Photo Gallery

HMS Submarine M1 :  July 2000

Text by Doug Friday and pictures by Rich Stevenson.

Very occasionally every aspect of a dive goes perfectly, recently I was fortunate enough to have such a dive on the historic submarine the M1. 

Steve looking for the M1

She  appears clearly on the sounder

While undertaking my final checks at 6m I could clearly see the white twinset of a diver 40 m below me.   As I made my decent down the shot line square shallows started to materialised out of the depths.  I had to blink several times to check I was not seeing things, it was not until a diver made his way over the wreck that I could accept the visibility 'really was this good'.  Getting ever closer I realised that these shadows were the structures which would have supported the outer casing of the pressure hull. 

Doug on his way in

Steve the skipper had shotted the wreck perfectly, right next to the conning tower.  The visibility was incredible you could see the bow of the submarine from the shot line, for this dive my torch spent most of its time securely attached to my D-ring.

Side of the conning tower

The M1 is lying slightly on its port side at an angle of about 15 degrees and is in a state of amazing preservation. Almost everything is still intact, except for the odd missing sections of hull casing.  The pressure hull is almost complete and appeared to be as solid as the day she disappeared. 

Making my way past the port side of the conning tower towards the bow, I found the large gun housing which was lying on the seabed next to the hull.  Allowing myself to sink down close to the seabed I inspected this impressive structure, an amazing piece of construction, it looked as if it could be put back in service in a matter on hours.  After a swim around the gun housing I made my way back up onto the hull to where the huge gun once sat.  The shape of the surrounding casing clearly showed where the gun and housing once proudly lay. In the middle of a recessed area in the hull was the main supports for the gun.  This massive gear is lying at a slant towards the port side, clearly showing how the gun must have been wrenched from its position.

 
The pintle where M1's large 12" gun sat. 

Lying next to the gear and shinning my torch into the gapping hole, which would have once been plugged by the guns kin-pin, it was amazing how clearly you could see deep into the hull below (clearly seen on the above picture).  It was a sombring thought that this fist sized hole probably brought about the demise of this impressive vessel. The armament and control room would have flooding in seconds under such pressures.

Swimming down the middle of the ship towards the bow, I briefly paused to inspect the crease in the side of the hull just forward of the gun position.  This is where it was thought she was first struck by the collier Vider before the gun was ripped from its position by the second impact.

Making my way towards the bow I found an open hatchway that would have been used to load the torpedoes. Looking into this (see photo) chamber the inside was fairly well silted with the occasional object poking out in a tantalising ' guess what I am' fashion. The most noticeable feature of this chamber was the white plates scattered around the silt bank. Maybe, in the impact they had come through from the officers mess which was just aft of this chamber. Had this hatch been used to escape though or had it burst open after the impact?

An open hatch

Just past this hatchway was brass bevel gearing still sat in its bearings, forward from here on the starboard side was the huge hydroplane pointing in a slight downward direction. 

Kneeling on the seabed facing the pointed bow, with the torpedo tube hatches clearly in view, you could see the silhouette of the conning tower.  Witnessing such a sight I then understood why this vessel was sent to the Mediterranean as a visible deterrent, even without her gun she is still very formidable.

Doug looking into the forward torpedo loading hatch.

Being very close to my planned bottom time I made my way back along the submarine surveying the hull with my torchlight.  Approached the shot line I could see the half opened aft hatchway laying just beyond the conning tower, although close to my time I had to stop and take a look at this tiny escape route.

According to submarine expert, "The Great McCartney", this is a "Thingy" !! 

Ascended back up the shot line looking down onto the hull and this open escape hatch.  I reflected on what may have happened to those men. They must have stayed in the stern of the vessel, probably for several days before deciding to try and make an escape.  In a last ditch attempt they would have flooded the chamber and once the pressure had equalised opened the hatch and made a swim for the surface in the hope a passing vessel would have found them.  What an amazing attempt for survival, this 75m seems a long ascent to me even with the reassuring click of the solenoid in my rebreather supplying me with oxygen. What happened to these men? did they ever make it to the surface?   No one will ever know, all we can now do is honour their memory and bravery.  Not since diving the wrecks of Jutland have I been so effected by a wreck, this dive will remain in my vivid memory for a very long time to come

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