There are very few tide restrictions or currents in this area, although surf and surge may sometimes make the entry and exit points require extra care. Black Hawk (Bow). 40-60m RANGE: Salsette, Buccaneer, Merchant Royal, Warrior 2. A British steamship of 4200 tons she was requisitioned by the government during WWI and was torpedoed and sunk on April 15, 1918 en route from London to Newfoundland with a loss of fifty lives. HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1890s. [29], In 1917 the RNAS seaplane base at Portland was commissioned as HMS Sarepta. The ship was placed in reserve in 1907 and later became the receiving ship at Queenstown, Ireland. Renamed Jascon 27, the ship left Portland under tow in 2010, bound for Nigeria, to be refurbished for use as an oil industry accommodation vessel. At the same time the above-water torpedo tubes were removed. [4] During the 20th century the harbour increasingly became an naval oiling depot and, beginning in the early 1900s, the tidal creek the Mere began to be filled in for a vast tank farm. Boscawen was herself replaced in 1873 by HMS Trafalgar, which took on the same name. [37] From 1958, the base's main occupation was Flag Officer Sea Training, which was a major success, and the harbour soon became the world's premier work-up and training base. SHE BECAME A TOTAL LOSS. These have a total length of 4.57km (2.84mi) and enclose approximately 1,000ha (2,500 acres) of water. [25] The nearby Royal Naval Hospital in Castletown served the naval base from 1904 (replacing an earlier small hospital) until 1957, when it was handed over to the NHS. Ideal for diving all season. There are large chains on her. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its 520-hectare (1,300-acre) surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and remains one of the largest in the world today. The stern is complete and amidship there is an engine and boiler. In 1944 emplacements were constructed for two 6-pounder guns, but the guns were not mounted for a number of years. This naval trawler was mined in October 1940 and lies in 60 metres. Given the depth and limited tidal range, the predominant habitat within the Harbour is one that is truly marine. This site is right inside of the harbour close to the Hood entrance and can offer an excitingly good drift dive but in poor visibility and weather conditions, must be done with a torch. This 3000 ton Spanish steamship dragged her anchor in a Force 9 gale in December 1900 and was grounded on the rocks close to the Breakwater where she slipped and eventually sank. WebThe Portland Harbor Museum's exhibit presents the variety of shipwreck causes, both man-made and natural that occurred over the years. a naturalist trail beside the rocks it rests against. Visible Anyone can find this group. S.S. SANDAL ON FIRE PORTLAND HARBOUR 1907. As part of the NRDA process, separate from the EPA cleanup process, NOAA and its co-trustees are conducting an injury assessment at the site. WebFate: Sunk 04 November 1914 as a blockship for southern entrance to Portland Harbour, designed to stop U-boats entering or firing torpedoes into Channel Fleet anchorage. This is definitely one dive you could do over and over again! This small landing craft lies beside the Breakwater wall and close to the Bombardon unit. It is believed there have been at least 1,000 shipwrecks along the Dorset coast over the centuries. This British armed tug was sunk by accident while towing a target in August 1946 and now lies on a shingle seabed uprights and intact. As the Royal Navy grew in size towards the end of the 19th century, additional accommodation was required for boys' training, which saw the arrival of HMS Minotaur in 1898 and Agincourt in 1904; they were named Boscawen II and Boscawen III respectively. Name last changed on November Foylebank - Part Three", "Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Portland underground Naval Headquarters & Communications Centre", "Northern Chiswell and Northern Fortuneswell", "Maritime Archaeology Trust Maritime Archaeology Trust, HWTMA Mulberry Harbour", "MULBERRY HARBOUR, TWO SECTIONS CIRCA 115 METRES NORTH OF PIER (1203075)", "BBC ON THIS DAY | 13 | 1961: Five Britons accused of spying for Moscow", "Portland's naval history ends as last warship sails", "EGDP Portland Heliport - Helicopter Database", "Dorset Coast Landscape and Seascape Assessment", "Portland Port's 26m deep-water berth upgrade set to start", "Asylum seeker barge plan could face legal challenge", "History - WPNSA - Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy", "Details from listed building database (1203106)", "Details from listed building database (1205991)", "Details from listed building database (1281863)", "Details from listed building database (1002412)", "Details from listed building database (1205814)", "Details from listed building database (1280475)", "Details from listed building database (1203099)", "Details from listed building database (1203074)", "Visitor centre for Island (From Dorset Echo)", "Details from listed building database (1389124)", Coxswain Edward Palmer, awarded BEM for rescue work following the sinking of HMS Foylebank in Portland Harbour, July 1940, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portland_Harbour&oldid=1152429965, Ports and harbours of the English Channel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Floating Dry Dock Development at Queen's Pier. The M2 is a one-of-a-kind submarine aircraft carrier which sank off Portland in 1932 during routine exercises (see panel). WebPortland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. This 1120 ton Norwegian cargo vessel was torpedoed and sunk in March 1919. As part of the NRDA process, separate from the EPA cleanup process, NOAA and its co-trustees are conducting an injury assessment at the site. [17], Captain Alvin Coote Corry was appointed in command of Hood in December 1898. Having defied an 11-month salvage attempt after its sinking, this undamaged and unique wreck has become a popular dive site in the waters of Lyme Bay. In its entirety, the Harbour is an ecosystem of very high importance including a number of nationally important habitats and species. Dive time for this area is 4 hours after HW and the dive window is about 45 minutes. Has plenty of marine life and is well broken up with only the ribs and plates showing with its highest point about 2 metres off the sea bed. A 4343 steamer she was sunk in July 1940 by a German E-boat. For the port in Maine, see, Creation of harbour of refuge (18441872), Post-war role and closure of naval base (1946-1995), Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, Portland Naval Communication Headquarters, Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE), Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, "Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth and Portland (1020062)", "The Jurassic Coast - Portland and Weymouth", "Historic England Grade II listing: Dockyard Offices", "Isle of Portland Quarries - Geology by Ian West", "Details from listed building database (1021435)", "East Weare rifle range, Portland (1428958)", "Portland historian Stuart Morris on the importance of the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse", "Historic England Grade II listing: Inner and outer breakwater", "Digitally Copied Navy Lists available on line", "Danger UXB Portland's World War 2 UneXploded Bomb | Dorset Life - The Dorset Magazine", "WW2 People's War - H.M.S. WebFate: Sunk 04 November 1914 as a blockship for southern entrance to Portland Harbour, designed to stop U-boats entering or firing torpedoes into Channel Fleet anchorage. bournemouth. For more information and bookings visit Dive Beyond. Bottlebank Drift (19m). Divers are advised to watch their depth as the area has a number of drop-offs. The gun turrets and their bases were protected by 17 inches (432mm) of armour that thinned to 16 inches (406mm) behind the oblique bulkheads. Two days before the exercises ended, Hood damaged her rudder on the seabed while leaving Argostoli Harbor on 4 October 1902. WebPortland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. This is a WWII experimental wave breaking unit apparently made for the D-Day landings sitting off the Landing Craft and can be done as part of a Landing Craft dive. During World War II a number of anti-invasion structures were placed at Balaclava Bay, including an anti boat landing obstacle,[81] and a minefield. ONLY THE THREE MASTS WERE SAVED. She lies upright. by (club) or (commercial) dive boats with launching possible from various points including Portland Marina and a free slipway at Castletown.? Picking up and dropping off at Castletown Jetty just minutes away from all the harbour wrecks is Dive Beyond operating two diving RIBS with ladders. Torch Recommended. [46], In April 2023, the Government of the United Kingdom announced that it planned to moor the Bibby Stockholm at Portland Port to house asylum seekers. This is an East Inidiaman that struck the Shambles bank and sunk in front of Weymouth in 1805 with a large loss of life. However at 03:45 on the 4 th November 1979 she took on too much water and sank 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, still 12 miles from the safety of Portland. The armour of the main-deck casemates was 6 inches thick and that of the forward conning tower was 14 inches thick. This is a British cargo ship of 5000 tons lying South of Portland. On descending, follow the wall down until you reach the gravel and sandy bottom at about 18 metres. Her highest point is at 47 metres and she is reported to be lying upside down against a high reef. The battleship Russell relieved Hood on 28 September 1904. By 1913 the battery's armament included four 12-pounder guns and a 6-inch breech-loading (BL) Mk. It is also very accommodating to recreational and technical courses. The wreck is well scattered with intact bows. [7], Hood had an overall length of 410feet 6inches (125.1m), a beam of 75 feet (22.9m), and a draught of 28feet 6inches (8.7m) at deep load. This 600 ton British steamship was sunk by a torpedo in 1918 while carrying a cargo of coal. In 2004 changes led to Portland Harbour Authority Ltd becoming the Statutory and Competent Harbour Authority and Portland Port Ltd the Port Operator. [84] A number of pillboxes were built around East Weare Battery. ON VOYAGE FROM FREDERIKSTAD TO PORT NATAL. Going far out from the area could lead to deeper grounds with depths ranging in excess of 35 metres but sticking to shore, especially in the kelp beds, divers can see plenty of sea life, crabs and lobsters. The aft portion was salvaged and converted to a new ship. General History Group created on November 15, 2013. It is badly broken up with large pieces of machinery present and lying in a rock shingle sea bed. ARMED WITH A 12 POUNDER GUN. Another good resource of dive site information can be found at the Dive Beyond Dive Sites page travelling from Castletown beach using RHIBs. [27], In 1862 HMS Britannia was moored at Portland to serve as a training ship for naval cadets. (Beware there are line and cord in the engine section which should not be penetrated). [10] The breakwaters were declared complete by HRH Edward the Prince of Wales on 10 August 1872. The Countess of Erne is probably the most popular dive-site in Portland Harbour. She took part in combined exercises of the Channel Fleet, Mediterranean Fleet, and Home Fleet off the coast of Portugal from 5 to 9 August 1903. Can be very prolific sea life. She is approximately 240 long and with a 29 beam she lies upright on the bottom making an excellent dive for novice and experienced alike. Low freeboard had been popular for around ten years since it required less armour and made a smaller target for gunfire to hit, although it had the disadvantage that it reduced seaworthiness. she became a total loss. DRIFT: Bottlebank, Lulworth Cove, Aerials, Balaclava Bay. 12-18m Range: Countess of Erne, Enecuri, Bombardon Unit & Landing Craft, the Dredger, James Fennel, Black Hawk (bow). This German submarine sank in May 1918. Declared a total loss in April 1945. These wrecks are accessible? SMB Required. She lies on a sand and shingle sea bed. WebThe Portland Harbor Museum's exhibit presents the variety of shipwreck causes, both man-made and natural that occurred over the years. Easily accessibly via Dive Boats shuttling out of Portland Marina and Castletown these wrecks are shallower than 20m and can be dived on all state of tides. James Fennel (18m). [56] At the end of Castletown village is the former Dockyard Police Station - also Grade II Listed. Frequent visitor John Liddiard reveals his route. Hood also mounted a dozen QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns mounted in the superstructure and fighting tops. Depending on the tide, divers can get a good drift dive in this area. [4], In the 1850s it had been proposed that a full Royal Navy Dockyard be established, with three dry docks, three shipbuilding slips, a fitting-out basin and associated factory facilities. The exhibit explores efforts to prevent disaster through the development of lighthouses and other aids to navigation. However at 03:45 on the 4 th November 1979 she took on too much water and sank 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, still 12 miles from the safety of Portland. Maximum depth is about 6 to 7 metres depending on the state of the tide. She finished her sea trials in May 1893[14] and was commissioned on 1 June 1893 at the cost of 926,396. WebWith the weather at gale force, the tug started to tow the Aeolian Sky into the storm to try to make the shelter of Portland Harbour. The combined closure of all Portland-based establishments was believed to have cost the area 4,500 jobs, along with a loss of 40 million in the area's economy, according to a study carried out for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council in 1995. This had the effect of making her roll period shorter by around 7% compared to her sisters, which in turn made her gunnery less accurate. She collided with a Norwegian ship in 1889 and sank, now lying on a sand and shingle seabed. a detailed report on this accident can be read by clicking here. Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy scuttled in Portland Harbour, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1902, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1914, Modern naval gun turrets are essentially a barbette enclosed by a rotating gunhouse, a very different concept from the older style of turret that, The completely enclosed armoured shields around the turrets were known as barbettes for some years after their introduction, but they werent barbettes as we know them today, "Conserved HMS Hood Bell Rings Out 75th Anniversary of Largest Ever Royal Navy Loss", List of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy, Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area, Bullhead Point Historical and Archeological District, Maritime Heritage Trail Battle of Saipan, List of shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001905545/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Hood_(1891)&oldid=1148381342, Victorian-era battleships of the United Kingdom, World War I shipwrecks in the English Channel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 April 2023, at 20:57. Project Baseline is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 88-0481587) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Portland Harbour is home to several sites for wreck-dives, and STUART PHILPOTT never tires of exploring one of the most popular. SCHOONER DEVORAN. [61], Situated across Portland Harbour's four breakwater arms are various defensive structures and related monuments. For details and photos visit our COUNTESS OF ERNE page. [59][60] The shed has been Grade II Listed since 2001. In September 1914 while being towed to Portland she listed and sank with the loss of 21 souls. WebOn 4 November 1914 Hood was scuttled in Portland harbour to block the Southern Ship Channel, a potential access route for U-boats or for torpedoes fired from outside the harbour. Despite its shallow depth, because it can be dived in almost any weather conditions and the lure of the wreck itself, the Dredger is even regularly visited by technical divers who use it as a platform for training. With the advent of the helicopter and its importance as an anti-submarine weapon, an airfield was formed following World War II. The M2 is a one-of-a-kind submarine aircraft carrier which sank off Portland in 1932 during routine exercises (see panel). [87], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}503506N 22642W / 50.585N 2.445W / 50.585; -2.445. Two of these were mounted in the bow below the waterline, four were placed in the sides of the hull, two on each broadside, and one in the stern. The M2 is not far west round the Bill, is about 300 and all hands were lost on her when she sunk in January 1932. The squadron, which formed in February 1897, bombarded insurgent forces, put sailors and marines ashore to occupy key cities, and blockaded Crete and key ports in Greece, actions which brought organized fighting on the island to an end by late March 1897. BUILT AS STRATH CLASS AUXILLIARY PATROL VESSEL. [47], The harbour is a popular location for wind surfing, wreck diving and sailing. The academy was established as a not-for-profit company in 1999, and originally operated from various disused military buildings and facilities. From scenic shore dives to passenger liners and U-Boatslying on the seabed theres a dive for every level of experience. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. SMB Required. [31] In July 1940, the anti-aircraft ship HMS Foylebank was attacked by Stuka dive-bombers and sank in the harbour. CARGO GRAIN. [85], As part of the defence for HMS Osprey, now demolished, a "Yarnold Sanger" pillbox is located on Incline Road, constructed during the Cold War. bournemouth. Her wreck became known as "Old Hole in the Wall". This is a very rewarding dive with depths ranging from 16 to 25 metres maximum. It was decommissioned two years later, but not before the establishment under its command of a 'listening school' to help develop hydrophone underwater listening devices and other anti-submarine measures, and to train personnel in their use. The Bombardon Unit is a star shaped barges with lots of hatches. A DETAILED REPORT ON THIS ACCIDENT CAN BE READ BY CLICKING HERE. It measures 370 to 53 and was salvaged, is broken. Both seacocks and explosives were used to sink her, but she rolled to port and capsized onto seabed. General History Group created on November 15, 2013. [45] The harbour is designated as EU shellfish water and supports an important shellfish fishery and a marine ecosystem of high importance for biodiversity.