Contract for Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973): Diving investigations on the submarine HMS/M A1
Wessex Archaeology, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017435. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 1150
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1017435
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
The project was a condition survey of the early 20th century submarine HMS/M A1, carried out for English Heritage by Wessex Archaeology in 2005.
The project involved routine diver survey of the HMS/M A1 and a site plan of the main elements of the wreck was produced supplemented by photographic and video recording. The impact of illegal diving activities on the wreck was assessed and recommendations were made for its future management. In addition, two geophysical anomalies located in proximity to the wreck were investigated to establish if they were associated with the wreck.
The dataset comprises databases relating to the diver recording system (DIVA) and ROV-track diver tracking, GIS shapefiles for the diver tracklogs and photographs.
HM Submarine A1
HMS/M A1 was built by Vickers in 1902 and was the first submarine which was British designed and built used by the Royal Navy. She was commissioned in 1903, but tragically lost with all hands in a collision off the Nab Light in 1904.
The submarine was raised in 1904 and then used for training and experimental purposes. HMS/M A1 was finally lost during an unmanned exercise. Despite the extensive searches, the Royal Navy was unable to locate the submarine. The wreck was rediscovered in 1989 and designated a historic wreck under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 in 1998.
Wessex Archaeology conducted a magnetometer survey, a sub bottom profiler survey and a multibeam sonar survey of the wreck site in 2003. More information on this can be found in the Wrecks on the Seabed archive. The geophysical survey data is archived through the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (British Geological Survey and United Kingdom Hydrographic Office).
British Geological Survey archive ref: BGS_CMD_REF651
