A steam trawler, built for the Admiralty as a mine sweeper, struck a German laid mine off the North Foreland and presumably attempted to reach the safety of Dover, but is reported as having sunk off Folkestone. Year Built:1940 Builder: Goole SB Co. Ltd. Propulsion: Screw, 3 cylinder triple expansion Engine HP: 850 Boilers: 1 Armament: 1 x 12pdr.qf.; 2 x 0.5mg.; 4 x Lewis m. guns Owner: Royal Navy Crew: 35 Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: SRN.Vol.2 p77; BVLS.1939-45 p8; "Mine Warfare Vessels", MP Cocker, 1993 p162-3; MOD(N).Hyd.Wk.No.012307452

Vertical Datum: LAT Quality of Depth: SWS HMS CHESTNUT was mined in 1940.

03-FEB-1949 Wreck in 51 30 12N 001 18 54E dispersed to 38ft.

10-JUL-1952 Located in 51 30 18.5N 001 18 53E, least echosounder depth 41 in general depth 44ft. Scour depth 52ft.

15-APR-1957 Wire swept, clear at 36, foul at 37ft, least echosounder depth 39 in general depth 48ft. Scour depth 51ft, position 51 30 19N 001 18 55E.

06-AUG-1959 Least echosounder depth now 6fms 4ft in 51 30 19N 001 18 54E.

25-JUL-1960 Drift swept - clear at 37, foul at 37ft, least echo sounder depth 38 in 44-46ft. Scour depth 48ft.

19-JUN-1961 Located, least echosounder depth 39 in general depth 45ft. 09-JUL-1962 Least echosounder depth obtained - 40 in general depth 47ft. Scour depth 48ft.

03-MAY-1966 Least echosounder depth now 39 in general depth 47ft. Scour depth 54ft, position 51 30 19N 001 18 53E.

29-APR-1969 Least echosounder depth 12.1 in general depth 14.8m. Scour depth 15.1m. Small wreck giving good sonar return.

17-SEP-1976 Examined in 51 30 19N 001 18 54E, least echosounder depth 11.9 in general depth 15.5m. Scour depth 16.7m.

23-AUG-1978 Shown as swept clear at 10m.

30-JAN-1985 Now shown as clear at 10.6m.

08-MAY-1991 In ogb coords 630022e, 183730n. Least echosounder depth 11.7 in general depth 16.5m. Scour depth 18.6m. Wreckage extends over area 75m [E/W x 50m [N/S] with a further 30m of disturbed seabed at its w extremity. Scour is to S of wreck.

07-FEB-1992 Wreck in 51 30 18N 001 18 54E dived on. A steel boat full of large lumps of granite. (2)

<1> United Kingdom shipwreck index, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6340.

<2> Hydrographic Office wreck index, extracted 20/1/1993 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6339.