Researchers at Bangor University are confident they have identified the wreck site of HMS Stephen Furness, sunk in 1917 after being torpedoed, with the loss of over 100 lives.
For more than a century, the precise resting place of HMS Stephen Furness in the Irish Sea has remained a mystery. The research team, from the university’s School of Ocean Sciences, combined existing marine archives and scientific data with new digital techniques. They are now say the ship’s remains have been located 10 miles off the east coast of Northern Ireland.
The ship was en route to Liverpool for repairs. But it didn’t reach its destination as a torpedo from a German U-boat hit the starboard side of the vessel, causing it to sink within three minutes. Of the more than 100 sailors on board, only 12 survived.
To pinpoint the location, the researchers analysed high-resolution multi-beam sonar data from every charted site where the ship was reported lost.
Combining this information with other resources, including...