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About 20M Down Off Selsey Bill in Sussex Lies an Impressive

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About 20M Down Off Selsey Bill in Sussex Lies an Impressive WRECKED! W N Site 30m x 25m o Scour S r t h E 5 Ton Blade upright ) Tank ‘A’ Bulldozer ‘A’ ( Spare LCT Scour propeller (almost upsidedown ) 4x4 wheels Winch (Front ) 4x4 vehicle LCT Remains LCT Ramp section Ramp section Blade on seabed Front 95mm Winch ( ) Ammunitions Tank ‘B’ ( lies at 45 o angle ) ‘ ’ Bulldozer ‘B’ Kedge 95mm Spare LCT Anchor Howitzer gun Scour propeller Debris Field Scour b sits on QFar left: An edible cra our miles southwest of Selsey Bill, off of Tank B the caterpillar tracks the Sussex coast, there is a simple igh TBelow: This 95mm h trace on the echo sounder that looks presents an explosive shell like a few rocks to the untrained eye. s sight on the seabed incongruou In fact it’s quite an unusual dive site. Here an unexpected collection of FCentaur Tanks and armoured Caterpillar Bulldozers lies along a north / south line in a shallow scour. Once the site has been located, it’s best to drop the shot in the middle to give access to all of the main features. One trick to help you stay on-site is to remember that the vehicles are in a 1-2m Tanks and deep scour and if you find yourself getting slightly shallower you are heading in the wrong direction. There are two Centaur CS Mk IV tanks, DEPTH: 18-22m two armoured D7 bulldozers, the VISIBILITY: 1-6+m remains of a 4x4 vehicle, a large anchor, two propellers, high explosive Bulldozers ammunition and other wreckage. Often shrouded by a large shoal of bib, the four main vehicles are about 5m About 20m down off Selsey Bill in Sussex lies an impressive collection apart so you should be able to see to the next vehicle in reasonable of armoured fighting vehicles. Advanced Divers Alison Mayor and conditions. It is relatively simple to navigate using the site plan. The two Martin Davies of Southsea SAC describe the site in words and pictures tanks lie in front of the two g 60 61 WRECKED! WRECKED! gbulldozers with the remains of the 4x4 car cog at the rear, which is typical of most 95mm Howitzer gun are clearly visible. To the east of the tank there is a random the easy way to remember this one is that or truck and 95mm tank ammunition just British tanks. As you swim round this tank, Looking more closely below the main gun is Tech spec area of metalwork, which may have formed the large bulldozer blade has fallen off and ahead of the tanks. look out for a spare propeller on the seabed the distinctive 30cm round plate that blanks part of the ramp assemblies that the tanks lies on the sea floor in front. The rest of the It should be easy to tell where you are by at the back of the tank on the left-hand side off what would have been a second Centaur CS Mk IV tank were secured to on their landing craft. ‘dozer is in good condition and like the looking at the vehicle characteristics and and also part of the 4x4 car axle near the machine gun port. It is possible to see inside Moving again clockwise and just a few other vehicles has a resident population of WEIGHT: 28 tonnes then it’s just a case of working your way front on the same side. Tank B where a hatch door has been metres behind both tanks are the two congers, crustaceans and fish. At the rear of TOP SPEED: 27mph round to see the others. The tanks and In front of Tank A, you will find more removed. This is where the driver would Caterpillar Armoured D7 Bulldozers. the bulldozers you will notice a drum- CREW: 5 bulldozers are labelled A and B on the plan parts of the 4x4 car – gearbox, engine, have entered and behind the turret you can, Bulldozer B lies on its right-hand side and shaped object: it is a large, fully wound g USE: 95mm Howitzer Gun capable of – let’s go clockwise round the site. battery and wheels as well as high explosive again, peer into the inner workings and firing High Explosive Anti-Tank shells at Tank A, you’ll notice, lies almost upside 95mm ammunition. Please do not be engine where the other four crew members targets 2500m away; BESA machine gun. down and has lost much of its caterpillar tempted to touch or interfere with the would have sat. Towards the back of Tank B, track. Two of the distinguishing features of ammunition shells. Heading clockwise you near the engine you will notice a large Armoured D7 Bulldozer the Centaur tanks are the large, short- will soon come across Tank B. kedge anchor with its stock tucked under WEIGHT: A standard Caterpillar D7 barrelled 95mm Howitzer gun and a round the tank and also another propeller partly Bulldozer weighs 23 tonnes. The D7 – metal plate at the front of the turret, Tanked-up buried in the gravel. Both were major clues one of a selection of specially adapted covering a BESA machine gun port. The Tank B is in very good condition, lying on its as to how these impressive armoured tanks designed to take part in assaults tank has five wheels each side with the drive side at a 45-degree angle. The turret and vehicles came to be here. on the beach defences in France, known as ‘Hobart’s Funnies’ – had added armour plating and a blade. CREW: 2 USE: to clear the D-Day beaches of obstructions and haul stricken craft and vehicles out of the way. VAbove left: Measuring a wheel on Tank B RAbove: Tank A lies upside down, but completely intact VLeft: A spider crab VAbove left: A view of attempts a frontal Tank A from the seabed assault on Tank B RAbove: Filming Operation Neptune Bulldozer B TLeft: A conger eel has made a home in Only 80 Centaur CS Mk IV tanks were trouble and had to turn back. She was explains why there is evidence of a Bulldozer B destined to be used in combat, modified taken under tow but in heavy seas the tow vessel – but no actual shipwreck. for use in Operation Overlord and given broke and the landing craft capsized Today only two other Centaurs to a specially created Royal Marines spilling its cargo and 50 men into the sea. remain – both are war memorials in Regiment – the RM Armoured Support All personnel were safely recovered but France, including one at the famous Group. They were to be in the first wave the LCT continued to float for some time Pegasus Bridge. Only one armoured D7 of the D-Day landings. Using Royal until it finally sank three miles away. This survived and it’s in a private collection. Naval gunnery techniques, they were to fire their 95mm Howitzer guns at enemy positions. Of the 80 Centaurs that set off as part of the invasion force, only a limited number made it inland on D-Day. It turns out that the tanks and bulldozers that are now on the seabed P H O were loaded on to a Tank Landing Craft T O : (LCT(A)2428) at Stokes Bay, Gosport, for C O U the Operation Neptune channel crossing R T E on 6 June 1944. They were due to take S Y O part in the D-Day assault on Juno beach F T A as part of the Canadian lead assault in N K Operation Overlord. Damaged by bad M U S weather LCT(A)2428 developed engine E U M 62 63 WRECKED! gwinch. There is also a metal object that looks like a packing crate on the seabed – The Knowledge this is part of a landing-craft ramp assembly. The final piece of wreckage on our tour, DEPTH RANGE: The site covers an area of ACCOMMODATION: Many local B&Bs Bulldozer A, is a magnificent machine. Lying about 30m by 25m and is 18-22m deep. are available in the Bracklesham and on its left hand side, its impressive five tonne VISIBILITY: Anything to 6m+ on a good Selsey area. There is camping and blade stands almost 3m high pointing up day. A torch is recommended. caravanning at Southsea towards the surface and is supported by HAZARDS: The 95mm ammunition (www.southsealeisurepark.com) and two powerful hydraulic rams. This bulldozer contains a mixture of nitro-glycerine and Selsey (www.warnerfarm.co.uk). is in excellent condition and part of the amatol and may be unstable. EATS AND TREATS: There are local engine cover is open so you can see into the FINDING THE WRECK: The site is four shops at Bracklesham, East Wittering engine bay at the engine. There is a small miles south-west of Selsey Bill at GPS and Selsey. On your way back to opening into the driver’s cab which you can position 050 38.540N 000 51.586W Eastney slipway you could stop at the just about get your head into and shine a (WGS84) Ferry Boat Inn next to the Hayling torch inside to see the controls – watch out TIDAL INFORMATION: Slack water is 90 Island slipway for a pie and pint. There for the resident congers. Just by the blade minutes before HW Portsmouth and 45 is always a burger van at Eastney near at the front you can see another part of minutes before LW Portsmouth. There is the Lifeboat station and a great Indian the tank landing craft ramp assembly.
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