A research team led by US philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul G. Allen has successfully recovered the bell of the battle-cruiser HMS Hood, sunk in 1941 during World War II.
Once restored, the bell will respectfully serve as a tangible and fitting memorial for the 1,415 lives lost when the Bismarck sunk the ship in the North Atlantic.
The bell was successfully recovered on August 7. Mr. Allen’s team led the operation using his yacht M/Y Octopus, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
The bell was first discovered and photographed in a July 2012 Allen-led expedition. The bell was found lying on the seabed well away from the parts of the battle-cruiser’s hull. That previous attempt to recover the bell was hampered by prevailing weather conditions and technical difficulties.
The bell is in good condition but will require a year-long expert conservation and restoration effort because it has spent so long in deep seawater.
HMS Hood is the largest Royal Navy vessel to have been sunk, causing the largest loss of life suffered by any single British warship and the recovery is fully supported by the HMS Hood Association whose members include veterans who served in the ship before her final mission in 1941, and relatives of those lost with her.
Once conservation of the bell is complete, it will be put on display by the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) and will form a major feature of the new exhibition dedicated to the 20 and 21 century Navy, which opened at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2014. It is a fitting location as HMS Hood was based in Portsmouth.
The wreck of HMS Hood is designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. As well as providing a memorial, the recovery has prevented it from being taken by any illegal operation for personal gain.
Image/Video: Vulcan Inc.