Nearly three years after Octopus first assisted in the attempted recovery of a significant piece of maritime history, she has succeeded. The bell from the British battle cruiser HMS Hood was finally recovered from the sea floor late last week. Better yet, the 414-foot (126-meter) Octopus and her equipment were provided at no cost to the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
The HMS Hood was sunk in 1941 in the North Atlantic while fighting the German warship Bismark. All except for three of her 1,418 crewmembers died, the largest loss of life in British naval history. She was also the largest Royal Navy vessel to have been sunk. While the HMS Hood battled the Bismark in the waters between Greeland and Iceland, her exact location remained unknown until 2001. The bell was discovered at the same time, though well away from the ship’s hull. Both were photographed, too, though technological limitations prevented the bell from being retrieved.
In 2012, Paul Allen, Octopus’ owner, made Octopus and an ROV that she carries available to researchers and the Department of Defence. The goal was to film the wreck in high definition and bring the bell back to the surface. Unfortunately, poor weather and technical difficulties interfered. This time, however, both Mother Nature and equipment were on Octopus’ and the retrieval team’s side. The video above shows how Octopus’ crew launched the ROV from her stowage bay and how a mechanical arm on the ROV gently picked up the bell. It’s reportedly in good condition, though needs restorative work, given the years it’s spent in salt water. Once restoration is complete, the HMS Hood bell will be displayed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It’s additionally suitable, since the HMS Hood was based in Portsmouth.
Members of the Department of Defence and the HMS Hood Association have expressed gratitude toward Allen and the crew of Octopus for their assistance. Allen himself says, “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. It is a true honor to undertake the expedition to recover the bell from ‘The Mighty Hood.’”
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