A Royal Navy ship has been discovered in the North Sea after it was sunk by a German U-Boat.
International divers have identified the wreck of HMS Nottingham, a town-class light cruiser that disappeared in 1916 following a torpedo attack.
The warship was discovered approximately 60 miles from shore, resting at a depth of 82 metres.
The discovery was achieved by ProjectXplore, a collaborative effort involving divers from Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain.
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|The discovery was made by ProjectXplore
Prior to their underwater exploration, the team conducted extensive historical research, examining maritime logs, period telegrams and navigational charts from the era.
Their methodical approach paid off when sonar equipment detected an anomaly on the seabed that matched the expected specifications.
The multinational crew descended to confirm that the sonar readings had indeed located the long-lost cruiser.
Upon reaching the wreck, divers discovered white china bearing the Royal Navy's distinctive blue crown insignia.
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|On the upper edge of the stern design read the word "NOTTINGHAM"
Plates displayed "NOTTINGHAM" along the upper edge of the stern design.
The vessel met its fate on August 19, 1916, when the German submarine U-52, operating as part of the Imperial Navy's high seas fleet, launched a devastating assault.
Three torpedoes struck HMS Nottingham's port side, sealing the cruiser's doom.
The wreck's current state reveals substantial damage forward of the bridge on the port side, precisely where historical accounts indicate two of the torpedoes detonated.
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|The multi-national team that made the discovery
Despite the catastrophic battle damage, ProjectXplore reports the vessel remains "remarkably intact" on the seabed.
The structure remains largely in position above the hull, extending eight to 10 metres upward from the ocean floor in certain areas.
HMS Nottingham is now the world's best-preserved example of a Town-class cruiser.
The majority of its sister ships were dismantled for scrap between the 1920s and 1940s.