Rammed by her own sister ship in fog, the 6,010-ton ironclad battleship sank with no loss of life -- and her captain never commanded a vessel again. On 1 September 1875, HMS Vanguard was en route from Dublin to Queenstown when HMS Iron Duke's underwater ram tore open her hull near the boilers. She went down in about 70 minutes. Rediscovered in 1985, the wreck is remarkably intact at 45-50 metres, tilted to starboard, rising approximately 16 metres from the seabed. The gun battery is the highest point. A spare iron propeller sits on deck. The layout can be deceptive -- divers report it is easy to unintentionally end up inside the hull. Protected under the National Monuments Act; a licence from the National Monuments Service is required. Fifteen miles southeast of Dun Laoghaire.
On 1 September 1875, HMS Vanguard was travelling from Dublin (Kingstown) to Queenstown with three other battleships of the First Reserve Squadron when dense fog descended. HMS Iron Duke, sailing in formation, collided with Vanguard. Iron Duke's underwater ram tore open Vanguard's hull near the boilers, causing rapid flooding. Despite efforts to save the ship, she sank within approximately 70 minutes. All crew were safely transferred to the other vessels. Captain Richard Dawkins was court-martialled but acquitted, though he never commanded another vessel at sea.
HMS Vanguard is a warship wreck located off Dublin, Ireland at a depth of 50 metres. The vessel was lost due to Collision (rammed by sister ship) in 1875. The wreck is diveable.
HMS Vanguard lies at 32 to 50 metres depth, ~15 miles SE of Dun Laoghaire, off Wicklow coast.
HMS Vanguard was lost due to Collision (rammed by sister ship) on 1 September 1875, off Dublin, Ireland. 0 people lost their lives.
Diving the HMS Vanguard is rated technical and is requires technical diving qualifications including decompression procedures.
The best months to dive HMS Vanguard are May, June, July, August, September. Water temperature ranges from 7°C in winter to 15°C in summer.
HMS Vanguard is accessed by boat from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland.
| Month | Temp | Visibility | Access | Marine life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.0°C | 3.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Feb | 7.5°C | 3.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Mar | 8.0°C | 4.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Apr | 9.5°C | 5.0m | marginal | Moderate — season starting/ending |
| May | 11.0°C | 7.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, crabs, anemones |
| Jun | 12.5°C | 8.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, crabs, anemones |
| Jul | 14.0°C | 9.0m | good | Peak — seals, large shoals, nudibranchs, conger eels |
| Aug | 15.0°C | 9.0m | good | Peak — seals, large shoals, nudibranchs, conger eels |
| Sep | 14.0°C | 8.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, crabs, anemones |
| Oct | 12.0°C | 5.0m | marginal | Good — wrasse, pollock, crabs, anemones |
| Nov | 10.0°C | 4.0m | marginal | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Dec | 8.5°C | 3.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
6 evidence records from 4 sources.
Seabed at ~45m; wreck rises ~15m. Shallower sections accessible to experienced air divers.
Wreck lies on sand and shale seabed tilted to starboard. Bow to stern on N-S transit. Rises ~16m. Gun battery, spare propeller on deck. Misleading layout — easy to end up inside hull.
Remarkably intact. Tilted over towards starboard side. Rises ~15m from seabed. Gun battery visible. Spare iron propeller on deck.
Rammed by sister ship HMS Iron Duke in fog on 1 September 1875. Underwater ram tore hull near boilers. Sank within ~70 minutes. All crew saved.
Rammed by HMS Iron Duke in fog on 1 September 1875 en route Dublin to Queenstown. No crew lost.
Protected under Irish National Monument Act. Licence from National Monuments Service required to dive.
~15 miles SE of Dun Laoghaire, off Wicklow coast