First World War German shipwreck is uncovered by storms in remote Cornish bay almost a century after it sank while being towed by Royal Navy

Much of the remains of the SV Carl have been hidden since 1917 at B ooby's Bay, near Padstow, in Cornwall

Ship was being towed by the Royal Navy to London when it sank and was stripped leaving just its hull and masts

Series of Atlantic storms battering Britain has revealed the wreck and also an ancient Welsh forest




For nearly a century, the vast hull of the German ship that sank during the First World War has been mostly hidden from view.

But the violent storms that lashed Britain have laid bare the wreck of the SV Carl.

Giant waves have stripped away almost 3ft of sand, revealing the steel ribs of the 60ft vessel at its final resting place at Booby’s Bay near Padstow in north Cornwall.

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Emerged from the storms: The well preserved wreck of a German ship that sank nearly 100 years ago during the First World War has been exposed after a beach was stripped of sand

At war: Germany's SV Carl has been mainly hidden for almost a century at remote the remote Booby's Bay, near Padstow, in Cornwall

Remnants: Experts say that the bad weather since December has stripped away tons of sand, which has revealed the hull and masts of the German ship History: The SV Carl was captured by British forces during the First World War and was being towed to London when it sank on October 7 1917

Filmmaker Crispin Sadler made the discovery while holidaying near the remote location. ‘We’ve always known there was a wreck there, but had no idea there was this much of it still there until now,’ he said.

It was in a fierce storm on October 7, 1917 that the Carl met its fate. It is believed that the ship, which was registered in Hamburg, was in Cardiff docks at the outbreak of the war in 1914 and so was impounded. Three years later it was being towed to London to be broken up for scrap when it broke free in the storm.

In a letter to the Padstow Echo in 1966, Lieutenant Commander Langford of the Royal Navy, recalled his mother’s eyewitness account of the Carl’s demise.

‘The Carl went aground on the outer reef,’ he wrote. ‘Two Admiralty tugs came from Devonport to try to refloat her.

Operation: The stricken vessel was eventually washed ashore and was stripped of anything useful - but the 60ft wooden shell was left behind

Once submerged: The SV Carl was captured by British forces during the First World War and was being towed to London when it sank on October 7 1917

Mesmerising: The relic of the First World War is remarkably well after being caked in tons of sand for almost a century

Magical: Parts of the ship can be seen at certain parts of the year but experts say that the recent bad weather has revealed much more of the German ship than usual Discovery: Filmmaker Crispin Sadler was enjoying a half-term trip to the idyllic Cornish beauty spot when he took pictures of the remarkable structure. Iconic: Booby's Bay in Cornwall is a remote spot on the north edge of the county's coastline and adjoins Constantine Bay, which both feature spectacular rock formations

‘They got her off the reef, but as soon as they had done so, the towing hawser [cable] on each tug parted, Carl went ahead out of control and grounded on the inner reef (only a few yards from the shore as we know).

‘She was there examined by salvage experts … who found no damage whatever to the hull. The Admiralty tugs therefore had another try to tow her off, but once more both ship’s towing harnesses parted. Carl broke her back and became a total loss. But for the unusual misfortune of both towing hawsers parting on two successive attempts Carl would in all probability have been salvaged (as a prize of war, of course).’

The ship was stripped of anything useful and left to rot. Mr Sadler made his way to the site after realising that the recent violent storms would have altered the landscape.

‘I reckon about a metre of sand has been stripped off this beach and although I have seen some of this wreckage in the past, I have never seen so much as this time,’ he said. ‘The majority of the ship was salvaged and this is all that is left, which is in remarkably good condition from being under the sand all these years.’

But it’s already disappearing again. Mr Sadler said the sand was beginning to return.

Scientists knew the forest was there as stumps could sometimes be seen at low tide, but these new remains have appeared further north than the previous sightings

Discovered: The tank traps were uncovered on rest Bay in Porthcrawl, South Wales in the aftermath of the storms that have swept the country

Barricades: They formed part of an enormous line of coastal defences to prevent tanks from advancing inland

Destroyed: The empty spaces where beach huts used to stand in Southbourne Beach, Dorset