Sussex (ship, 1693)
_model_starboard_broadside.jpg) Model of the Sussex from starboard
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The Sussex was an English warship that went down in 1694 with a larger load of value.
The ship
This vehicle was the seventh ship to be built as an 80-gun ship for the Royal Navy as a two-decker . However, this design concept was carried out very poorly. Even contemporaries criticized the design of the class. Therefore, after its early loss, the ship was not replaced by a new building. The other 80 gunships of the third rank ( Third Council ) were later built in the usual form as three-deckers.
After placing the order, it was on the shipyard of Chatham (Kent) built from the 1691st The launch took place on April 11, 1693.
history
The Sussex , the flagship of a war fleet of over 200 ships, was on its first major voyage when it got into a severe storm near the coast of Gibraltar and on the early morning of February 19th July. / March 1, 1694 greg. sank. Only two crew members survived the accident. In addition to the Sussex , five other warships and six merchant ships went down. Research suggests that the Sussex was secretly commissioned by King William III of England . had a million pounds sterling on board to persuade the Duke of Savoy to campaign against Louis XIV of France during the War of the Palatinate Succession .
Treasure hunter
From 1998 to 2001 the American company Odyssey Marine Exploration looked for the wreck on behalf of Great Britain. When she found what she was looking for and prepared for the rescue, Spain prohibited all work in January 2006. Lengthy negotiations resulted in the Spanish government giving the go-ahead for the company in March 2007. The government's condition, however, is that Spanish archaeologists also participate in the recovery. The alleged wreck of the Sussex is about 900 meters deep in Spanish waters.
Ten tons of gold (or 100 tons of silver) are believed to be on board. The cargo would have an estimated value of up to four billion US dollars today, making it one of the most valuable finds of all.
literature
- Lavery, Brian: The Ship of the Line. Vol. 1: The development of the battle fleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press, London 1983. ISBN 0-85177-252-8
- Lyon, David: The Sailing Navy List. All the Ships of the Royal Navy. Built, Purchased and Captured, 1688-1855. Conway Maritime Press, London 1993. ISBN 0-85177-617-5
Web links
- Spain allows gigantic treasure hunts. ( Spiegel Online )
- Detailed project plan of the recovery company (English, PDF, 1.40 MB)
- Website of the rescue company with current information (English)
- Salvage work on HMS Sussex ( Memento from May 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Detailed background information on the reservations of Spain (Spanish)