HMS SCYLLA in Plymouth Sound awaiting to be towed  to
Devonport Dockyard for decontamination. The following pictures show
the sequence of events as she went to Davy Jones locker.

Almost unrecognisable as a warship is HMS SCYLLA as she is
READIED FOR SINKING and is ANCHORED in WHITESAND BAY .
With most of her top superstructure removed and with the holes visible in her
hull for diving access as she goes to her new home.

Moment of truth as HMS SCYLLA is detonated. The explosives were detonated
by 12-year-old Daniel Green, from Ivybridge, Devon,
 accompanied by environmentalist David Bellamy.

The controlled sinking begins

Less than a minute and she's almost gone.

A spume of water then just smoke and bubbles-she gone!
After clearance by Royal Naval Divers she will available as a dive site
from Sunday 28th March.
Have fun diving her during 2004.
(Pictures by Tony Allen using Canon EOS Digital & 200mm telephoto Lens from one mile away)

Our picture above is off the 133 metre "HMS SCYLLA" weighing in at 2500 tons and is a Leander Class frigate which was the last warship to be built at Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth in 1968. She was retired from the Naval duties in 1993 and has been lying awaiting a new owner or the breakers yard.

"HMS SCYLLA" has just become the UK and Europe's first Artificial Reef. This happened on Saturday 27th March 2004 on a very grey day and not the best for photography, as you can see. No hint of sun or light here.

The vessel was purchased in 2003 at a cost of £200,000 ($380,000) by funding provided by the South West Regional Development Agency. The vessel has been "stripped" and "cleaned" from all contaminants, such as PCB's, Asbestos, Fuel and Engines Oils and has had sixty holes cut into her superstructure to allow divers to access all of her four decks. Three on-board web-cameras beamed the sinking live to screens at the Plymouth-based National Marine Aquarium.

Demolition man is 12-year old Daniel Green won a
BBC Newsround Competition to push down the big black plunger.

The sinking location was some 500 metres south of the "JAMES EGAN LAYNE" which lies in about 24 metres of water in Whitesand Bay, Cornwall and which was torpedoed on her maiden voyage in 1944.

The NATIONAL MARINE AQUARIUM (N.M.A) hope that after the vessel is sunk on March 27th, that further camera's will be fitted so that visitors to the N.M.A will be able to see via the Internet what marine life will be visiting the new wreck.

A new view from the bridge of the Scylla

This area will become a Diver's Paradise in the year 2004 so expect to see a lot of diving activity in the area of Plymouth and Whitesand Bay in Cornwall. This venture is expected to bring £1 million a year to the local economy.

 CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES OF HMS SCYLLA