HMS Charybdis HMS Limbourne wreck Reports and findings by Leigh Bishop
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'HMS Charybdis'
The following text reports on the condition of the wreck of HMS Charybdis following an expedition to the site from the 9th to the 13th of June 2001. The all-British expedition to the wreck was led by London based Keith Morris and included 6 other specialised technical divers. The divers were experienced mixed gas divers and took the opportunity to explore the wreck and take notes with the very latest in technological advances in open circuit scuba. These particular following notes by observation and deep close up photography were complied by team member Leigh Bishop during the dives undertaken on the wreck during the above-mentioned expedition.
~It must be said that to date the divers mentioned above were unable to take a full and complete analysis of the site due to the limited time available during the expedition. Therefore these are most up to date facts as the present time allows. These notes are complied also from my questioning of other divers immediately on their arrival at the surface.

Quite clearly taking in the circumstances of loses the wreck of 'HMS Charybdis' today remains on the seabed of the English Channel in remarkable condition. Other than extensive damage to the forward Starboard Hull and a small break aft of her second and aftermost mast her main superstructure shape remains intact and readily recognisable. Swimming across the wreck site reveals numerous objects of interest and significant importance. The wreck lies across the tide north to south with her bow at the far northern end of the site, she is completely over to her port side in position 49º00'42N / 003º35'95W over a gravel seabed at a depth of 83meters of seawater. The very bow tip appears intact and her starboard admiralty anchor can clearly be seen still housed within its hawser, as it would have obviously been when in action at the time of lose. From here and only a few meters aft of the anchor the wreck shows obvious damage, damage which is mainly located to the starboard hull forward of the bridge location. Swimming towards the stern across such wreckage becomes confusing at first and guides the diver to deeper and broken open sections of the wreck were a variety of internal fittings could be seen. For example it is within this area that toilets complete and intact can be seen within the wreck although broken free from their original fixings. All manor of electrical fittings can be seen including switchboxes and fuse boards much with heavy electrical cable loose and else ware tangled. Not to mention pipefittings flanges heavy structural framework etc. Again within the same area noted are numerous heavy-duty portholes complete with deadlights, which all appear securely fixed shut and bolted at their dogs. The damaged area here extends perhaps as much as 15-18 meters in length although does not appear as deep into the keel line with remaining hull still intact to a small degree over to the starboard seabed.

Swimming along the seabed from the anchor one is immediately met by the remains of (but only small) sections of safety rail that would have conformed the very bow rail. As the diver swims aft approx 6m the rail disappears within the seabed wreckage as well as under the port hull. Quite possibly the reason it is readily recognisable at the very bow is the fact that the hull under the port side draws upward to the bow tip. Looking up the bow foredeck itself looks intact and from my observations possibly wooded clad? One is then immediately confronted by the first gun, what would have been the very foredeck double 4.5-inch gun turret. The turret itself has fallen from its mount due to its own weight thus resting on the seabed although both gun barrels now point out towards the port seabed. Neither rest on the seabed itself. From here to the bridge the wreck once again becomes a little confusing in that a degree of collapse and debris that forms part of the starboard hull damage has infact spread across the deck. Basically I believe the deck here has damage which in turn peters out to the starboard damage down and thus to seabed level. It is here that the second gun will be located again with gun barrels intact. Having said that the wreck once again picks up rapidly before the bridge is confronted. The bridge still remains fairly intact mainly due to its original built strength and structure design and lies within its boxed shape. The diver here is forced to swim out further across the port seabed, which the bridge now lies across. There is no space under the bridge, which lies totally to the gravel seabed level. At the very front several sections of plate appear to have fallen free perhaps from what looks like corrosion although the main superstructure framework has certainly worn well and remains steadily intact. The starboard side of the bridge does however appear slumped again perhaps due to its own weight. From the immediate bow to the front of the bridge no such bell became obvious although was searched for to a small degree. Continuing along the port seabed the diver is then confronted by a large spotting light approx 4-5 ft across in diameter which has almost certainly fallen from its mounting Gimble which lies directly behind and attached to the main wreckage. Running out across the port seabed here lays the main mast framework and becomes obvious with a small ladder running the length of it.

The mast disappears into the darkness and was not followed completely). Above here as the diver works their way up and across the wreckage several notable fuse boxes are obvious as is a section of wreckage displaying a tiled flooring arrangement? Above here and again at a higher but shallower depth of the wreck at least two water tight doors become apparent. Above here still further is what looks to be a small launch craft prop and shaft? To its immediate right and swimming aft the diver is confronted by a large amount of shell cases. Infact shell cases can be seen in a variety of locations around the wreck as would be expected. Swimming on from the mast aft towards the stern is what is believed to be a pompom gun, which now lies to the port side seabed. A short swim aft of amidships the wreck becomes broken quite possibly as a result of seabed impact? However having said this neither stern or bow show any such signs of seabed impact damage as such. Mr Ovenden's side scan observations clearly show this break and taking into consideration neither end shows impact damage this break in the back of the wreck could possibly been a result of attack on what could only be described as the prominently weak design point of the wreck. Only further investigation would reveal such suggestions. Again her stern mast can be seen clearly lying across the seabed out to port with a small ladder running along the aftermost side. As previously described there was no obvious damage to the very stern. At first this section of the wreck was confusing, as the stern itself came to an immediate point not unlike that of the very bow tip itself. On this occasion the props were not inspected. Neither funnel was seen quite possibly collapsed in the flood tide not long after sinking and thus dispersed due to the thin construction.
Leigh Bishop June 2001

HMS Limbourne wreck Reports and findings 2002

By the end of the expedition we had built up from both diving and video communication the exact layout of the vessel. From the sonar side scan images created by Ovenden & Haslam it appeared that a section of wreck lie a distance away from the remaining hull. We had determined that both bow and stern were indefinitely missing from the main midships and in theory the bow must lie elsewhere blown off by the Germans. As I described earlier we had already investigated a stern section of wreck, which must explain the section that lie a distance away, we had to find out. Chris Hutchison made it his mission to do so and would film as he went. From information taken from the side scan images he therefore set out alone on a bearing of 210º from a predetermined point on the wreck swimming out along the seabed at a depth of 83m in search of the missing wreckage.

His film shows a seabed littered with shell cases as he makes his way into the darkness. Ovenden & Haslam's bearing information was accurate and soon the missing section looms out of the darkness to confront Chris with the stern section of Limbourne and that 3 bladed offset prop and typical counter stern he Parker & Bullen had seen on that first initial check out dive. This broken away stern section was only small in comparison to the remaining wreckage and lies parallel to it, her intact 4inch twin gun turret barrels facing west. Of the remaining main section the divers filmed and photographed a war ship of what once was, her twin torpedo-launching turret remains intact with torpedoes still inside.

This entire platform sited on top of the midships once rotated either port or starboard to launch torpedos from high above the water line, we found her housed in her home position. Beyond here towards the bow a Quadruple 2pdr anti aircraft gun system with a stack of ready ammunition by its side made a somewhat Truk lagoon atmosphere to the whole affair. This gun commonly known as a 'pom pom' gun had a rate of fire of up to 115 rounds per minute, firing a 40mm round to a maximum ceiling of 13,000ft. Both sections of Limbourne we examined lay across the tide with her bow facing west-northwest some 280º only five miles from Charybdis and considerably close to the 'Les Sept Isles'. Her position will hopefully remain undisclosed for a good number of years to come leaving her to once again rest in peace.

Leigh Bishop July 2002