Devon submarine wreck now protected

Divers can't loot it

The wreck of a submarine off Devon has been granted special protection so divers don't take anything from it.

The sub, sitting upright and largely intact on the seabed near Dartmouth after being deliberately sunk just before the end of the First World War, is a very early vessel of its type, known as HMS/m D1. Historic England wanted it protecting.

The wreck was identified by a team of technical divers who are skilled at diving at depths of over 40 metres, was built by shipbuilding company Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and was the secret prototype for the D-class, the Royal Navy’s first diesel-powered submarine. Launched in 1908 and commissioned in September 1909, the D-class was  larger and more powerful than earlier C-class submarines.
 
At the start of the First World War, HMS/m D1 was assigned to protect Dover from enemy invasion before carrying out patrols outside English territorial waters to monitor German shipping.

In September 1917, it joined the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla and a year later it was relegated to training duties. In October 1918, HMS/m D1 was decommissioned and scuttled - deliberately sunk. The Royal Navy then used it as a target for detecting enemy submarines. 

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England said: “The D-class submarine was superior to the C-class, with innovations that became integral parts of future Royal Navy submarines. These included diesel propulsion, twin propellers and a wireless telegraphy system which allowed the submarine to transmit and receive signals. This is a fascinating survival which deserves protection as an important part of our seafaring history.”
 
Lead Diver Steve Mortimer said: "Every diver dreams of identifying a historically important wreck.  Expecting to find the remains of a German U-boat, we were thrilled to discover a ground-breaking British submarine instead.  It's tremendous that D1 is now protected but divers can still visit."
 
Eight D-class submarines were built. HMS/m D2, HMS/m D3 and HMS/m D6 were sunk outside English territorial waters, while HMS/m D4, HMS/m D7 and HMS/m D8 were sold and scrapped in 1919. The wreck of HMS/m D5 is located off Lowestoft. Suffolk, and is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.