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HMS Colossus in 2004-5

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HMS Colossus in 2004-5 HHMMSS Colossus CCIISSMMAASS DDEEBBRRIISS FFIIEELLDD SSUURRVVEEYY 22000055 KEVIN CAMIDGE WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY JANET WITHERIDGE ROBIN WITHERIDGE Acknowledgements I would like to thank everyone involved with this project for the time and effort, so freely given, which has made the project possible. Many of the individuals concerned have given up significant amounts of their annual leave and spare time to take part. The whole project has been carried out by volunteers; no one has received any payment for their contribution. The following all deserve special mention: LHI for providing a grant towards the project. St Andrews University (Martin Dean and Dr Richard Bates), who generously loaned CISMAS their caesium vapour magnetometer for the geophysical survey. Otter Watersports for providing the team members with dive suits at a very favourable price. Wessex Archaeology, in particular Graham Scott and Jen Black, for assistance and information concerning their work on the Colossus designated site assessment carried out by them in 2004. Todd Stevens, for providing a list of artefacts he recovered from the site. Terry Hiron, for providing a list of artefacts he and others recovered from the site. Nigel Boston, who generously loaned CISMAS his Imagenix sidescan sonar for the 2005 geophysical survey. All the members of CISMAS, but especially the following: Brendon Rowe, the treasurer of CISMAS who has organised much of the logistics of the project as well as taking part in all stages of the survey. I owe him a debt of gratitude for taking from my shoulders much of the burden of organising the project. Robin and Janet Witheridge, who took part in the 2004 survey and spent many weekends this year undertaking the documentary research. David McBride, who allowed CISMAS to use his boat for the geophysical survey in April 2005. Geoff Fuller, the chairman of CISMAS who has given much advice and support. CISMAS Colossus Debris Field Survey 2005 Page 3 3H Consulting, Peter Holt, who provided a copy of Site Recorder and Site Searcher as well as giving up a week of his valuable time to help with the 2005 geophysical survey. CISMAS members Sharon Austin, Helen Butcher, John Macken, Kerry McFarland, David McBride, Naya Markoulaki, Lisa Martin, Adam Partington, Luke Randall, Phil Rees and Honor Thorley all gave generously of their time and expertise. Conducting circular searches of often barren seabed in variable weather conditions is not high on most divers list of holiday activities. That some of the CISMAS divers did this cheerfully for weeks on end is a testament to their dedication. Thanks are due to the following for assistance: Nick Keighley, Angela Baxter, Sean Lewis, Micheal Tangye, Richard & Bridget Larn and the team at English Heritage maritime, especially Jessica Ransley. If I have missed anyone out it is not through a lack of gratitude, simply that so many have helped over the course of the project that it is difficult to remember all of them. This project has been facilitated by a grant from LHI which is a partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund, Nationwide Building Society and the Countryside Agency. CISMAS Colossus Debris Field Survey 2005 Page 4 Summary The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society undertook an investigation of the debris field associated with the wreck of HMS Colossus in 2004-5. This project was made possible by a grant from the Local Heritage Initiative. In September 2004 two weeks were spent investigating the Colossus debris field. Poor weather conditions resulted in only 27 targets being investigated. A number of items of Colossus debris were located. A geophysical survey of the site was undertaken in April 2005. A caesium vapour magnetometer, sidescan sonar and bathymetric survey were all undertaken. The Site Searcher geophysical survey software from 3H consulting was generously provided by Peter Holt. The final two weeks debris field survey was undertaken in September 2005. Good weather conditions enabled 65 seabed searches to be made. An area of almost 80,000 square metres of seabed was searched. A survey of the guns on the Garrison was undertaken to establish which guns could have been salvaged from the wreck of Colossus. Similarly, a survey was made of a carved timber in Valhalla, Tresco, which is alleged to be the stern board of Colossus. The research into the documentary history of HMS Colossus was undertaken by Janet and Robin Witheridge. As a result of this work we now know where Colossus was for almost all of her eleven year lifespan. CISMAS Colossus Debris Field Survey 2005 Page 5 Contents Acknowledgements ...............................................................................3 Summary ............................................................................................5 Figures ...............................................................................................8 Project Background...............................................................................9 Introduction .................................................................................................9 The Site.......................................................................................................9 The Ship .................................................................................................... 10 Previous Reports ......................................................................................... 11 Geophysical Survey 2005..................................................................... 12 Introduction ............................................................................................... 12 Methodology............................................................................................... 13 Magnetometer Survey.................................................................................. 15 Sidescan Sonar Survey ................................................................................ 21 Bathymetric Survey ..................................................................................... 23 The Debris Field Survey....................................................................... 24 The Wrecking ............................................................................................. 24 Anchorage............................................................................................... 25 First Grounding ........................................................................................ 26 Final Grounding ....................................................................................... 27 Methods..................................................................................................... 28 Search results............................................................................................. 29 The Debris Field Distribution ......................................................................... 33 The Guns ................................................................................................... 35 The Colossus Guns ................................................................................... 35 What Remains on the Seabed? ................................................................... 35 The Morris Guns....................................................................................... 36 Gun Carriages.......................................................................................... 39 Gun Attitudes .......................................................................................... 39 Material Recovered by Others........................................................................ 39 The Gun Carriage ........................................................................................ 40 The Stern Board ................................................................................. 42 The Garrison Guns.............................................................................. 43 Which guns are from Colossus? ..................................................................... 43 Garrison Gun Survey ................................................................................... 44 Conclusions ....................................................................................... 52 Documentary History – Janet & Robin Witheridge .................................... 54 Introduction ............................................................................................... 54 Background ................................................................................................ 55 Service History ........................................................................................... 56 Gaps in the Record ................................................................................... 57 Service Highlights .................................................................................... 58 Commentary .............................................................................................. 61 The Shipwreck .............................................................................................. 66 Cargo ..................................................................................................... 68 Anchors .................................................................................................. 68 Cables .................................................................................................... 68 The State of the Vessel ...............................................................................
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