[Mr T.]

Imported post

I was, rather naively, asking questions on a posting on D-net about the possibility of diving the wreck of the carrier 'HMS Dasher' (currently residing at approx 170+ metres off the Clyde ) when Ross kindly sent me these sonar/side-scan pics of another carrier, 'HMS Campania', currently lying in approx. 30 metres in the Firth of Forth.

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_sg....rch.pdf

Anyone dived her? Any reports? Or is she another war grave or, was she an RN target practice ship? Hopefully the latter. Thanks again to Ross for the info.

 

[Michael Lowrey]

Imported post

Bren,

HMS Campania was one the very first aircraft carriers. She was actually a Cunard liner (622 feet oa, 65 foot beam, 12,884 grt) that entered service in 1893. She had been already been sold for scraping when the war broke out and the RN bought her.

Campania was refitted with a 200 foot long runway forward and carried 10 seaplanes. On November 5, 1918 she dragged her cables during a gale and drifted across the bows of the battleship HMS revenge and foundered. I do not know if any lives were lost in this incident.

Hope this helps,

Michael

 

[Sam]

Imported post

I'm planning to dive the Campania next month. She was a former Cunard Liner
which was converted to an early aircraft carrier in WW1.  She sank in 1918 just off the coast of Burntisland after colliding with The Royal Oak and HMS Glorious in bad weather.

 

[Sandman]

Imported post

This might help.

The HMS Campania, a Cunard liner converted to aircraft carrier that served in world war 1, was lashed about in a storm in 1918. The carrier was wrenched from its anchor point and rammed into HMS Royal Oak before being smashed into HMS Revenge which ripped her hull to pieces before she finally sunk within an hour. She was a ship built to as high a standard if not higher than the Titanic.  Lies in 20 - 30m. The site has recently been protected as a site of historic importance. Groups interested in diving the site must be accompanied by a licenced diver.  (Currently only Mark Blyth of Burntisland Watersports is licenced.) A strict no touch policy is in force for this wreck.

 

[angus Theape]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (Bren Tierney @ July 17 2003,18:54)]Ross kindly sent me these sonar/side-scan pics of another carrier, 'HMS Campania', currently lying in approx. 30 metres in the Firth of Forth.

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_sg....rch.pdf

Anyone dived her? Any reports? Or is she another war grave or, was she an RN target practice ship? Hopefully the latter. Thanks again to Ross for the info.

Yes I know people who have dived it, but never a second time.

 

[Mr T.]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (angus Theape @ July 18 2003,12:42)]Yes I know people who have dived it, but never a second time.

Hey Angus,

Thanks for the info. Care to expand on the reasons why they won't dive it again???

Cheers,

 

[angus Theape]

Imported post

HMS Campania lies just off Burntisland in two parts. The wreck is apparently near the end of a coal seam, this causes poor underwater visibility. The wreck is also covered in lost fishing gear. Two people I know managed to get under the remains of the flight deck without realising it, the visibility being that poor. If you think this was down to their inexperience, you would be quite wrong.
Anyone I have ever known who dived it has never had the desire to return to it.

 

[nikk]

Imported post

Hi
I dived her last month the above post is correct in saying she can only be dived using Mark at Burntisland water sports ,however this was my third dive on her it wont be my last.She lies just south of Burntisland in 32 mtrs max. Mark normally drops you on highest point which is around 21mtrs .The viz on my last time was 3 - 4 mtr not great but ok Massive wreck biggest in forth and not broken in two as some books say.One diver i know has dived her with a reported 10 mtr viz but more likely you will get three to five,there are still loads of portholes some still with glass in on her but as said above no take policy in force.Do this dive its well worth the poorish viz shes a big wreck with good history
            nikk

 

[Mr T.]

Anyone revisited this puppy since this initial thread was posted?

Any updates?

 

[west coast diver]

Anyone revisited this puppy since this initial thread was posted?

Any updates?

Yeah, me!

Unfortunately I can verify that the viz in this area is shockingly bad at times
<1 mtr,
in fact so bad that we couldn't even find it!

It sounds a fantastic dive but I'm afraid the reality is somewhat different, shame really.

I have heard that some divers have had good 10 mtr viz in this area, but I would have to say that would be truly exceptional.

H.M.S Saucy is not a bad alternative and the Blae rock has some really colourful anemonies, but again dodgy viz.

I have heard that the May isle is very good but then again I heard that about the Campania.

You pays your money...

W.C.D.

 

[Ned Middleton]

HMS Campania

Or is she another war grave or, was she an RN target practice ship? Hopefully the latter.

Hello

prior to reading the various posts I knew nothing of this ship. Nevertheless, there were some very interesting comments – so I looked it up in several different sources. Thought you might be interested in these two results:

1. Ships of the Royal Navy by J J Colledge: Campania; Aircraft Carrier, 18,000 tons, 601 x 65 feet. Armament; 6 x 4.7in, 1 x 3in and 10 x aircraft. Purchased by RN 27 November 1914. Conversion (to Aircraft Carrier) completed April 1916. Sunk 5 November 1918 in collision with Royal Oak and Glorious in the Forth.

2. DODAS: Campania; Cunard Line. Built 1893 by Fairfield Co. 12,884 tons. 601 x 65.2 x 37.8 in. 30,000 ihp, 22 knots, triple expansion engines. The Cunard liner Campania was one of the most famous ships of her day on the Atlantic run. With her sister ship, the Lucania, she held the “Blue Riband” of the Atlantic for over 4 years, making her best passage in August 1894 when she crossed from Queenstown to Sandy Hook in 5 days 9 hours and 21 minutes at an average speed of 21.59 knots. Her passenger accommodation was stupendous for those days amounting to 1,400 and 400 crew in addition.

During the First World War the Campania’s impressive length of deck, together with her high speed, influenced the Admiralty into turning her into an auxiliary aircraft carrier. It was while she was engaged in this service that she collided with the battle cruiser (later aircraft carrier) Glorious in the Firth of Forth in very bad weather on 5 November 1918. The Campania was sunk but all of her crew were saved.

I am sure this will not answer all your questions, but at least we know she is not a War Grave.

Ned

 

[Gogs]

Yeah, me!

Unfortunately I can verify that the viz in this area is shockingly bad at times
<1 mtr,
in fact so bad that we couldn't even find it!

It sounds a fantastic dive but I'm afraid the reality is somewhat different, shame really.

I have heard that some divers have had good 10 mtr viz in this area, but I would have to say that would be truly exceptional.

H.M.S Saucy is not a bad alternative and the Blae rock has some really colourful anemonies, but again dodgy viz.

I have heard that the May isle is very good but then again I heard that about the Campania.

You pays your money...

W.C.D.

When were you out there? A couple of the guys from my club were out with Mark on the Campania a few weekends ago....Its another wreck in the Forth im wanting to get ticked off.

I have done the HMS Saucy too, great dive but make sure you are the first in as it can get kicked up a bit.

I was out at the May yesterday, about 8m viz, which is pretty good for the Forth. Can be worse but I have seen it better as well. Its all up to the weather before you head out!

gogs

 

[ding]

Forth wrecks

Info on diving the campania and the saucy

Finstrokes wreck divsites

Finstrokes wreck divsites

Cheers

 

[MustangSally]

HMS Campania lies just off Burntisland in two parts. The wreck is apparently near the end of a coal seam, this causes poor underwater visibility. The wreck is also covered in lost fishing gear. Two people I know managed to get under the remains of the flight deck without realising it, the visibility being that poor. If you think this was down to their inexperience, you would be quite wrong.
Anyone I have ever known who dived it has never had the desire to return to it.

I think you will find it's intact and there are some great multibeam sonar pictures of it on this site.

Photo Gallery : HMS Gleaner : Hydrographic Vessels : Surface Fleet : Operations and Support : Royal Navy

Sal

 

[Dr Dundee]

ooooer

I think you will find it's intact and there are some great multibeam sonar pictures of it on this site.

Sal

Sal,

I have to disagree with your description of those multibeam sonar images. They are terrible.



C

 

[Dave Crampton]

Sal,

I have to disagree with your description of those multibeam sonar images. They are terrible.



C

Yeh Mustang Sally, check out Chris' link in his Signiture. Now thats Great Sonar imaging...

 

[MustangSally]

Yeh Mustang Sally, check out Chris' link in his Signiture. Now thats Great Sonar imaging...

I think that these are much better too and it's taken with a twin beam unit but this guys seems to be diving ToysRus.

Breda - Oban

Sally

 

[stevechesh]

I suspect it all comes down to the same thing. Cost.

 

[MustangSally]

I suspect it all comes down to the same thing. Cost.

At least the twin beam picture looks like a ship.

Sal

 

[stevie1262]

Its not true that there is only one Licence Holder who can dive The Campania, MC Diving who are in Dalgety Bay M C Diving Services also have a Licence.

Although this is a Protected Wreck you can get a Licence to Dive her from Historic Scotland.....so there isnt just the one Licence Holder as was commonly thought .
She needs to be dived on a Neap Tide to get the best vis...and no I havent dived her yet, couldnt ever manage to get a space with Mark :frown: maybe my bag of hammers and crowbars put him off....

Will speak to Christoph at MC Diving about getting on her this year, lots of horror stories from years ago about zero vis and stuck under deck beams...but the Navy used her for years to practice UW demolition so they obviously got decent vis at some point, and she was subject to salvage at some time in the past.