• Isle of Wight's sunken World War II tanks studied

    BBC News




    Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology is looking at how land legislation can be applied to the sea.

    The charity is working together with Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, which discovered the crafts in 2008, to investigate and chart the site.

    Victoria Millership, from the trust, said it was not just ancient wrecks such as the Mary Rose that should be protected.

    "The nature of seawater and the underwater environment preserves a lot more material than is often available on land and the things that are under water are often in a better state of preservation."

    The Mark V landing craft tank (LCT) 2428 set off for Normandy on the evening of 5 June 1944 but developed engine trouble in the Channel and was taken under tow by the rescue tug HMS Jaunty.

    On its way back to Portsmouth the landing craft capsized and lost its cargo.

    HMS Jaunty fired upon the upturned hull until it sank to make sure it did not cause an obstruction. None of the crew were lost.

    Full story...