Divers have found a number of cannons and some military equipment in the seabed off the uninhabited island of Razende Bol, off the coast of Texel, the Netherlands. The items belonged to the British warship HMS Apollo. This ship sank on 6 January 1799, after being stranded on the shallows near the Razende Bol due to a navigational error.
The municipality of Texel has said no human remains were found aboard the ship.
The HMS Apollo sank deep into the seabed, but erosion brought the wreck back to the surface. Last summer, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency commissioned sonar research. Divers of North Sea Divers from Breezand brought the cannons and equipment to the surface. There are many other objects in the shipwreck, according to the municipality.
HMS Apollo
The HMS Apollo was owned by the Royal Navy. The wooden warship was part of the fleet that had to prevent France from conquering England. That is why the British fleet patrolled the North Sea coast. Ships like the Apollo had poor navigation equipment on board. As a result, the ship ran into the sandbanks. The captain tried to prevent the ship from sinking by throwing all the cannons overboard, but his efforts were in vain. The people on board were saved.
The remains of the HMS Apollo remain the property of the United Kingdom. The province of Noord-Holland has asked to be granted permission to exhibit the items in the Texel museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild during the summer. The exhibition will only take place if the corona measures allow it by that time.
Source: ANP
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