Press Release
06 June 2014 - Plymouth, England
A7 Project Announced
January 2014 was the 100th anniversary of the loss of HM submarine A7 in Whitsand Bay near Plymouth, so the A7 Project has been started to study the life and loss of this submarine.
HM Submarine A7 sank with the loss of all hands in January 1914, probably as a result of a diving accident. All salvage attempts at the time failed so the submarine was left on the seabed in Whitsand Bay with her last crew still on board. The submarine was discovered by sports divers in 1981, but after unauthorised recoveries of items by divers the wreck was designated as a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. This prohibits all diving operations without licence from the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The A7 Project has now been granted a license to conduct a survey of the site, the first licence to visit an MOD Controlled site given to a civilian organisation. The site is a designated military maritime grave therefore it will be treated with the utmost respect.
The A7 Project is a non-intrusive underwater archaeological survey and recording exercise. Shipwrecks degrade over time so the A7 Project will record the condition of the wreck as it is today enabling the current condition and any further degradation to be assessed. The work on the site will include a comprehensive geophysical survey, a photographic and recording survey of the submarine hull and external fittings as well as measurement of the thickness of hull plates. The Project will also research the story of HMS/M A7 and her place in the development of early Royal Navy submarines. The story of this submarine is not well known so the A7 Project aims to raise awareness locally and nationally about her life, her loss and contribution to WW1 as a training boat for submarine crews. The reason why the A7 sank has never been confirmed so the Project will also investigate the possible cause of loss.
A key aspect of the project is the creation of a 3D virtual reality (VR) computer model of the submarine and wreck site, developed by the Human Interface Technologies Team at the University of Birmingham. This model will be used in all aspects of the project for training, hull recording, the investigation in to her loss and for public outreach about the project.
The work on site will be followed up by a public outreach programme with a series of public lectures and a display about the submarine in museums. Frequent reports about the work on the project will be posted on the SHIPS Project facebook page and a new web site has been set up for the A7 Project at shipsproject.org. The results of this work will be made available to heritage archives and related organisations.
Work on the A7 Project will start in June of this year and the final report is expected at the end of the year. The work on the submarine will be non-intrusive and no divers will enter the hull. The A7 Project is a component of the SHIPS Project, a wide ranging study of the shipwrecks around Plymouth, England.
The A7 Project partners and supporters includes:
- Plymouth University, School of Marine Science and Engineering
- Plymouth University, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
- University of Birmingham, School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- BAE Systems
- The Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness
- Nautical Archaeology Society, Lost Beneath the Waves Project
- Swathe Services Ltd.
- MSubs Limited.
- 3H Consulting Ltd.
- Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society
The SHIPS Project (Shipwrecks and History in Plymouth Sound) was started in 2009 to investigate the maritime history of Plymouth and its estuaries. The SHIPS Project is supporting a number of other sub-projects such as the investigation of R.N. frigate HMS Amethyst (1811), assisting with the museum acquisition of the documentary an material archive from the Catharina von Flensburg (1786) and a wide area marine geophysical survey of Plymouth Sound and its estuaries. Details of the SHIPS Project web site can be found at: https://shipsproject.org/.
The SHIPS Project and A7 Project are funded by ProMare, a US research foundation. Established in 2001 to promote marine research and exploration throughout the world, ProMare is a non-profit corporation and public charity. Their team of experienced archaeologists and marine professionals execute a variety of research projects all over the world, independently and with academic, corporate and governmental organizations that are designed to advance man’s knowledge of history and science. ProMare UK is an affiliate member of the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS).
More information and photographs see: shipsproject.org/A7Project/
Download the A7 Project Logo
Contact: Peter Holt, Director, the SHIPS Project
Email: pete@3Consulting.com
Web: shipsproject.org