World War I Battleship

This battleship is one of the six vessels belonging to the Duncan class, which were commissioned at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was officially put into service on 19 February 1903, boasting a length of 132 metres, a width of 8 metres, and a height of 23 metres. Powered by 24 steam boilers, it could reach a speed of 19 knots. The armament of HMS Russell included four 305mm guns, twelve 152mm guns, four 450mm torpedo tubes, ten 76mm guns, six 47mm guns, and two machine guns. The crew consisted of 720 personnel.

Throughout its service, HMS Russell was assigned to various fleets, including the Home Fleet, Channel Fleet, and Atlantic Fleet. On 30 July 1909, it joined the Mediterranean Fleet and was initially based in Malta, later relocating to Gibraltar. From September 1913, it served in a battleship squadron of the Second Fleet. With the outbreak of World War I, it became part of the Third Battle Squadron stationed at Scapa Flow from 8 August 1914. During this time, it participated in numerous missions and battles.

From the end of 1915 to January 1916, HMS Russell played a role in the Dardanelles Campaign before continuing its service in the Mediterranean Sea. Tragically, on 27 April 1916, while awaiting an opportunity to enter the Grand Harbour of Malta, it was struck by two naval mines fired by the German submarine U73. The explosion caused a fire in the stern, resulting in the explosion of one of the 305mm cannons, and the battleship began to slowly sink. Sadly, 98 crew members lost their lives in the incident. The wreck of HMS Russell now rests at a depth of 115 metres near the St. Elmo Fort, approximately four miles from the shore. The wreck was discovered in July 2003, lying upside down with the stern missing, likely due to the damage caused by the explosives. It is believed that most of the weapons are located near the wreck of the Russell.

Warnings:

• Delicate and protected marine flora
• War Grave
• Unexploded Ordnance

Difficulty level: Trimix > 100 m

Max depth: 115 m