These haunting images of two Royal Navy warships – the Parker-class flotilla leader HMS Hoste and the M-class destroyer HMS Negro – have just been released.
The wreck of HMS Hoste
The wrecks have been discovered between Orkney and Fair Isle by divers from Lost in Waters Deep who conducted extensive archival research before heading to the area and confirming their studies. The two ships were lost following a collision on 21 December 1916 during the Great War.
Both Hoste and Negro lie around 100 metres (330ft) down. Hoste had been in service a month – and Negro was not much older – when the two ships sailed from Scapa Flow, the Royal Navy’s key base in both world wars, for exercises just six days before Christmas in 1916.
In the small hours of December 20, HMS Hoste suffered steering problems and was ordered to return to base, escorted by Negro. The two ships collided when Hoste was unable to manoeuvre, due to a steering gear defect, and Negro unable to avoid her.
Not only did HMS Negro smash into Hoste’s stern, but the collision also caused the release of depth charges which detonated and crippled Negro and she sank fairly rapidly. Hoste was initially able to slowly proceed under her own steam, but a few hours later the worsening sea state caused the ship to break in two and she was also lost.
All but four of the 138 sailors aboard Hoste were rescued, but Negro lost 51 officers and men.
The divers also found the wreck of merchant vessel SS Express, sliced in two by HMS Grenville in the dead of night in early 1918.
And so we remember.
There are no roses on sailors’ graves,
Nor wreaths upon the storm-tossed waves,
No last post from the King’s band,
So far away from their native land,
No heartbroken words carved on stone,
Just shipmates’ bodies there alone,
The only tributes are the seagulls sweep,
And the teardrop when a loved one weeps.