The BBC reports that the wreck discovered off the Aberdeenshire coast is believed to be the lost Royal Navy warship HMS Hawke sunk by a torpedo during World War One.

The wreck of the Edgar-class protected cruiser was discovered by a team of divers about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh earlier this week in “remarkable” condition.

More than 500 of the ship’s crew died when it was attacked by a German U-boat in October 1914. The ship caught fire and, following an explosion, sank in less than eight minutes with just 70 sailors surviving.

It is hoped that the Royal Navy will formally identify the wreckage in the coming weeks.

The wreckage was found by the Lost in Waters Deep group – which searches for shipwrecks to remember wartime losses in Scottish waters.

In 1911, it was badly damaged in a collision in the Solent with the Titanic‘s sister ship, RMS Olympic.

Thanks to Alaric Bond and Larry Witmer for contributing to this post.