D-Day wrecks could be protected

Sunken World War II tanks off the Sussex coast should become protected under law.

That’s if the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology gets its way.

Two Centaur tanks and two armoured bulldozers lie in around 20 metres of water, south of Bracklesham, near Chichester.

They were headed for action in the D-Day landings when the landing craft carrying them capsized on June 5th, 1944.

Although the site’s existence has been known about for some time, a team from Southsea Sub Aqua Club finally confirmed the identity of the tanks following a 2009 study.

A subsequent survey of the seabed located the wreck of the landing craft (LCT) some 3.7 miles away from the tanks and bulldozers.

Now the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology has called for special protection to be given to sites like these.

The Trust is working with Southsea BSAC to fully map both sites, which remain remarkably intact for almost 70 years underwater.