**HMS Hawke Identified: World War I Shipwreck Found Off Scottish Coast**

A shipwreck located off the coast of Scotland has been confirmed as the British cruiser HMS Hawke, which was sunk by a torpedo during World War I, resulting in the tragic loss of over 500 crew members, according to U.K. military officials.

The wreck was discovered in August around 70 miles east of Fraserburgh, lying approximately 360 feet underwater. A dedicated team of volunteer divers uncovered the ship in a surprisingly preserved state, and subsequent analysis of video footage, photographs, and scans by Royal Navy experts verified the ship's identity.

HMS Hawke's ill-fated encounter occurred on October 15, 1914, when it was torpedoed by a German submarine, U-9, captained by the renowned Otto Weddigen. The attack led to the ship's explosion and rapid sinking within eight minutes, resulting in 524 fatalities and leaving only 70 survivors. This attack came on the heels of U-9's notorious sinking of three other Royal Navy cruisers in the previous month, which claimed the lives of over 1,450 sailors and Royal Marines.

The divers' meticulous search for HMS Hawke utilized historical data, including the war diary of U-9 and logs from nearby warships, alongside old North Sea charts to accurately locate the site. The team discovered well-preserved artifacts such as Royal Navy crockery, two substantial guns on both the bow and stern, as well as navigation equipment and an admiral's walkway around the stern.

In an earlier incident that had brought the HMS Hawke into the limelight, the warship had sustained damage in 1911 after a collision with RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the famed Titanic. By the onset of World War I, HMS Hawke had been assigned to enforce the naval blockade against Germany, patrolling waters between Scotland and Norway.

Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith expressed the Navy's deep appreciation for the volunteers' efforts in locating and identifying wrecks. She emphasized how these endeavors ensure the final resting places of many sailors are recognized and their sacrifices remembered.