Diving at dive site MVS Leinster
| Name Dive Site: | MVS Leinster |
| Depth: | 25-30m (82-98ft) |
| Inserted/Added by: | tridentsubaquaclub |
| Rated: | Rated 5.0, 1 votes |
| Specifications: |    |
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The MVS Leinster was a Dublin Steam Packet vessel carrying 796 passengers, 501 were lost after the ship was struck by two torpedoes of UB-123 14 knots from Dublin on 1 October 1918 one month prior to the end of WW1. The ship was carrying troops making it a viable target for the U-Boat captain. Captain Birch of the Leinster could not secure an escort and was advised by the Admiralty to use the boats speed (avg 20 knots) and to a zig-zag maneuvering technique to avoid attack. The sister ship Ulster had zigzagged past u-boat 123 and into the safety of Dun Laoighre making it a difficult target. The U-boat captain could not believe his luck when he saw the Leinster approaching from Dun Laoghaire and not zig zagging. The first torpedo missed but a second hit port side toward the bow. A third torpedo crippled the ship sinking it in minutes.
The main midship hull is still pretty much intact, the bow is badly damaged to port but stands erect and appears separated from the main part of the wreck through the damaged area. The Leinster must be dived at slack water as the area is prone to strong currents. It is located 12 miles offshore and found accurately by taking simultaneous readings from a fish finder and GPS. The wreck lies in 25m to 30m and can be quite dark.
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