Wreck Diving
SS Justicia
Our long descent culminates with a spectacular sight. A deck appears, so vast that I am left in no doubt why some have described this wreck as the ‘Titanic of the Irish Sea’. My dive partner is dwarfed by the scale of giant capstans that were thrust upwards like giant cotton reels as the deck collapsed. The whole scene resembles a giant’s pinball machine. Our progress seems impossibly slow, but this is simply because the scale of this ship is so great that getting anywhere takes time! Justicia was built as an ocean liner, but
the hostilities of WW1 curtailed demand, leaving her partially complete and without purpose. The British government took over the build and this enormous 32,234 GT vessel entered service as a troopship in April 1917, capable of
34 Magazine
carrying 4000 soldiers! She was placed under the management of the White Star Line who had crew available following the sinking of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic. A year later, the unladen Justicia set
off from Belfast to New York, and was attacked by U-Boat UB-64, which sent four torpedoes into the liner before the escorting destroyers forced the sub to break off. Justicia remained afloat; however, UB-64 had radioed in the location to German Naval High Command and the following day UB-124 took up the assault, sending two more torpedoes into the liner. After a total of six torpedo strikes, Justicia foundered and sunk 25 miles (40km) from shore on July 20, 1918, with the loss of 16 men from the engine room. Inflicting the final blow cost
UB-124 dearly: forced to surface by the destroyers, the surviving crew were taken prisoner and their vessel was then sunk. As we swim forward, we pass a huge
anchor still in its hawse. Dropping deeper, I hover in the scour where the wreck has settled into the seabed at 235ft (72m). The bow towers above me in an unforgettable scene. The tide, however, waits for no diver and we need to return to our shot line before the current starts again after the slack water period. Ascending slightly, we swim over intact guardrails before beginning the long swim across the expansive deck. Finally, we come across the remains of the bridge of this once-magnificent 755 foot-long (230m) ship, the second largest to be sunk in World War I after the Titanic’s sister ship, Britannic.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68