Wreck of Royal Navy warship HMS Tiger found off Isle of Wight after 118 years

A Royal Navy ship that sank 118 years ago with the loss of more than half its crew has been found off the Isle of Wight.

HMS Tiger was sliced in two when it strayed into the path of another vessel during a night training exercise in 1908.

The ship, a torpedo boat destroyer, had no time to take emergency action to avoid the cruiser HMS Berwick.

Divers and historians from the ProjectXplore found it after five years of combing through archives to pinpoint its location.

Fewer than half the 57 crew survived the accident.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said the disaster was front page news at the time, with King Edward VII sending a telegram of sympathy and commemorative postcards produced.

Leo Fielding and Dan McMullen, co-organisers of ProjectXplore, said it had been the "privilege of a lifetime to research" to find and document HMS Tiger's final resting place.

"We sincerely hope that our work will ensure that HMS Tiger, her story and the memory of those connected with her endure for future generations," a statement said.

News of HMS Tiger's discovery comes a few days after a diver found remains of a Roman ship - more than 2,000 years old - laden with cargo off the coast of Sicily.

A new law governing military shipwrecks is currently in the works in the UK.

The new Armed Forces Bill would designate military wrecks a "protected place" and bolster protections that currently only cover vessels lost within the last 200 years.

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Royal Navy deputy fleet wreck officer Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith said it was vital to protect them for future generations.

"Divers are still able to visit these sites and witness history first hand, which is key to ensuring that these ships and their crews are not forgotten," she added.

"All we ask of divers is this - enjoy looking, learning and paying your respects at these incredible sites, but do so in a manner that does not disturb them."

(c) Sky News 2026: Wreck of Royal Navy warship HMS Tiger found off Isle of Wight after 118 years