
These are the forgotten shipwrecks of the Atlantic dating back more than a century to the First World War.

The liners were sunk by torpedoes and mines and now lie on the ocean's seabed just off the Irish coast.

Among the wrecks are merchant vessels, submarines and ocean liners, with HMS Audacious the oldest ruin.

Titanic-like bow: Among the sunken warships found off the Irish coast is the SS Justicia, a White Star liner built in Belfast which was torpedoed 23 miles south of Skerryvore in Scotland by German Type III Coastal U-boat UB-64

Exploration: After being torpedoed by the German U-boat, the SS Justicia was then hit three times more. She was then towed away before she was found by UB-64 and hit again twice, which eventually sunk her

Deaths: Sixteen crew members of the SS Justicia were killed when it went down but the rest were evacuated. The ship now lies in 235ft of water in an area off Ireland which has become very popular with divers thanks to the many wrecks there

She sank in October 1914 after hitting a German mine off Tory Island, which is nine miles off the Donegal coast.

Only one person on board died after Titanic’s sister ship, the White Star liner Olympic, came to the rescue.

Also on the seabed is HMS Viknor, an armed merchant cruiser which sank without sending a distress signal.

All 295 Royal Navy officers on board died in January 1915 and she now rests under almost 300ft of water.

Cargo steam: The Empire Heritage was torpedoed by U-482 on the way from New York to Liverpool, claiming 113 lives. The attack happened 15 miles north west of Malin Head in County Donegal – and she now rests in 225ft of water

Astonishing: Sherman tanks can also be found on the seabed from the Second World War wreckage of the cargo steamer

A diver swims along side the two-storey high engine of HMS Viknor, which is still standing proud on the seabed. The armed merchant cruiser sank in January 1915 without sending a distress signal - and it now rests under almost 300ft of water

Locations: These are the forgotten shipwrecks off the Irish coast, sunk by torpedoes and mines and now on the seabed

Remarkably, the Viknor's wreck was only found almost a century later in 2006 by an Irish survey vessel.

Among the other sunken boats found off the Irish coast is the SS Justicia, a White Star liner built in Belfast.

She was torpedoed 23 miles south of Skerryvore in Scotland by German Type III Coastal U-boat UB-64.

The watertight doors were shut, temporarily keeping her afloat, but then she was then hit three times more.

Enemy boat: Torpedo tubes at the bow of the World War One German submarine U-89, which was sunk when caught off guard on the surface and rammed by the British escort HMS Roxburgh. With all 43 submariners lost she is a war grave

Down in the deep end: A diver swims alongside the exposed torpedo tubes and bow of U-2511, which was scuttled off Lisahally in Northern Ireland following the end of the war in January 1946 and now lies at a depth of 226ft

Deliberately sunk: A diver swims to the conning tower of U-2511, which was finished and launched too late to see any combat. The U-boat was one of 116 scuttled at the end of the Second World War as part of Operation Deadlight

The Justicia was then towed before she was found by UB-64 and hit again twice, which eventually sunk her.

Sixteen crew members were killed but the rest were evacuated and the ship now lies in 235ft of water.

Sherman tanks can also be found on the seabed from the Second World War wreckage of a cargo steamer.

The Empire Heritage was torpedoed by U-482 on the way from New York to Liverpool, claiming 112 lives.

Taking a look around: Diver descending down to the wreck of U-2511, which was put under the command of U-Boat captain Adalbert Schnee, who known for receiving the valour award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Under the sea: The SS Justicia (left) is now under 235ft of water, while the conning tower of the First World War U-boat U-89 (right) is also pictured. The U-89 was rammed and sunk by HMS Roxburgh off Malin Head in February 1918

Power: The 105mm deck gun of U-89, which was involved in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic

Going underwater: Darragh Norton, a chemist from Ireland, was fortunate enough to experience the wrecks on a dive

The attack happened 15 miles north west of Malin Head – and she now rests in 225ft of water.

Darragh Norton, a chemist from Ireland, was fortunate enough to experience the wrecks on a dive.

The 43-year-old said: ‘The seabed is littered with ocean liners, to German World War One and World War Two submarines and numerous merchant vessels.

‘Most of the wrecks lie beyond the reach of recreational divers, requiring specialised equipment and exotic gases associated with technical diving. I dive them every year.’

HMS AUDACIOUS (1 DEATH) Type of boat: Battleship Route: Gunnery exercises at Loch na Keal in Ireland Who sank it: German mine Where: Off Tory Island, Ireland When: October 1914 Advertisement HMS VIKNOR (295 DEATHS) Type: Armed merchant cruiser Route: From Kirkwall in Orkney to Liverpool Who sank it: German mine Where: Off Tory Island When: January 1915 Advertisement

SS JUSTICIA (16 DEATHS) Type: Troopship Route: From Belfast to New York Who sank it: German Type III Coastal U-boat UB-64 Where: South of Skerryvore, Scotland When: July 1918 Advertisement SS EMPIRE HERITAGE (112 DEATHS) Type: Steam tanker Route: From New York to Liverpool Who sank it: Torpedoed by U-482 Where: North-east of Tory Island When: September 1944 Advertisement