WWI Shipwreck Discovery Unlocks Secrets of 107-Year-Old Maritime Enigma

Scientists could not control their excitement as they located a World War I vessel—the SS Tobol—off the northeast coast of Scotland, solving a 107-year-old maritime mystery. Toby Gane, marine and coastal cultural heritage and archaeology lead for WSP, told CBS News , "It's incredible that—more than a century on—we finally had a sense of where the SS Tobol likely went down, thanks to MarramWind."

The SS Cheltenham, now known as the SS Tobol, was a Russian ship popular for its turret deck design used in steam cargo ships. The ship had been missing for over 100 years after it was attacked by a German U-boat in September 1917 while traveling from England to Russia. However, MarramWind found many shipwrecks through sonar technology during its 3GW wind farm survey.

Knewz.com noted that the shipwreck had been found in a 250-meter exclusion zone. It measured 100 meters long, 22.5 meters wide, and 10.5 meters high and appeared to be in good condition. Colin Anderson, Development Manager for MarramWind , said, "This really was an extraordinary find, given that our seabed surveys—which gave us vital information about seabed conditions and what that meant for the development of MarramWind—covered a distance of around 6,000 miles."

He added, "It had a fascinating story, and it would have been amazing if we could have found out more about the fate of the people on board, as online information suggested there were some survivors—although this had not been verified."

The WWI cruiser was originally built as the SS Cheltenham in Sunderland and served a British steamer company. Later, in 1904, the Russian troops seized it, and it became a crucial part of the Russian Imperial Navy, getting the name SS Tobol after the Tobol River. The discovery provided a valuable glimpse into early 20th-century naval design.

The finding did not just solve a long-lost mystery but also provided an opportunity to learn more about the ship and honor the crew members. Anderson opined, "However, we also needed to be mindful that the wreck could be the final resting place for crew members, so hopefully our find would provide closure and comfort for their families and descendants."

Besides the SS Tobol, MarramWind also discovered another wreck believed to be a WWI ship named HMS Hawke. The 387-foot (118-meter) long and 60-foot (18-meter) wide Edgar-class protected cruiser was launched in 1891. However, in 1911, the ship was damaged in a crash with the RMS Olympic, and during WWI, it helped the 10th Cruiser Squadron against German attacks. On October 15, 1914, while patrolling off the coast of Aberdeen, the ship was hit by a torpedo from the German submarine U-9.

Found on August 12, 2024, the wreck served as the resting place of 524 sailors, located 360 feet (110 meters) below the North Sea surface. Diver Steve Mortimer told the BBC , "There was a wonderful captain's walkway around the back of the stern. There were loads of guns because she was a warship. There was lots of Royal Navy crockery. It was fascinating." He further added, "You could look into the portholes and see rooms with artifacts—teacups, bowls, and plates—just there on the floor. It was a really remarkable time capsule."