Dive standard : Advanced
Depth : 27 meters Photo rating 6/10
Launch site : Queenscliff
Chart no : Aus 142
Latitude : 38" 18’45" south
Longitude : 144"34’00" east
Description : One of six ‘J’ class submarines given by the British Government to Australia after the war. The submarines were upgraded but never put into service. All of the submarines have now been scuttled.
The
Shallow submarine was sunk by explosives and now lies in several sections
on a rocky seabed. Its stern almost merges into the reef. The bow, which
was probably detached by explosions when the submarine was scuttled,
exposes four of it's six torpedo tubes. The conning tower is intact and in
excellent condition.
Although the submarine was salvaged before it was scuttled, there is still some detail inside the submarine such as brass fittings, wiring, wood flooring and lead sheeting.
Divers can penetrate the submarine through the numerous hatch openings. Once inside, divers can see the bulkheads, which supported the submarine against pressure at great depths. Although the engine has been removed, the engine bed can still be seen at the stern. A bronze plaque has been placed at the site by the Bottom Scratches Dive Club who rediscovered the submarine.
The J4, or the shallow sub, tends to be the most frequently dived because it is the shallowest. At 27 meters to the reef its depth allows a small canopy of kelp to grow on the top of the conning tower. The bow is very open due to a large break forward of the conning tower. Inside the bow you will find the four forward torpedo tubes. The hull lies north south in heavy reef. Ground swells can sometimes run along the hull making penetration interesting. Entering or executing the hatches needs to be well timed when conditions are not perfect. Again divers need to be experienced and trained before attempting any kind of penetration of wrecks.
At the completion of the first World War in 1919, the British Government gave Australia a gift of six J class submarines and six navy destroyers.
The submarines were
built under an emergency war program in response to reports that the German
Navy was building submarines capable of reaching speeds of 20 knots. The
British navy was already experimenting with steam driven turbine-powered
submarines, which later became ‘K’ class submarines. In quick response
to the news of the new German submarine fleet, the British designed the ‘J’
class submarines using existing technology.
The submarines together with six navy destroyers left Britain on the 9th April 1919 and arrived in Sydney on the 15th July 1919. The flotilla was valued at £1.5 million, however the royal Australian navy spent £407,000 upgrading the submarines because they were in such a dilapidated condition. As the submarines were gradually refitted, they sailed from Sydney to their new base, Geelong. They carried out only one exercise in Tasmanian waters before the J1, J2, J3, J4 and J5 were decommissioned because of cuts in the defence budget. The J3 submarine was towed to Swan Island to be used as a power station and pier. The J7, which was the last submarine to be refitted, was kept in reserve. In 1924, the Melbourne Salvage Company purchased the J1, J2, J4 and J5 for £10,500. The company was under a bond of £1,000 to the defence department as guarantee of the final destruction of the submarines. The J1, J2 J4 and J5 were all scuttled about a kilometre from each other at the “ships graveyard”. The hull of the J7 now lies off the beach at Sandringham and the hull of the J3 can still be seen near Swan Island.