Centennial warship wreck uncovered off Isle of Wight, shedding light on 1908 disaster

After more than a century of searching, ProjectXplore divers have pinpointed the wreck of HMS Tiger off England’s Isle of Wight. The torpedo-boat destroyer, a 400-ton vessel, was sliced in two when it struck the 10,000-ton cruiser HMS Berwick at night in 1908, killing over half of its 57 crew members. The team’s five-year archival analysis led to the recovery of the stern engine telegraph and rudder position indicator, evidence that the ship did not slow or change course before the collision.

Further finds included a compass, torpedo tubes, guns, ammunition, an anchor and the ship’s bell. The Royal Navy noted that new legislation will automatically designate such sites as protected places, preserving them from disturbance. Leo Fielding and Dan McMullen, who led the expedition, said the work ensures the vessel’s story and the memory of its sailors endure for future generations.