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Area around the port gunwhale
A diver lights up the capstan
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The aft 9.2-inch gun |
6-inch gun |
Jumping into 110 metres of water 70 miles offshore to look for the wreck of HMS Hawke had seemed like a splendid idea a year ago . Now , about to step off MV Clasina with giant oil platforms in the distance , things seemed a lot more serious . Still , lots of planning had been done and vast quantities of bailout gas collected , so it was a case of one step forward into beautifully clear water . We steadily descended for what seemed like forever until strobes at the bottom of the line came into view . Reaching the seabed , we were confronted by the underside of a ship – thankfully it wasn ’ t a rock . Ascending the curve of the hull as my eyes attuned to the gloom , we arrived at a casemate gun pointing up at the surface . Result – a warship !
Carrying on over the hull to the gunwale and looking down the near vertical deck , we could see the light of a diver examining a 6-inch pedestal-mounted gun in near perfect condition , with all its sights and controls in place . There was enough light and visibility to find your way around without a torch and it was clear that the ship was largely intact , lying on her starboard side . The deck houses and light structures had rotted and fallen away , but the guns and large areas of teak deck were still in place .
Moving aft , we came across engine room debris and capstans , then the aft 9.2- inch gun mount , much bigger and more impressive than the 6-inch guns . At this point , deco obligation was ramping up rapidly – time to go . Moving up to the top edge of the hull I came across the stern walk , a balcony wrapped around the stern where the captain could sit outside when in harbour . The ornate support brackets seen in old photographs were clearly visible . There was just time for a couple of quick photos before heading back to the shot and hours of decompression .
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