A week diving the long lost wreck of the HMS Hermes, a British aircraft carrier sunk in early 1942 by Japanese dive bombers, some 20 miles off Batticaloa, Sri Lanka (above in her glory years in the 30s - much of her time being spent in Hong Kong - and in her final death throws after multiple bomb strikes). This truly historic wreck was the world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier (laid down at the end of World War I). But old, under-armoured, with just a dozen biplanes (which were anyway on land when she was caught by the same Japanese carrier force that struck Pearl Harbour and was lost at Midway) and a small complement of guns (several of which are still clearly visible, pointing desperately skywards) she was not well suited to the new way of war.
She lies on her port side at some 53 metres. This was one of the first ever technical diving trips to her (trimix doubles with about 50% helium, and two deco tanks - 50% oxygen and 100% for accelerated decompression). Dive profile of 30-35 minutes on the wreck and about 40 minutes of decompression. Here we are decompressing in the photos below - that's me at top left and also at the right end of the line at bottom right.
Conditions were tough (no real diving infrastructure or boats, blazing sun, strong currents down to 30 metres, low - gunky - visibility on the wreck) and photography was likewise challenging. Below from top left clockwise are, one of the side guns dislodged with pin mount showing, the crows nest which now lies in the sand, a tornado of fish (at times it was tough to see the wreck for the fish life), and the main bridge, crushed up against the hull.
And below (clockwise), inside the bridge superstructure, another side gun, an ammunition cupboard with sheels inside and on the deck and the enormous propeller, covered in fish.
We also did a couple of very different, very relaxing nitrox dives on two enormous beaten up wrecks (in the surf zone) in some 10 metres, quite close to shore. Huge wrecks. One may be a warship given the shape? Inside, they teem with life. The massive boilers are still intact and thus the local name - the "boiler wrecks". One of the camshafts against a fading sun. And testiment to the awful damage that Batticaloa suffered at the hands of the Asian Tsunami, a subsided temple.
Journey back was on the train to Colombo. A wonderful and exhausting trip to a beautiful virgin wreck. These photos are dedicated to the more than 300 men who went down with her.
A fuller set of photos at my short version Hermes album
And for those really interested the complete set is at the full version Hermes album.
And for those really interested the complete set is at the full version Hermes album.
