Shipwreck confirmed as lost WW1 warship

A wreck discovered off the Aberdeenshire coast is a Royal Navy warship sunk by a torpedo during World War One, it has been confirmed.

More than 500 of HMS Hawke's crew died when it was attacked by a German U-boat in October 1914.

The ship caught fire and, following an explosion, sank in less than eight minutes with just 70 sailors surviving. The wreck was discovered by a team of divers about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh earlier this year in "remarkable" condition.

After assessing the evidence, Royal Navy experts have now confirmed it was HMS Hawke. Analysis of footage, photographs and scans was carried out to confirm the ship's identity.

The wreck was discovered on 11 August by the Lost in Waters Deep group - which searches for shipwrecks to remember wartime losses in Scottish waters.

As a war grave, nothing was recovered from the wreck.

Three months later, experts have confirmed the sunken vessel is HMS Hawke.

Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith said ongoing efforts to locate and identify wrecks around the UK was appreciated by all.

"Without these volunteers dedicating their time to these projects, the resting place of many of our sailors would never be found and their sacrifices forgotten, so we are most grateful," she said.

Kevin Heath, who runs Lost in Waters Deep, added: "It is great to hear that the Royal Navy has confirmed our discovery of HMS Hawke."