Shipwreck found in sea bed off Wan Chai most likely famous Hong Kong ship HMS Tamar
Government all but confirms that remains off Wan Chai are from famous British warship that was scuttled to keep her out of Japanese hands
The mystery is nearly over: the government has all but confirmed that wreckage found during harbour dredging in Wan Chai last year is the remains of HMS Tamar, Hong Kong's most famous military ship that was scuttled by the British navy in 1941 to prevent her from falling into Japanese hands.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department said yesterday that the large metal object, about 40 metres long, two to 11 metres wide and two metres high, "may be part of the bottom of the wreck" and "could be the remains of HMS Tamar".
But it stopped short of confirming the historic find, "as the ship's bell, name plate or any other unique features have not been found".
The government's statement came a day after the South China Morning Post confronted it with findings by the founding chief of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Dr Stephen Davies, that identified the wreck as HMS Tamar, and asked it to respond to the marine historian's claim that he had been removed from the investigation team after presenting evidence to officials.
Davies, now a scholar at the University of Hong Kong, was part of the initial research team that investigated the discovery six metres under the sea bed close to the old Wan Chai Ferry Pier.