Part of the WW1 Dover Patrol, HMT Othello II a 206 Tonne Admiralty Trawler was part of the Minesweeper force and sent to Patrol an area between the Goodwin Gate and the Gull Lightship on the 31st October 1915. As she battled her way out to the site against a strong gale from the SSE, at 1155 am she hit a mine laid by UC-6. The explosion caused extensive damage to her Port side amidships and distorted the cabin door and windows so much they could not be opened. The 3 men in the wheelhouse managed to squeeze the cabin boy out of the window but they could not follow and went down with the ship. He was the only survivor of the 10 onboard. This incident caused all the wooden doors in the Dover Patrol force to be replaced with canvas screens which later saved several lives.
Diving: This is a very nice wreck largely intact on a chalk seabed in a max depth of 32m with the wreck rising by at least 6m . The ship lies on her starboard side and the tough trawler hull is very intact still. The cabin, funnel and masts have collapsed but the covered entrances to the stairways, winching gear and the extensive mine damage are all easy to recognise. The holds are open and despite part filling with silt and sand are easy to enter and look around. The wreck site is well protected from Northerly winds under the cliffs.
