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Southsea Sub-Aqua Club :: BSAC 009
Divers aim to solve D-Day tanks mystery

A team of divers from Southsea Sub-Aqua Club will try to solve the mystery of how 2 tanks, 2 bulldozers and a field gun, believed to be linked to D Day, came to rest on the sea bed 8 miles offshore in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex.

The historic WW2 armoured vehicles and gun lie jumbled up on the sea bed at a depth of 20m but there is no known associated shipwreck nearby. The divers plan to spend 5 days surveying the site and will attempt to establish how the equipment came to rest on the sea bed.

Information gathered on an initial dive has revealed, to everyone’s surprise, that the Tanks are likely to be Centaur CS IV tanks a limited number of which were exclusively assigned to the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group for Operation Overlord. A total of 80 Centaurs were to be used on D Day but only a small number actually made it across the English Channel and landed on the Normandy beaches. One Centaur tank now stands as a war memorial at the famous Pegasus Bridge in Normandy. The bulldozers are also believed to be very unusual, in that they were specially armoured Caterpillar bulldozers, one of a series of modifications to different types of war equipment known as Hobart’s “Funnies”. This type of bulldozer was used by the 79th Armoured Division of the British Army. Little is known about the modifications made and there are no known surviving bulldozers of this type.

So how did these war machines end up at the bottom of the sea? The local theory is that the vehicles were lost from a bridge section of one of the artificial (Mulberry) harbours, though it is now believed by the diving team that it is more likely that they were lost from the deck of a Landing Craft Tank (LCT). In rehearsals for D Day, known as ‘Exercise Fabius III’, a number of vessels carrying British and Canadian troops and equipment came under attack by German E boats in Bracklesham Bay which may have resulted in the loss of the tanks. Alternatively, the military vehicles may have been lost in rough seas on the crossing to Normandy for the D Day landings on 6th June 1944. The diving team hope to establish exactly what happened.

The project, which is being lead by Alison Mayor, has the approval of the Ministry of Defence and will start on 26 July. Teams of 12 divers will be taking measurements, photographs and video of the site to record the location, orientation and condition of the military vehicles and will also conduct a survey of the marine life which has made its home on the wrecks.

“It’s a real puzzle how the tanks and bulldozers came to rest so far offshore when there is no shipwreck nearby. These war machines are of significant historical interest and we hope to find the clues that will help solve the mystery of how and when they sank below the waves.”

Photos: (Left) Diver inspects tank wheel sprocket (Martin Davies) - (Right) D-Day Centaur Tank (Courtesy Bovington Tank Museum)

The project has received a grant from the British Sub-Aqua Jubilee Trust and is supported by Silent Planet Ltd, Portland. The Tank Museum at Bovington, has provided assistance in the identification of the wrecks.

Any information or comments about D Day activities in the Bracklesham Bay area or to find out more about Southsea Sub-Aqua Club visit the club web site This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or please write to Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, Fort Widley, Portsdown Hill Road, Portsmouth PO6 3LS.

Related Links:

BSAC Press-Room: LINK

Portmouth News: LINK

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 21 July 2008 20:18 )
 
Photographic Success For SSAC Diving Officer Martin Davies

Club D/O Martin Davies has scooped the ‘Best Submarine image’ award at the Fotosub 4 international photographic competition in Gran Canaria.

 

 

Martin was selected by the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) to represent Britain for the third time in the annual competition. World class photographers from the Canary Islands, Spain, Germany, France and Italy take part in the competition which is held over 2 days and aims to produce high quality images which are then judged by a panel of experts. Martin came 10th overall in the competition.

Congratulations to Martin.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 June 2008 20:37 )
 
About

Welcome to Southsea Sub Aqua Club's web site, the online home of one of the most active diving clubs on the South Coast.

Southsea Sub Aqua Club's main aim is to provide facilities and an environment that encourages people to go diving.

We are also a BSAC branch. This allows us to offer training courses free of charge to BSAC members. It is not obligatory to join BSAC but most members do as the benefits are convenient and inexpensive. BSAC membership includes third party insurance and eligibility for BSAC's self certification medical scheme.

We run on a non-profit basis. No one gets paid, not even the bar staff! We are dependant on the volunteer efforts and good will of our membership.

Within the club you'll find all manner of divers, from all levels of sport divers to a couple of Trimix divers, through to our newest members learning to dive in the pool.

The Club enjoys a rich and varied social calendar. Having our own Club House, with a well-stocked bar, allows us to hold social evenings at the Club. Events such as partys, film nights and charity events are regularly held throughout the year.

New Members Guide:

 

Last Updated ( Sunday, 17 February 2008 18:22 )
 
Spinnaker Tower => Fort Widley Club House Sponsored Walk

On Saturday February 2nd, 2008 members of SSAC braved icy weather to walk from the top of the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth to their Portsdown Hill Clubhouse in Fort Widley in SCUBA gear.

The 5.3-mile walk raised money for Cancer Research UK, The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign and the RNLI.

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 11 February 2008 22:19 )
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