H.M.S. Hood Today
Photos from the August 2012 Hood Expedition

Updated 11-Sep-2012

Contained herein, are assorted photos from the August 2012 expedtion to retrieve the bell of H.M.S. Hood. The wreck was explored by an ROV from the yacht Octopus, owned by philanthropist Paul G. Allen and under the guidance of David L. Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries. The H.M.S. Hood Association was represented by our President, Philip Wilcocks CB DSC. Unfortunately, due to bad weather and some technical issues, the mission had to be aborted before the bell could be retrieved.Shown here are scenes aboard Octopus and footage of Hood.

Important Notice: These photographs have been exclusively loaned for display here on the official H.M.S. Hood Association website, and are not to be downloaded or republished elsewhere without express permission.

(L-R) Paul G. Allen, David Mearns, Innes McCartney and Philip Wilcocks view a large model of H.M.S. Hood.

 
Octopus's ROV goes into the waters of the Denmark Strait in order to make the slow 1.7 mile (9,334ft/2844m) dive to Hood.

Association President Philip Wilcocks studying footage of the stern on a very large screen.
This is a view (almost straight down) of Hood's ensign staff base. To give an idea of scale, this structure is 11ft/3.4m tall.
Her stern navigation light can be seen.

Hood's innermost port screw/propellor. Its made of manganese bronze and is 15ft/4.6m across.
Note the streamlined cap which was crushed by implosion.

A side view of the stern showing the profile of the 11ft/3.4m tall ensign staff base. Note the bent supports.
To the left, a few feet below the deck's edge, is Hood's degaussing cable.

A view of the bell. It's situated among debris immediately adjacent to a section of the Capatain's or Admiral's cabins. The bell was normally stored in said area whilst at sea. .

The crew of M/Y Octopus gathered for a moving memorial service in honour of the crew of H.M.S. Hood.

Memorial wreaths

1,418 rose petals (one for each of the men who died in the sinking and one for each of the
survivors who have all since passed away) are dropped over the grave of H.M.S. Hood.