Vasa's sister ship discovered

Swedish maritime archaeologists have discovered the wreck of ship Äpplet (The Apple), the long-lost sister ship of the 17th-century warship Vasa, which sank on its maiden voyage, the Swedish Museum of Wrecks has said.

Äpplet, port side by lower gundeck
Wrecks & Archaeology

Launched in 1629, Applet (Apple) was built by the same shipbuilder as the famed 69-metre Vasa, which was carrying 64 cannons when it went down in a strait off the island of Vaxholm, just outside the capital, Stockholm. Vasa was meant to serve as a symbol of Sweden’s military might at the time but capsized after sailing just over 1,000 metres. It was salvaged in 1961 and is on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, one of Sweden’s most popular tourist spots.

Wreckage of HMS Endeavour located

Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour, used to explore Australia and last seen during the 1770s, likely discovered off of Rhode Island.

Wrecks & Archaeology

Cook commanded the ship from 1768 to 1771 on his famous voyage mapping the uncharted waters of the south Pacific Ocean. The HMS Endeavour sailed around Cape Horn in Africa, and visited Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. Cook explored Tonga, Easter Island, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and Vanuatu on his second voyage. He was killed in 1779 during a trip to the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii.

19th Century Chinese cruiser Zhiyuan identified

Zhiyuan was a protected cruiser in the late Qing Dynasty Beiyang Fleet sunk in combat in 1894.

Chinese cruiser Zhiyuan ca.1894
Wrecks & Archaeology

The shipwreck was first discovered in 2013. It was first code-named "Dandong No.1" and has been tentatively identified as the Cruiser Zhiyuan.

On 17 September 1894, during Battle of the Yalu River - the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War, involving ships from the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Chinese Beiyang Fleet - the Zhiyuan came under attack from Japanese cruisers. It was hit in the bow by a Japanese shell after which the Chinese cruiser rapidly sank with the loss of 245 officers and crewmen out of a complement of 252 complement.

Shipwreck in Hong Kong presumed to be famed warship HMS Tamar

Wreckage found during harbour dredging in Wan Chai last year is almost certain to be the remains of HMS Tamar, South China Morning Post reports. Hong Kong's most famous military ship was scuttled by the British Navy in 1941 to prevent her from falling into Japanese hands.

HMS Tamar at Malta, ca 1882
Wrecks & Archaeology

HMS Tamar was a 4,600 tons displacement sail and steam-powered Royal Navy troopship launched in Britain in 1863. She served as a supply ship from 1897 to 1941 and gave her name to the shore station HMS Tamar in Hong Kong (1897 to 1997).

In 1897 Tamar was hulked as a base ship and used as the Hong Kong receiving ship and served as the 'name' ship for R.N. headquarters until it was replaced by the shore station, which was named HMS Tamar, after the ship.

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Battleship España

The battleship España has a very important place in the history of the Basque Country of northern Spain and is now a protected monument at the bottom of the sea.

Words:
Vic Verlinden
Images:
Vic Verlinden
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Wrecks & Archaeology

In August 1915, the battleship was originally christened the Alphonso XIII after the current king of Spain, in the shipyard of Vickers-Ferrol and had two sister ships named España and Jaime I. The First World War was going on in Europe, but Spain was neutral, so the ships were not brought into the conflict.

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No Secret for Victoria!

What does a fish exporter from Norway, a Chief Information Officer and diving instructor living in the Netherlands, a renowned lawyer based in Cyprus, a Project Manager working in Sweden, and an expat French Technical Diving Instructor have in common?

Words:
Cedric Verdier
Images:
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Wrecks & Archaeology

Spyrou and Verdier had been discussing diving the HMS Victoria since the summer of 2007. The impressive wreck is quite unusual in the sense that it stands up vertically rising up from 140m to 77m with her bow deeply embedded in the thick layer of sediment. Spyrou contacted ambassadors and officials from Cyprus and Lebanon to obtain all the necessary permissions. Soon he came in touch with Christian Francis, owner of Lebanon Divers who first located the wreck.

Shipwreck could yield the USS Scorpion from the War of 1812

The wreck of a 19th-century ship in the murky Patuxent River near Upper Marlboro could be the USS Scorpion, which archaeologists and state officials hope will be a star attraction in Maryland's commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Wrecks & Archaeology

The excavation is part of Maryland's effort to create a tourism cash cow from the bicentennial of a war whose biggest claim to fame is inspiring "The Star-Spangled Banner." Based in part on Virginia's experience with revenue generated by Civil War sites, bicentennial boosters estimate the 32 months of events planned to commemorate the War of 1812 could generate $1 billion in tourism spending.

"It's very much about economic development and cultural heritage tourism," said Bill Pencek, executive director of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

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