Lost WWI warship found after century long search

HMS Nottingham, a British warship that was torpedoed during World War I in 1916 has been found by a team of divers. 

The wreck was found 60 miles off Scotland’s coast ending a 109-year search for the misfortune vessel.

ProjectXplore, a global shipwreck research group, led this operation. The team discovered the 457 foot cruiser at a depth of 82 meters (270ft). 

The major identifier was the “Nottingham” lettering embossed on the stern. Other key evidence that confirmed its identity includes discovery of royal navy-branded dinner plates with the iconic blue crown emblem and matching ship dimensions, weaponry, and damage consistent with historical records.

While conducting a reconnaissance patrol, HMS Nottingham was struck thrice by torpedoes from a German U-boat U-52 on August 19. 1916.

During this misfortune event, 377 crew members and captain of the ship were rescued while 38 were perished. Reportedly, the incident happened as the U-boat was mistaken for a fishing boat hours earlier that enabled it to close in undetected.

Previously, many search operations were launched but they were unsuccessful to bring any fruitful results. 

ProjectXplore launched its targeted mission in September 2024, combining:

• Archival research (logs, telegrams, naval charts)
• Sonar scans (April 2025) revealing a wreck matching HMS Nottingham’s specs
• Final dives (July 2025) to document the site

The team confirmed that the wreck’s condition, layout, and artifacts left “no doubt” it was HMS Nottingham. The team plans to share findings with historians and descendants of the crew.

The historic discovery not only preserves a poignant piece of WWI naval history but also provides a closure for families of the 38 lost sailors.