Dive Site - J1 Submarine
| Dive Site - J1 Submarine | |||
| Dive Location: | City / Island: | ||
| J1 Submarine | The Heads, Bass Strait, VIC | ||
| Country: | Rating: | Max. Depth: | Difficulty: |
| Australia |  |
38 m | Advanced Open Water plus Deep |
| Aquatic Name: | Water: | Altitude: | |
| - | Salt | 0 m | |
| GPS Latitude: | GPS Longitude: | GPS Datum: | |
| 38° 18.959′ S 38.315983° S 38° 18′ 57.54″ S |
144° 33.219′ E 144.55365° E 144° 33′ 13.14″ E |
Google Map | WGS84 |
| 3 dives at this location: | |||
| 100 | 104 | 213 | |||
| Map: | |||
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| Comments: | |||
| The J1 Submarine (aka Deep Sub, J1 Sub, 38 Metre Sub, 125 Foot Sub, or New Deep Sub) shipwreck is part of our very own piece of WWI maritime history and an exciting deep adventure for scuba divers. Scuttled in 1926, she was rediscovered in October 1984 by MAAV members Frank Derksen, Marteen Vanetie and another diver. The J1 Submarine was the only submarine to have crippled capital ships with a single salvo. She was also fitted with depth charges and was the only submarine to ever sink another sub with depth charges. DIVING THE J1 SUBMARINE Entry/Exit: Boat. The wreck of the J1 Submarine is located in the Victorian Ships' Graveyard, Bass Strait. The hull lies almost upright with a slight list to port (left) in 38 m (125 ft) with the conning tower rising to 34 m (112 ft). She lies north-east to south-west (bow north-east) and is covered in bright yellow zoanthids with a lot of fish life up the top and around the conning tower. The J1 Submarine allows penetration by divers, and there is plenty to explore on the inside. The hatch next to the conning tower is the way in for suitably qualified divers. The J1 sub sits on an angle so it can be confusing if you silt the place up and are trying to get out. People have died here! The first compartment is reasonably open and light still gets through. Towards the bow it gets pretty dark, so a powerful torch is required. J1 SUBMARINE HISTORY Originally HMS J1, later HMAS J1, this is one of the 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 J1 commissioned in the Royal Navy on 15 March 1916 under the command of Commander N.F. Laurence, DSO, RN and was allocated to the 11th Submarine Flotilla based at Blyth, Northumberland. J1 SUBMARINE DETAILS The J1 Submarine was built in 1915 at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, England, launched on 6 November 1915 as a double-hulled type, triple screw submarine. 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 J1 Submarine was approximately 275.5 ft (84 m), beam 23.25 ft (7.09 m) and draught 16 ft (4.88 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). The J-class submarines were equipped with a powerful long-range wireless and were ideally suited to reconnoitre in enemy water. J1 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. In the early morning of Wednesday 26th May 1926, the J1 Submarine was taken from a berth at Williamstown by the tug Minah, and was towed through The Heads out into Bass Strait. She was positioned in deep water outside the three miles limit, off Barwon Heads. The vessel's seacocks were opened and she went down in 65 minutes. The J1 Submarine was found by MAAV member Frank Derksen, Marteen Vanetie and another diver in October 1984. Four subs, J1, J2, J4, and J5, were scuttled in the Victorian Ships' Graveyard. Two were scuttled as breakwaters: J3 near Swan Island, and J7 at Sandringham Yacht Club. Location GPS coordinates from the book "Victoria's Ships' Graveyard" are GPS verified. |
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