Dive Site - J5 Submarine
| Dive Site - J5 Submarine | |||
| Dive Location: | City / Island: | ||
| J5 Submarine | The Heads, Bass Strait, VIC | ||
| Country: | Rating: | Max. Depth: | Difficulty: |
| Australia |  |
36 m | Advanced Open Water plus Deep |
| Aquatic Name: | Water: | Altitude: | |
| - | Salt | 0 m | |
| GPS Latitude: | GPS Longitude: | GPS Datum: | |
| 38° 18.649′ S 38.310817° S 38° 18′ 38.94″ S |
144° 34.118′ E 144.568633° E 144° 34′ 7.08″ E |
Google Map | WGS84 |
| 4 dives at this location: | |||
| 222 | 227 | 230 | 276 | |||
| Map: | |||
| - | |||
| Comments: | |||
| The J5 Yellow Submarine, originally HMS J5, later HMAS J5, is one of the J-class submarines designed and built during WW1 by the British Royal Navy. The J5 Submarine is popularly known as the 36 Metre Sub, the 120 Foot Sub, the Yellow Submarine due to its coverage in part by yellow zoanthids, or the Intact Sub. She sits upright on a sandy bottom. Penetration is possible at several points, where, apparently, plates were removed prior to scuttling. She lies facing North-South (bow South) in 36 metres of water, her conning tower rising to 30 metres. DIVING THE J5 SUBMARINE SHIPWRECK Entry/Exit: Boat. The J5 Submarine shipwreck is covered in Yellow Zoanthid Anemone, especially around the bow, stern and the conning tower, which gives rise to it being commonly called the 'Yellow Submarine'. There are sponges and ascidians as well. Large schools of fish can be seen, typically around the conning tower, which adds to the breathtaking beauty. The fish species include Bullseyes, Longfin Pike (aka Yellowfin Pike), Barber Perch, and Splendid Perch. The J5 submarine is excellent for photography and general diving both outside and inside the shipwreck. Starting on the outside at the bow you'll see the four torpedo tubes. The narrow sleek bow is gradually collapsing. As you head towards the stern, about a third of the way along you'll see the conning tower sitting above the deck, at a depth of about 30 metres. At the stern of the J5, the rudder, propeller shaft supports and stabiliser frames can be easily seen. Penetration of the wreck is made easy by large deck openings along the length of the submarine. Caution needs to be taken to avoid silting, particularly in the bow area. The bow is where the torpedo tubes are located. The stern area is where the crew quarters were located. Even though the J5 submarine was stripped before scuttling, internally there is still plenty to see. J5 SUBMARINE SHIPWRECK HISTORY Originally HMS J5, later HMAS J5, this is one of the seven J-class submarines designed and built during WW1 by the British Royal Navy. The J-class of submarines was a seven submarine class developed in response to claims that Germany was developing submarines that were fast enough (22 knots) to operate alongside surface fleets. The rumours were actually false. The J-Class design brief was for a submarine to operate on the wings of battle fleets, diving at the commencement of engagements, and picking off stragglers, damaged ships, and acting as an anti-submarine submarine. This class of submarines were the only design of submarines ever to have had 3 screw propellers, and at the time were the fastest subs around with a surface speed of 19 knots (35 kpm). Six J class submarines were completed during mid-1916, while a seventh entered service in 1917. HMS J5 commissioned in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1916 under the command of Commander CP Talbot RN and was allocated to the 11th Submarine Flotilla based at Blyth, Northumberland. The wartime complement was 5 officers and 40 sailors. J5 SUBMARINE DETAILS The J-class Submarine Number 5 was built in 1915 at Devonport Naval Dockyard, United Kingdom, and launched on 9 September 1915. At that time the J-class were the fastest subs in existence. It's commonly believed that the J-class submarines were identical in dimensions and layout, but this is not so. Royal Navy drawings placed the J class into two groups of J1–4 and J5–7, and that the bridge of J7 was moved 60 feet aft compared to J5–6. Plans show a difference in overall length between the two groups, with J5–7 at 274 feet 9 inches being 9 inches shorter than J1–4 which were 275 feet 6 inches. The overall length of the J5 Submarine was approximately 274.75 ft (84 m), beam 23.5 ft (7.16 m) and draught 14 ft (4.27 m) giving a displacement weight of 1,210 t (1,334 s-ton) surfaced and 1,820 t (2,006 s-ton) submerged. The J-class submarines were powered by three 12-cylinder Vickers solid injection, direct reversing, 4-cycle, diesel engines of 14.5-inch bore and 14-inch stroke, producing a total of 3,600 HP at 380 rpm. For submerged running there were two Mather & Platt 700 HP electric motors, for a total of 1,400 HP, powered by four banks of 58 cell batteries. The vessel had a maximum speed of 19 knots (35 kpm) surfaced and 9.4 knots (17 kpm) submerged, with a range of 4,000 nm (7,408 km) at 12 knots (22 kpm) and 2,250 nm (4,167 km) at full speed surfaced. The maximum safe diving depth was 300 ft (91 m). They J-class submarines were equipped with a powerful long-range wireless and were ideally suited to reconnoitre in enemy water. J5 SUBMARINE SCUTTLING The decision to scrap the submarines J1 to J5 was taken on 19 November 1923 following a cut in the defence budget by some 500,000 pounds. In January 1924 the Melbourne Salvage Company purchased the J1, J2, J4 and J5 submarines for 10,500 pounds. The purchasers were under a bond of 1,000 pounds to the Defence Department as a guarantee of the final destruction of the submarines. The contract also included the sinking in deep water or breaking up or otherwise disposing of the submarines to the satisfaction of the government contract board. The Melbourne Salvage Company contracted McBain and Morwick to sink the hulls of J1, J2 and J5 outside the three-mile radius of Port Phillip Heads. The J5 submarine was scuttled on Friday 4 June 1926 off Barwon Heads. The submarine was towed outside The Heads by the tug Minah. When in 23 fathoms of water, in the Victorian Ships' Graveyard, she was sunk. The J5 submarine took two hours to disappear. The seacocks were opened in the stern, and the craft eventually nose-dived, seeming to break in half. There are accounts that during the scuttling target practice was made of the J5 Submarine, with eight bombs dropped from a height of 3000 feet by five planes and two seaplanes that circled overhead. The nearest bomb being 150 feet short of the target. After the unsuccessful bombing, a boarding party opened the seacocks and J5 went to the bottom. Other accounts say this happened during the scuttling of the J2 Submarine. The J5 Submarine was relocated by the Geelong Skindivers Club on 4 May 1974. Location GPS coordinates from the book "Victoria's Ships' Graveyard" are GPS verified. |
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