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Bobco · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2008 05:00 PM by Bobco.)

Whilst escorting Channel Convoy CW7 in Straits of Dover came under heavy air attack.
Several near misses caused major structural damage.
Back of ship was broken.
During this engagement three aircraft were claimed by ships gun crews.
Ship sank during tow after direct hit in engine room in position 51.05N 01.1?E.
One of ship's company was killed.

The shot went in over the bow section, with a mild current running up the channel, it was only a reasonably energetic fin to get down to the sea bed at 32m, The vis was not bad, about 6 to 8m, plenty of Bib schooling around to give the place some movement.

The wreck sites with its Port side flattened and sanded, with sections of the starboard sitting proud by 4 to 8m. The 4.7-inch main bow gun is a simple thing to spot and keep a register on, soon the next forward gun comes into view, along with what remains of the bridge section. The ship was a 300ft plus B class destroyer, with a beam of only 32ft she was fast, but not fast enough to keep clear of the Luftwaffe bombes, after a spirited fight she went down broken amidships. This can be seen on the wreck, for just past the midships the sands take over once more, so turning back up the Starboard side you fin over the forward? funnel and then under the torpedo tubes still in place on what remains of the deck. Along this section you can still see the rows of portholes, and through the hull plating, sections of the tween decks now only inhabited by fish, edible crabs and the odd lobster.
After a quick fin back over these sections and with deco increasing it was time to get back to the shot and up for a 15-minute hang.

A surface swell made returning to the boat a little trying with twins and stage, but it was worth it

Like new,

Sinking,

Al1x · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2008 05:19 PM by Al1x.)

When you got to the point where the wreck disappears into the sand you should have kept going over the sand bank as the wreck is broken into 2 main sections and reappears about 50-100ft after.

Very good dive if your lucky to get decent Vis.

Bobco · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2008 07:11 PM by Bobco.)

Yep I know that now, as always a I should have done a good pre brief on it first, but the current was running and I would not want to go looking for the back end even had I known where it was, I am diving with twin 10's so bottom time was not going to be much more than 40 odd minutes we did.

We had good vis so were lucky I guess