During the four years of the Great War, German U-boats were particularly successful in destroying both naval and merchant vessels. Many lives were lost and essential supply lines for food, fuel, munitions and servicemen were severely impaired. The English Channel is now the resting place of more than 750 First World War wrecks.

Today, as divers, we are allowed a respectful glimpse into the past, the chance to view at first hand the decaying steel monuments to a dreadful conflict. Newhaven in Sussex is just one of the regions of the South Coast that offers easy access to these wrecks, many of which deserve a second or third visit.

The Fortuna
Sank nine miles southwest of Beachy Head on 22 October 1916
50º 41' 38”N
000º 02' 16”W

The ship
The Fortuna was a 76m-long steel steamship built in 1913 by NV Werf Rijkee & Company of Amsterdam. The ship had a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine and a single boiler, which produced 150hp. While on a voyage from Rotterdam to Cardiff with a cargo of cement, the Fortuna became a victim of submarine UC-60. The ship was sunk by one of the submarine's mines and its entire crew of 15 was lost in the disaster.

The dive
It is possible to explore the entire length of the ship, although it's a long swim. Perhaps a better plan is to concentrate on a smaller section of the wreck. The stern region is an area of considerable interest. It is here that the German submarine's mine caused the most damage to the Fortuna. Numerous apertures punctuate the ship's hold and no doubt many divers will be tempted inside.

We visited this wreck in late May, with the water a cool 12ºC and visibility only 3m. Our shot-line led straight into the forward hold. Clipping a distance line to the main shot, our group followed the outline of the hull from outside the vessel. Dropping onto the sea bed at 34m, we finned past several mature scallops, that were partially hidden by the fine sand, until we arrived at the bow, which towered above us.

We pulled on the distance line, trying to make sure it didn't snag on anything beneath us. Slowly, we ascended and examined the anchor machinery, which was festooned with deadmen's fingers. I witnessed the awesome sight of a shoal of pouting engulfing the divers ahead, and then slowly finned on past the midships region and holds.

Back on board our charter boat, I compared notes with colleagues who had dived other parts of the wreck. Some had found Dutch beer bottles lying loose on the floor of the wheelhouse, while others had sighted intact portholes. Deep down in the ship's hold we found the bags of cement that made up the Fortuna's cargo.

Lancer II
Sank 3.2 miles southwest of Newhaven on 18 July 1918
50º 44' 10”N
000º 01' 09”E

The ship
Built in 1914 by Smiths Dock Co of Hull, the Lancer II was originally a steel fishing trawler. The three-cylinder triple-expansion engine produced 65hp using a single boiler. The Lancer II was owned by the Royal Navy and equipped with one 6lb gun.

It was 2.20am when the yacht HM Vagrant sailing without lights, ran into the Lancer II. The impact made a hole in the Lancer and she immediately started to take in water. The Vagrant made a vain attempt to tow her, but the Lancer's fate was sealed.

The dive
We completed two dives on the Lancer II. One was in early July when the visibility was unseasonably poor at 2m, and another was in late August when visibility easily exceeded 8m, so it is worth persevering. It is an incredible dive and the wreck still looks very ship-like. Some of the dive guide books for the region incorrectly state that the Lancer rests upside down. In fact, the vessel stands upright - the bow is its tallest feature - and is surprisingly intact, helped by its depth being at 27m.

Its 30m length is easily explored. Starting at the bow, the interior can be safely penetrated. Inside, the fish life exceeded our expectations, creating a marvellous, moving spectacle. Numerous small windows and hatchways allowed the muted daylight to enter what would otherwise have been a black crypt. The whole dive could have been spent photographing this section of the wreck alone.

Moving from the forward section towards the midships region, we passed the ship's winch, which still looked operational. Cloaked in deadmen's fingers, this heavy machinery took on a softer appearance. Still heading for the stern, we found a lobster hiding among the steel debris. Further on was the boiler. The water was a comfortable 19ºC, and it was the penalty of depth and time rather than the cold that forced our slow return to the surface some 37 minutes later.

The Mira
Sank four miles southwest of Beachy Head on 11 October 1917
50º 41' 11”N
000º 08' 24”E

The ship
Built by the CS Swan Hunter Company of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1901 and owned by the Mira SS Company, this steel tanker was on a voyage from Port Arthur, Texas, to Dover carrying a cargo of oil. The ship was 105m long and had a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine and two boilers. After leaving Texas, the Mira joined a convoy from Norfolk, Virginia, to cross the Atlantic. The fleet of steamers was in the charge of the merchant cruiser Bostonian and protected by destroyers.

Having lost the Bostonian to a submarine on the previous day, just after midday on 11 October there was a massive explosion on Mira's starboard side, forward of the bridge. The ship was holed and sinking. Other ships from the convoy came to her rescue, but she eventually sank. German records later revealed that The Mira was destroyed by a mine laid by the submarine UC-50.

The dive
We dived the wreck of the Mira in late May, when visibility was only 3m and the water temperature a cool 12ºC. Our shot-line led to a sandy floor close to the wreck at a depth of 28m. We clipped on a distance line and using a reel pulled out the nylon line until we reached the wreck. Pollack and bass, not knowing what to make of our presence, kept a cautious distance. Straddled between two heavily corroded spars hung the torn remains of a fishing net. The net was easily spotted with the aid of torchlight and we gave the offending item a wide berth.

The Mira's hull is lacerated along about a third of its length, beginning at the bow, and you are faced with the difficult choice of either remaining in relative safety on the outside or attempting to venture within.

As the visibility was so low, we kept a respectful distance while keeping an eye on the protruding, loose hull plates, which were waiting to snag or impale the unwary. We then inspected the deck machinery, which was easily recognisable in the light from our torches. Time caught up with us and we reluctantly started to make our ascent.

City of Brisbane
Sank one and a half miles south-southwest of Newhaven on 14 August 1918
50º 44' 33”N
000º 00' 50”E

The ship
Built in 1918 by Swan Hunter & Wigham of Newcastle upon Tyne and owned by Ellerman Lines, this steel steamship was on a voyage from London to Buenos Aires. She was 137m long and had a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine. The City of Brisbane had left London and was making her way down the Channel when one of the lookouts suddenly shouted that he could see the wake of a torpedo. Within moments the Brisbane had been struck and the whole of the ship's port side imploded, leaving the engine room wide open to the sea.

Within minutes, the stern of the vessel was on the sea bed, and the master hurriedly ordered the crew to the lifeboats. All hands managed to get clear of the vessel. Thirty minutes later they watched the ship sink. A torpedo fired from UB-57 had inflicted the deadly blow.

The dive
We dived the City of Brisbane in late May. Following the shot-line, we dropped to the sea bed at 25m. There was still a little flow in the tide, but it was all quite manageable. The sea bed - a mixture of silt and clay - was easily disturbed, but the tidal flow came in handy in sweeping the particles away from view.

The 2-3m visibility was a little off-putting at first, but aided by torchlight it was possible to slowly examine the wreck. The vibrantly colourful plumose anemones and deadmen's fingers were particularly notable. An abundance of mussels clung to the corroded metal remnants of the Brisbane, while starfish clung to the mussels - a living example of an ecosystem hard at work.

Although upright, the City of Brisbane is broken in two. The bow stands between 5 and 6m proud and it is here that tubes and girders stand tall in a random fashion. Other parts of the vessel present a haphazard assortment of metal plates that stand between 3 and 4m high. The wreck clearly deserves more investigation than our 35-minute dive allowed. A return visit will have to ensue!

The TR Thompson
Sank seven miles south of Newhaven on 29 March 1918
50º 40' 10”N
000º 05' 38”E

The ship
Built in 1897 by Short Brothers, Sunderland, the TR Thompson was a steel steamship taking a cargo of iron ore from Benisaf in Algeria to Middlesbrough. The 110m-long ship had a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine and two boilers, which provided 301hp. She was owned by J Westoll of Westoll Line and armed with a 12lb gun.

The TR Thompson sank so quickly that 33 of the crew were killed outright. There was a tremendous explosion and the next thing that the three survivors could recall was that they were in the water. Those on a nearby trawler heard the blast and headed it to the debris field and found the three men. The sinking occurred at 3.50am, which is probably why most of the crew perished. Many would have been trapped below, as the ship fell to the sea floor. German records later revealed that the TR Thompson was a victim of UB-57.

The dive When we dived this wreck in early May the shot-line fell to the wreck like a plumb line - the flow of water was completely slack. Our group followed the line to the sea bed at 33m. The 22ºC air temperature and cloudless sky had been exchanged for a dark, liquid world. Here the temperature was a cool 11ºC, with visibility of 4m. The line had placed us right in the middle of the wreck.

As we swam deep in its exposed upright interior, the hull towered above us from both sides. We finned through the ravine of steel, glancing up towards the remnants of the gun platform. Unused shell cases lay close by, partially hidden by the sand. While much of the wreck's superstructure has collapsed, the stern has survived, and stands almost 14m proud. Sand moves around this wreck, burying features only to then later expose them, making no two dives the same.