The wreck of Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tiger has been found in the English Channel 118 years after it sank. According to the Maritime Executive, ProjectXplore confirmed the wreck in July after a five-year search using historical records and sidescan sonar.
The wreck lies at a depth of about 60 metres near the Isle of Wight. HMS Tiger was the last missing British 30-knot torpedo boat destroyer lost in the English Channel.
Built in 1901, the 400-tonne destroyer joined 11 other destroyers for a night naval exercise in 1908. The ships were moving without lights and practising attacks on six battleships and cruisers.
Shortly after 8 p.m., HMS Tiger moved into the path of the 10,000-tonne cruiser HMS Berwick. Both ships were travelling at about 20–21 knots. There was not enough time to avoid the collision. HMS Berwick hit HMS Tiger amidships and cut the destroyer in two.
The bow sank almost immediately, taking the captain and much of the crew with it. The stern stayed afloat for only a few more minutes. Of the 57 people on board, 22 survived.
The discovery is significant because HMS Tiger was the last missing British 30-knot torpedo boat destroyer lost in the English Channel. The wrecks of three other vessels (Flirt, Myrmidon and Bittern) had already been found.
The discovery also comes as the UK considers new rules to protect military shipwrecks. The proposed law would give newly discovered military wrecks protected status and make it illegal to remove objects from them without permission.
