M/Y Octopus recovers bell 74 years after RN ship lost
SEATTLE, WA and PORTSMOUTH, UK, August 8, 2015
A research team led by US philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul G. Allen has successfully recovered the bell of the battlecruiser 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.
See the Hood Bell recovery gallery on Paul Allen’s site here
The bell was successfully recovered the 7th of August. 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 Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Royal Navy are grateful for Mr. Allen’s generosity in recovering the bell at no cost to the MOD.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II, and this effort commemorates the hundreds of brave sailors who were lost at sea,” said Allen. “It is a true honour to undertake the expedition to recover the bell from ‘The Mighty Hood’.”
The bell was first discovered and photographed in July 2001.
The bell was found lying on the seabed well away from the parts of the battle cruiser’s hull. A 2012 Allen-led expedition to recover the bell was hampered by prevailing weather conditions and technical difficulties.
Both operations were supported by Blue Water Recoveries Ltd. which specialises in the search and investigation of shipwrecks. 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.
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 20th and 21st 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.
Read the full article here: HMS Hood’s Bell has been successfully recovered