ADVENTUROUS scuba divers have explored the wreck of the first British Navy ship to be sunk during the First World War.

Divers spent five days exploring the remains of the HMS Amphion, which sank after hitting a mine on the second day of the war, with the loss of 132 British lives.

The ill-fated ship sailed from Harwich on August 6, 1914, hunting for a German mine-laying ship, the Königin Luise.

Two destroyers opened fire on the enemy ship and were soon joined by the Amphion, commanded by Captain Cecil H Fox.

The Konigin Luise was badly hit and sank – in the first British victory of the war, and the Amphion rescued 21 of the German crew from the wreckage.

But disaster struck when the Amphion was hit by one of the mines previously laid by the German vessel.

The ship was sunk 40 miles off the coast of Harwich.

The diving expedition was organised by Dave Lock, diving officer for the Ipswich Sub-Aqua Club iDive, who said diving on the wreck of the HMS Amphion had been a long-held ambition.

Now he wants to trace relatives of those who lost their lives when the ship sank, as well as descendants of those who survived, under the command of Captain Fox.

He said: “The Amphion has actually split into two sections, the stern and her bow.

“We only dived on the bow section, which sits upright with the hull still intact.

“There is a great deal of wooden decking, which is still visible and shows that they must have used good-quality timber for it to have survived 102 years under the North Sea.

“Poignantly, considering the loss of life, we also saw a lifeboat, which is still attached to the wreck.

“I only glimpsed it as it was some distance from where I was diving, but it drives the message home somehow that this is a war grave.”

He added: “The lifeboat and decking may have been seen by other divers before, but they may not have realised the significance.

“We’re pleased to be able to infor m the UK Hydrographic Office of what we’ve seen so they can update public records.

“I would love to hear from anyone who lost a relative on either the Amphion or Königin Luise.

“It’s always a bonus to be able to hear and be able to piece together some of the stories surrounding any ship wreck.”