Wreck of HMS Defence
Norway
- Position
- About 57° N, 5.9° E (within about 10 km)
- Sank
- —
- Cause
- —
- Depth
- —
Protection status
Location generalised to protect a war grave
The position shown is generalised to within about 10 km. The exact position is not published.
A military vessel lost in 1916, during a world war, by enemy action. Wrecks lost in war are treated as war graves.
This wreck may be the last resting place of those who died aboard. Please treat it with respect.
How this was decided: Voydar's protection rules, from the sources we hold, confidence 85%. When in doubt, Voydar generalises the position.
HMS Defence was a Minotaur-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century, the last armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser SMS Breslau. The ship was transferred to the Grand Fleet in January 1915 and remained there for the rest of her career. Defence was sunk on 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the war. Escorting the main body of the Grand Fleet, the ship was fired upon by one German battlecruiser and four dreadnoughts as she attempted to engage a disabled German light cruiser. She was struck by two salvoes from the German ships that detonated her rear magazine.
History from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.
About this wreck
HMS Defence is a recorded shipwreck site. Voydar shows wreck locations alongside live ship traffic, free, from Wikidata and public hydrographic records.
Other wrecks named HMS Defence
These wreck sites share the name HMS Defence. Until September 2026 they shared one web address; each now has its own page.
| Wreck | Location | Lost | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Defence | Denmark | — | 56.4° N, 8° E |
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