embarcación.
En sus análisis, concluyeron que el tamaño de la
quilla se correspondía en ambas secciones al igual
que el grosor del revestimiento del casco, ambos
idénticos. Sin embargo, no se han encontrado hue-
llas de una sección central, ni ha habido suerte algu-
na para encontrar signos identificativos de la nave
como un nombre grabado en la proa o algún número
de serie que les permitiera conocer la fabricación o
la posibilidad de bautizarla.
Con sus mediciones y sus análisis bajo el brazo,
comenzaron la investigación. Phil, nunca había he-
cho algo así con anterioridad, y consideró que este
nuevo intervalo, era la parte más complicada del
proceso. Durante meses, solo se implementaron
pequeñas informaciones de forma esporádica. Y,
aunque enviaron varios artículos a distintas publica-
ciones especializadas como Navy News e incluso a
organizaciones como el Museo Marítimo Nacional,
necesitaban concretar detalles para cerrar el círculo
de la investigación.
Una reconstrucción del barco, les permitió esta-
blecer su diseño, similar a un un arrastrero armado
55