The shipwreck is confirmed to be a UK submarine sunk by a torpedo during World War I, killing more than 500 sailors.

A shipwreck found off the coast of Scotland has been confirmed to be a British submarine sunk by a torpedo during World War I, killing more than 500 crew members on board, UK military officials said.

The wreck of HMS Hawke was found in “remarkable” condition. this summer by a group of volunteer divers about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh. Royal Navy experts said on Friday that analysis of video, photographs and scans confirmed the identity of the vessel.

On Oct. 15, 1914, a German cruiser commanded by U-boat ace Otto Weddigen attacked the HMS Hawke, killing 524 crew members, officials said. The ship exploded and sank in less than eight minutes and only 70 sailors survived.

A month before the sinking of HMS Hawke, the same boat sank three Royal Navy cruisers in one hour, killing more than 1,450 sailors and Royal Marines.

HMS Hawke was found in August about six miles from where British naval officials estimated it would be in the early 1970s. Divers found it about 360 meters underwater.

The team is looking at the war diary of the U-boat that sank Hawke, as well as the logs of nearby warships that went to the ship when it sank, officials said. Divers also looked at contemporary charts of the North Sea to help pinpoint a possible wreck site.

“The wreck is in an amazing condition for a ship of this age, probably because it is so deep and it has never been sunk before,” said Steve Mortimer, one of the divers. “It’s an interesting site. You can look through the open spaces and see artefacts lying there on deck. There’s a lot of Royal Navy crockery, including teacups, plates and bowls. It’s a really amazing time.”

Mortimer and his crew also found two large guns on the stern and stern, guns on the sides of the ship and a ship’s way around the stern and navigation equipment.

Three years before it sank, HMS Hawke made headlines in 1911 when it was damaged after colliding with RMS Olympic – Titanic’s sister ship.

After the outbreak of World War I, the warship was assigned to enforce the German naval blockade by patrolling between Scotland and Norway. The cruiser was destroyed when on October 15, 1914, she was sighted by U-9 about 80 miles east of Fraserburgh, Scotland.

Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith told the BBC that the Navy appreciates efforts to identify and identify disasters in the UK.

“Without these volunteers who donate their time to these programs, the resting place for many sailors would not be available and their dedication would be forgotten, so we are very grateful,” he said.