Divers find wreck of HMS Bayano in Scottish waters 110 years after being torpeoed during WWI

A group of divers have discovered the wreck of a Royal Navy patrol ship 110 years after it was sunk during World War I.

A German U-boat torpedoed HMS Bayano off the coast of Galloway on March 11, 1915.

The attack killed almost 200 people and left just 26 survivors.

Survivor Arthur Craze recalled the torpedo hit the ship directly under the bridge on the starboard side.

The discovery came after a diver operation off the Dumfries and Galloway coast. Dan McMullen

“The captain was on the deck near us, having walked from the bridge, and I heard him say to some of those near me, ‘Good lad, save yourself.’ He tapped several on the shoulders and said, ‘Look after yourselves, boys.'”

He added: “Those below could have had no chance, and must have been drowned like rats in a trap, for the water was rushing in with a fearful roar. I could never have believed that under such circumstances, everything could have been so very orderly and quiet.”

Divers from the community-led initiative, ProjectXplore, made the discovery. Dr Steffen Scholz

“Men were moving about as unconcerned as if nothing had happened, and they were just doing their ordinary duty. I remained until the sea took me away from the ship. The biggest part of her was down by the bows. I can remember quite plainly the sea coming right over me and covering me up.”

Divers from the community-led initiative, ProjectXplore, discovered the wreck in the North Channel, located between Scotland and Northern Ireland, at a seabed depth of 106 metres, with the shallowest point at 84 metres.

A German U-boat torpedoed HMS Bayano off the coast of Galloway during World War I on March 11, 1915. Dom WIllis

The discovery came after months of research, an offshore sonar survey and a diver operation off the Dumfries and Galloway coast.

“We are confident that we have conclusively identified the wreck of HMS Bayano because she is the only British Armed Merchant Cruiser sunk in the First World War armed with two 6-inch (152 mm) guns, and the wreck shows both of them in the expected positions,” said Leo Fielding, diving co-organiser, ProjectXplore.

Dr Steffen G. Scholz, technical diver and underwater photographer, added that the identification wasn’t just based on one image.

“The identification is not based on one photograph but on a series of mutually reinforcing indicators like the gun size, location, the dimensions, the single-funnel merchant layout, the refrigeration plant, the railing pattern, the stern form and the historical positions,” he said.

Another ProjectXplore diver, Alexandra Pischyna, said: “At that depth, conditions are demanding and time on the bottom is short, but the site is remarkably intact, which makes it an exceptional piece of underwater heritage.”

“To stand witness to HMS Bayano again after 110 years is an immense privilege. We hope this work honours her crew and preserves their story for future generations,” added Joe-Colls Burnett, ProjectXplore diver.