The Institute of Maritime Research announced recently that the wreckage of the World War II British submarine HMS Thistle has probably been discovered outside Rogaland, Norway, after more than 80 years on the seabed.
In the Spring of 2023, the wreckage of an unknown submarine was discovered during a research cruise on the RV G.O. Sars, conducted through the MAREANO program, which maps the biology and geology of the seabed.
After some research, the submarine was determined to be British and to be either HMS Oxley or HMS Thistle. The Oxley was sunk just before World War II and the Thistle during the conflict. A subsequent research cruise in October 2023, determined that the wreckage was almost certainly that of the Thistle.
“In advance, we knew what characteristics we should look for; thus we were able to identify the wreck as Thistle, but with a small caveat that it is the Royal Navy who is responsible for the final identification”, says cruise leader Kyrre Heldal Kartveit.
In April of 1940, HMS Thistle was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-4 with the loss of all 53 officers and crew.
The wreckage is now considered a “war grave,” according to the news release because it sank during wartime. The British Royal Navy maintains ownership rights over the submarine, which rests 160 meters below the surface of the ocean.
My grandfather died on the Thistle! Any information you could point me to on the finding of this wreckage would be greatly appreciated!