The name of
one of Britain's greatest war heroes, Lord Kitchener will forever be linked with
Orkney. For it was here off the bleak 200 foot high cliffs of Marwick Head
on the west coast that the 10,850 ton armoured battle cruiser Hampshire,
carrying Lord Kitchener on a voyage to Russia, struck a mine and sank with the
loss of 643 officers and men including Lord Kitchener.Hampshire had set out from Scapa Flow, earlier that fateful day with two destroyer escorts. Because of severe north easterly gales the route for the voyage was switched at the last minute away from an easterly passage up the Orkney's to a westerly and more sheltered route up the west side along a route not regularly swept for mines. It was thought that no German mine layer would dare to operate this close to the mighty naval base of Scapa Flow.
The storm centre however passed overhead and the wind backed to the northwest. Far from a sheltered passage Hampshire and her escorts now found themselves battling high winds and heavy seas. The two destroyers struggled to keep up with the heavier Hampshire and soon were falling far behind. They were ordered to return to base and Hampshire went on a lone pitching and rolling in the Force 9 winds, but maintaining a speed of 13.5 knots.
When she was about one
and a half miles offshore between Marwick Head and the Brough of Birsay a
rumbling explosion shook the whole ship tearing a huge hole in her keel between
her bridge and her bow. The helm jammed and the lights gradually went out
as the power failed. She immediately began to settle into the water and
clouds of brown suffocating smoke poured out from below decks forard. The
crew streamed aft away from the explosion. A call went out "Make way for
Lord Kitchener" and he passed by, clad in a greatcoat and went up the after
hatch. He was never seen again and it is assumed that he went down with
the ship.The wreck of HMS Hampshire now lies in 70 metres, upside down and largely intact bar the bow section which has been devastated by the mine explosion and the more recent attention of salvors. The least depth to her upturned screw is 55 metres.
The history, sinking and dive details of the Hampshire are described in much greater detail in the book Dive Scapa Flow.