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Wreck of Royal Navy warship HMS Tiger found off Isle of Wight after 118 years
ProjectXplore’s five-year search ended with the discovery of a wreck that sank after a collision, and fewer than half of the 57 crew survived.
ProjectXplore located the wreck of HMS Tiger off the Isle of Wight on Saturday, ending a 118-year search after five years of archival research by the team of historians and divers.
HMS Tiger sank on April 2, 1908, after colliding with HMS Berwick during night-time training exercises, with the destroyer cut in two and the stern remaining afloat for approximately three minutes before sinking.
Fewer than half of Tiger's 57-strong crew survived the disaster, prompting King Edward VII to send a telegram of sympathy and commemorative postcards to be produced honoring those lost.
Under Armed Forces Bill proposals, the Protection of Military Remains Act would be amended to grant newly discovered military wrecks automatic "protected place" status, prohibiting disturbance while permitting supervised diving visits.
Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said "Defence has a role to play in preserving our maritime heritage," while ProjectXplore co-organisers Leo Fielding and Dan McMullen called the discovery "the privilege of a lifetime.