The wreck of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tiger, which sank more than a century ago after a catastrophic collision, has been discovered at the bottom of the English Channel. The 400-tonne warship was sliced in half during a night exercise in April 1908 when it collided with the 10,000-ton cruiser HMS Berwick. The disaster resulted in the loss of 35 crew members.
For 118 years, the exact location of the sunken vessel remained unknown. Shipwreck hunters and the Royal Navy had long sought its resting place. A four-year research effort by the organization ProjectXplore helped pinpoint the wreck's coordinates. An initial sonar survey was conducted in April of the previous year, with analysis in November revealing the outline of the submerged ship.
Divers located the stern section of the vessel in June of this year, wedged into the seabed approximately 200 feet below the surface. Two weeks later, the bow section was found about 450 feet away, resting on large boulders. Evidence, including four notable compasses and the distinctive way the ship was severed between its second and third funnels, has confirmed the wreck's identity as HMS Tiger.
On the night of the collision, the bow sank almost immediately, with all hands on board lost. The stern took three minutes to sink, and 13 crew members were saved, with an additional nine rescued from the water. A subsequent court of inquiry determined that HMS Tiger had made an accidental, "suicidal" wrong turn into the path of HMS Berwick.
The Daily Mail reported on the incident at the time, with headlines detailing the "Crew's splendid discipline" and the "noiseless tragedy in the dark." A court martial concluded within ten days, controversially finding that no blame could be attributed to the crew of either vessel. The wreck and its victims have remained undisturbed on the seabed until this recent discovery.
The story of the hunt for HMS Tiger is featured in the latest episode of Dan Snow's History Hit podcast.