UKDIVING
View of the main structure of the LCT wreck
Pile of chain at what we suspected was the bow merchant ships to save their own engines . During the late summer of 1944 , sea trials were carried out and it was estimated that the LCTs could be safely towed in seas up to wind Force 6 .
As we divers know all too well , the weather laughs when we make plans . In October 1944 , a large depression in the Atlantic brought stormy weather to the Western Approaches . The Flotilla was already past Lands End on 18 October when the storm hit with all its fury . LCTs were overwhelmed , some were abandoned , others lost without trace . Although more than 100 sailors were rescued by the escort ships , 55 sailors were lost in this tragedy .
The officially recorded position at which the disaster took place is a few miles from our mystery wreckage , but there may be a very tidy explanation for this ... if it can be proven that the wreckage we discovered is of LCT 488 . Record has it that that LCT 488 turned to run before the wind with its escort , HMS Knaresborough Castle , heading for the safe anchorage of Milford Haven . Our wreck is almost on the line drawn between the reported flotilla position and Milford Haven . It never reached safety , and only one sailor was rescued from LCT 488 .
Gasparados team member Barbara Mortimer visited the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth where LCT 7074 has been restored and is on display . The similarities between it and the wreck we dived are plain to see .
Ladder on the wreckage
Gaspers and Guz
The Gasperados dive team is a volunteer group , where each individual brings different skills to exploratory diving expeditions . All costs are covered by the volunteer members . Although several of us are affiliated to the British Sub-Aqua Club , we welcome members from all dive training agencies , with appropriate qualifications and experience .
This expedition , while not finding our prime target , did manage to find a fascinating piece of Second World War history , which the team are delighted to bring to a wider audience . The full expanded story of this discovery can be heard at the Guz . tech conference , which is being held in Plymouth on 25 November . Tickets are £ 30 , with BSAC members getting a £ 5 discount with the code BSAC70 . For details go to Guz . tech . com �
A fully preserved LCT
42 Forward end of the LCT