Mystery Cruiser

[The Old Ruminator]

Location Weymouth offshore
Wreck
Depth 70m.

This bloody thing has had wreck researchers puzzled for years. She is upsidedown in the shipping lanes and an ongoing project for Skin Deep's and Knotty's divers. This is my survey of the stern.Twin props and shafts mounted on legs although these and the leg bearings have been removed making me think she was a target . It appears to me she had stern torpedo tubes a feature of early cruisers. At some 420 ft long she is too small to be a larger class.I expected a ram bow but she has a straight stem, ruling out some of the earlier cruisers.She is sitting on her upperworks leaving a gap of one and a half metres underneath. To me her upperworks appear to curve inward towards the centre of the ship. An unusual feature. A video we took showed a shellcase under the hull. Unfortunately it was not recovered. Knotty claims to have seen an item with foreign writing on from the wreck. ( reminder for info ! ). She may be French but I do not have a specific name yet. Only a shortlist of French expended target cruisers.Non are obvious candidates.There also appear to be casemate apertures along the side.
Got to get back !

Sorry. Like Miniota no numbers issued with this one.

[Kieran Hatton]

Apologies for reviving such an old thead but SteveC posted me this link in another thead.

She certainly looks an interesting prospect, is there any developments since this was posted? I doubt I have anything new but my 10p worth anyway.

Is the length accurate? My experience is with the German stuff but significant amount of this was passed to France after WW1 and it was either scrapped quite quickly or served with them [some until WW2].
The lack of props would definately suggest a target and the length would suggest a light cruiser. The description of the stern could be either Torpedo Boat destroyer or light cruiser depending on the size, was there an anchor stowed on the stern? Some of the torpedo boat destroyers had quite "curvy" bits but woul have been struggling to hit 300/330'.

Kieran

[SteveC]

Hi Keiron,

We had an online chat here last year, buit nothing conclusive has come up yet: http://www.southwestmafia.com/forums...ystery+cruiser

[Kieran Hatton]

Blimey your looking at 12000-14000 tons! Thats a big boat, sounds a similar size to the George Averoff I was looking round in Athens this year [they call that a battleship but it is more similar to our heavy cruisers].

I could be up for a look at this if the dates worked out.

Kieran

[The Old Ruminator]

Dont go without me Kieran ----

Me and Al have kicked this around for years. I have looked at the bow and the stern. We are still at the cruiser stage, probably not British. Straight not ram bow and possibly stern torpedo tubes. Not a nice place to be though as bang in the middle of the lane and I would need complete confidence in the boat skipper. A tight disciplined team too as use of a deco station is a must.
Get arranging ! Again I can recommend Skin Deep , Lennie and Ian have both been there.

[uncle al]

Originally Posted by salsettediving

Dont go without me Kieran ----

Me and Al have kicked this around for years. I have looked at the bow and the stern. We are still at the cruiser stage, probably not British. Straight not ram bow and possibly stern torpedo tubes. Not a nice place to be though as bang in the middle of the lane and I would need complete confidence in the boat skipper. A tight disciplined team too as use of a deco station is a must.
Get arranging ! Again I can recommend Skin Deep , Lennie and Ian have both been there.

an DONT go without me,ave been looking at photo`s of various vessels,it`s not a torpedo boat destroyer as its stands about 50ft, its def used as a target
has it got a rounded stern or a flat stern??


Would we go without you dear Uncle ??? ( SD )

[Kieran Hatton]

It sounds really interesting, I like me warships.

It sounds big, as you say no way is it a torpeodo destryer with those dimensions.

I'll happily organise a trip to this, but I've just got a load of dates I have to sort first.

Atb

Kieran

[George106]

Depending on when it was id be interested if spaces were about...

[George106]

A tight disciplined team too.[/quote]

Oh dear, maybe i wont come along after all



George. Ive sneaked this edit in. This is me you are talking about. Like Al I am tight but not disciplined. I just thought it sounded good. ( SD )

[uncle al]

Originally Posted by George106

A tight disciplined team too.

Oh dear, maybe i wont come along after all



George. Ive sneaked this edit in. This is me you are talking about. Like Al I am tight but not disciplined. I just thought it sounded good. ( SD )[/quote]

your not tight Mr `s`,it`s just that i cannot find a way into your wallet

[The Old Ruminator]

George. I dont know what Andy has planned for the August trip. Maybe we can sneak it in. It may not be Monday though. It would be good if old Uncle was there but I expect he realizes an ex mate is there. Still Uncle time to kiss and make up perhaps.

[George106]

I can only really do the Monday as ive got the Tossers Falmouth trip not long after, that and ive already used up most of my holiday
If it doesn't happen on Andys trip we might be able to try and get a trip together, theres already four of us...

[The Old Ruminator]

Ok. I never organise trips nowadays. Step forward a leader and get a provisional date from Ian. A weekday would be best. Uncle Al would only make it if it backs on to anther day at Weymouth. So- maybe two consecutive days. Gives us a better chance and there are loads more interesting sites. I dearsay Tim would be up for something plus one or two more I can think of.

Mmm. George you are the problem. Are weekdays no good ?

[George106]

I'm no leader eaither. Just gave Ian a ring though to see if he's got a neapy monday going spare in July, glad i called on the work phone as he's in the Alps at the mo and got his moble. Will give him a ring Tuesady when he's back. Was thinking the 19th (dont know if its neaps etc, cant find tables on line) but i was just looking at the mo.

I have Sundays and Mondays off work. If i dive to many Sundays i get a headache so Mondays are best for me.

[charlesw]

This looks interesting. I'd be up for it if I can make it.

[The Old Ruminator]

yyAnother description recently sent to Uncle-


thanks for your mail sent via sunseekers. I was passed on to me as you can see which is a very unusual thing for the company to do. Things often get lost in the post there and never delivered.
I remember the dive on the wreck you mentioned but sadley it was not me that brought up a plate or anything else come to think of it.
I was first down onto the seabed but could see no signs of the ship which I knew to be there. I had helped put in the shot and seen the picture on the echo sounder so I knew it was big. as my eyes ajusted to the dim light i looked up and saw the massive bow above me and typical of a WW1 battle ship. I only knew of one such ship not found so wondered if this might be it. I swam under the bow and over to the starboard side. the ship was sitting on its super structure forming a gap underneath which might be possible to get into. I saw lights from other divers on the port side and concidered swimming through but being alone thought better of it. i swam aft along the ships side, noticing on the way that the entire armoured belt had gone. there was a recess where it had once sat but now there was no sign of it. I went down to the seabed to seach in case it had fallen off but found no sign. Could somebody have taken it. I noticed at least two small round gun turrets that had once projected out of the gunwhale but these were now lying on the bottom.
Finally I reached the stern and swam up onto the keel. I expected to find four propellers still in situ but was supprised to find only two and these were no longer there. I cant remember if the shafts were still there but just in front was a large hole that led down into the engine room. I decended this for a short distance but time was running out and lots of jagged metal made me cautious. It looked as if salvage workers had been here before us.
Sorry I cant be more help. I have a drawing of the wreck somewhere but not sure where that somewhere is.


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