2026-09-16T05:48:49+01:00https://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/jsonhttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/xmlhttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/rsshttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/atomhttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/kmlhttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/geojsonhttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results/format/qrcodehttps://marinefinds.org.uk/database/search/results2120finds-104104MAS-F100104SHELL CASESMODERNThe shell case measures 660 mm long and is 152 mm in diameter at the base, and 116 mm in diameter at the neck though this has been buckled and stretched. The shell case appears to have been either constructed without a base, or it has been removed at some point in the past. The diameter of the neck and its overall size point to it being a 4.5-inch or possibly a 4.7-inch shell case. Without the base with the details of type, manufacturer and date of manufacture, the history and origin of this case is not clear. It would have been part of a fixed round, i.e. the shell was attached to the shell case like a large rifle round. The maximum weight of these rounds was around 36 kg (80 lbs), which was the weight considered to be sustainable for loading manually loaded fixed ammunition. The 4.5-inch gun has been the standard medium-gun calibre of the Royal Navy for use against surface, aircraft and shore targets since 1938, and in the case of the 4.7-inch gun since 1916. The history of this shell case is unknown, however, based on the damage it has sustained and the degree of corrosion, it appears that the shell was pried out of it and the base cut off with a lathe at some point in the past, before the remainder was lost or discarded. ARMOUR AND WEAPONS41411221/173MAS2017-08-23T00:00:00ZAMMUNITIONWith finder2017-08-23T08:19:22Z2018-05-08T08:41:12Z104152660150282114PAS57C96ECD001E82PAS59C90C510011A322625East SussexTQ440050.781702980.04126088pastels.dash.stockpile10MAS MASMASYellow metalIncompleteFairMODERNMODERNFishingSubmitted as wreck to the Receiver of WreckFIPAD_2017081783.JPG246images/MASABB2024-10-09T14:16:36.195Zfinds-115115MAS-D100115CARTRIDGENINETEENTH CENTURYImages of this find were sent to Trevor Parker of the Ordnance Society. He confirmed that these three shell cases belong to a six-pounder Hotchkiss gun. This particular type of gun was introduced in 1884 for use against torpedo boats. They were used during First World War on the Arethusa and early 'C' class cruisers and a few submarines as well as on Monitors M.15 through M.33. Originally French in origin, they were introduced to Britain in 1886 (Tucker 2013). Many were subsequently used as sub-calibre and saluting guns which meant that they were still available in 1939 (Naval Weapons, Naval Technology and Naval reunions webpage, accessed September 2017). Although these cartridges are empty, there is a good chance that their primers are live.The evidence for this is that they all have their primer protectors in place.These are three-legged covers that clip over the base and have a domed area in the middle that sits over the primer in the middle of the case bottom, to prevent accidental striking of the primer before it's loaded (War Office 2003). The edges of these clips are visible on all three cases and would have been removed before firing. This raises the question of where the shells have gone if they were not fired. The shells would have been held firmly in place therefore it has been suggested that these shell cases are of some age, dating back to the early 1900s, shortly after this type of gun appeared and that the actual shells have rusted away completely.These items were recovered from the wreck of SS Unity, a British transport steamship built in 1902 by Murdoch & Murray, Glasgow. On 2 May 1918, whilst on a voyage from Newhaven to Calais with a cargo of ordnance, SS Unity was sunk by the German submarine UB57, with the loss of 12 lives. NRHE and Kent HER reference numbers cited in this record refer to the wreck of SS Unity. The location of SS Unity was taken from the British National Grid co-ordinate from the National Record of the Historic Environment.Armour and weapons39411236/173MAS2017-08-26T00:00:00ZAmmunition901741Kent HER Number: TR 21 NE 1With finder2017-09-08T08:39:56Z2017-10-05T11:37:37Z11534037284515PAS5989C577001EA7PAS59C90C510011A3218210KentTR261750.908207411.21330846cramped.inflatables.couriers10MAS MASMASCopper alloy10627CompleteEncrustedNINETEENTH CENTURYMODERNDivingSubmitted as wreck to the Receiver of WreckIMG_2984.JPG307images/MASLR2024-10-09T14:16:38.973Z