LONDON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The wreck of a British prototype submarine secretly launched in 1908 has been granted official protection by Britain's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said Historic England, a British national heritage body, on Friday.
The department gave the protection to the wreck of the vessel, known as HMS/m D1, which was the prototype for the British Royal Navy's first long-range diesel-powered submarine, on advice from Historic England.
The submarine was deliberately sunk in the English Channel off the coast of Dartmouth in Devon in 1918 and used as a target to test submarine detection equipment, according to Historic England.
The wreck of the vessel is now lying beneath the waves, sits upright and is largely intact on the seabed.
Under the protective measure, divers can dive to the wreck, but its contents are protected by law and must remain there.
"Every diver dreams of identifying a historically important wreck. Expecting to find the remains of a German U-boat, we were thrilled to discover a ground-breaking British submarine instead," lead diver Steve Mortimer said.
"It's tremendous that D1 is now protected but divers can still visit," Mortimer said.
Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson said: "This is a fascinating survival which deserves protection as an important part of our seafaring history." Enditem
