Wrecks of Melbourne - HMAS J7 and HMVS Cerberus

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@JohnSmith-jj2yd]

@@Drachinifel What speed did WWI era fleets actually cruise at? Wondering this since the K class videos, because presumably a coal fired fleet wouldn't be maintaining 21 knots from the minute they upped anchor in Scapa until they returned, whereas subs like these with various diesel/kerosene/etc engines could maintain higher speeds relatively continuously (excusing range reduction issues). Surely a 19 knot submarine could keep up with the fleet until it got into battle formation?

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

I've recently come across the blueprints for a cargo ship that was described as a "cattle carrier" and I'm curious did any nations have dedicated"horse carrier" ships to help them move cavalry or artillery pulling horses? Or were horses just put wherever on standard cargo ships? Could you talk a bit about how this would be done? I own a horse myself and I'm curious how they were transported overseas

[@Drachinifel]

@@JohnSmith-jj2yd depending on the fleet and urgency, anywhere from 12 to 18 knots. The main problem was that the subs were expected to be there on the front lines when battle was joined, so a fleet sub that would be left behind when the fleet went to full speed would never reach the battle unless the captain was also a prophet 😀

[@ACookingComb8707]

Hey Drach, I’ve got a question that’s on the simpler side(at least I think it is.) What actually are the differences between Super-dreadnoughts and later battleships? I’ve got some idea of the Ironclad to Super-dreadnought progression, but I’m unsure where the line is drawn between the aforementioned ships.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Neither of us are alternate history fans. With that aside, what are your thoughts about the Venetian idea to dig the Suez canal earlier, to cut-off the Portuguese that were rounding the horn, and it's repercussions globally?

[@conradflanagan5003]

Funny to think that, 100 years from now, Drach's grandchild will be telling my grandchild about the archeological efforts on the wreck of the HMNZS Manawanui.

[@Triggernlfrl]

No glorifying human murder machines ever again in the future...

[@Duckless23]

It was a pleasure assisting you Alex with the research on the Cerb which I was introduced to in 1958 when we arrived in Black Rock. I was one of the many local kids who swam out to the vessel. We would climb on board and then jump into the hold and swim around inside the ship.

[@Carstuff111]

I honestly want to thank all of the folks like yourself, for going out and capturing footage like this and bringing us the history with it. I am the kind of person that could happily live in most any kind of museum, even if that means I had to help with the operation of said museum. Thank you for the work you do!!

[@williamlloyd3769]

Incredible that HMAS Cerberus was able to ballast down.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Its a trip that Cerberus still has its teak deck.

[@griffinblades8475]

The wreck in the thumbnail looks like the fossil of a giant alligator

[@Frankenspank67]

I thought it was your mom going for a swim...

[@nl-oc9ew]

I thought it was whale bones.

[@abyssaljam441]

It is actually the wreck of the oft forgotten gator class

[@neilscotter5191]

This being Australia it could well be😅

[@TheCaptainbeefylog]

HMVS Cerberus is in a protected zone. "It is an offence to enter, anchor, fish, trawl or dive in a protected zone without a permit. People found within a protected zone without a permit can be issued with on-the-spot fines of over $295 and multiple fines can be issued if more than one offence is detected. If prosecuted, people may be issued with fines of more than $7000." The zone around Cerberus is 0.5 hectares in size around her. People still fish around her though, as long as they don't get too close. She was a popular snorkeling spot for spearguns.

[@questionmark05]

Another Australian ship, Thank you!

[@ph89787]

Fun Fact Drach. One of my uncles served as a harbor pilot in Melbourne.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

Is this his fault?!

[@Drachinifel]

That must've been fun!

[@ph89787]

@@Drachinifel he had a few stories. He also did some time in Brisbane. Apparently he used to J-turn the ships between the Brisbane River and Breakfast Creek near Hamilton.

[@mathewkelly9968]

I've been on the Cerberus , I pestered you to cover it for so long

[@donarcher7002]

Interesting thing about the Cerberus, is the thing that looks like a funnel is not. It has observation slots all around it and not much room inside it (I was one of the kids that used to swim out to it almost 60 years ago). There were moving sand bars that you could stand on some times to get a bit of rest on the way to and from. Tidal range is about a meter in the bay. Did you see the gun that fired the first shot of the First world War at Point Nepean? 6" Navel gun and it fired on a German merchant ship trying to get out of Port Philip Bay before people realised we were at War with Germany. The Observation slots can be seen, just down from the top if you look hard on the video

[@mitchelloates9406]

I noticed those slots. I was initially thinking it was an armored funnel, as in the era in which Cerberus was built, putting holes in the funnel would compromise the draft on the boilers, and impair the ship's mobility in combat. But then Drach gave us that side view, I saw the slots, and realized that instead it was an armored conning tower.

[@chriskortan1530]

I believe you are mistaken. At 19:15 in the video you can clearly see it's a funnel as there is smoke billowing out of it. At 17:15 the schematic shows a "Captain's Observatory " at #8, which seems the equivalent of a conning tower with vision slots. That is a much smaller structure and would have been where the large gap in the deck is seen.

[@Shadamehr100]

First saw Cerberus as a kid back in the '60s. Kind of sad she's still there, history rotting away. First I've heard about the subs !

[@792slayer]

Pretty cool to see these hulls.

[@ChrisG-pm3py]

Great video, have been patiently waiting to see this since we met you on the pier that day while you filmed this. Thank you.

[@michaels.5878]

Those stairs on the sides of the Graving Dock @ 11:50 gives me nightmares. 😳

[@pete7182]

Awesome 😎. Thanks 🙏

[@robertbelcher5068]

I pick oysters off those wrecks. Hi Drach.

[@John.0z]

I am still a little bit peeved with myself for not knowing about J7 when I went out of my way to see Cerberus, from a distance, when I was down in Melbourne years ago.

[@Quasarnova1]

For a harder to get to mostly submerged wreck, there's Kikuzuki in the Solomon Islands. For easier to access breakwater wrecks there Suzutsuki, Fuyutsuki, and Yanagi in Kitakyushu. Suzutsuki and Fuyutsuki were both participants in Operation Ten-Go, but sadly they are completely encased in concrete, only Yanagi's hull is actually visible.

[@MoonfirePone]

This is the earliest i have been on a vid, and its awesome that it is on a Drach vid

[@Rickkennett143]

Saw J 7 up close and personal years ago when public access was still permitted

[@adriaandeleeuw8339]

Just a little something to add.....the guns on either side of the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, were the first to fire from allied forces in both WORLD Wars I believe.

[@MrGoesBoom]

Would absolutely love it if someone ever goes inside J7 while the pressure hull is still relatively intact. Be neat to see what the insides look like. Just from the exterior ( and the time of it's construction ) it looks like it would be very very cramped inside.

[@stephenfarthing3819]

The problem is in the practice! It might not be easy to get her out of the water. It might depend on the ability to find the most likely way of doing so!

[@John.0z]

Drach, considering the engines of the J-class, and other RN submarines; is there a book you know of that details the progression of the engines used, including in the WW2 era? Most of the sources I have will note the power, and maybe number of cylinders, but little else.

[@rackstraw]

1:58 The entrance into Port Phillip Bay via The Rip is...interesting.

[@dimasgirl2749]

J7 looks like a skeletal crocodile.

[@robinbinder8658]

last time i was this early my wife left me

[@nothim7321]

Ouch...

[@bearcatracing007]

She says Hi

[@nothim7321]

@@bearcatracing007 double ouch

[@scottlife1697]

5:36 doing Cat's 3524 before the 3524! Of course, they'd have killed for a 3524 at 145hp/cylinder.

[@scottroche9996]

I was just kind of curious as I was stationed on the USS Cape Cod, which was a destroyer tender in the 80s and 90s in the United States but I’ve never seen anything anywhere on destroyer or submarine tenders of the various world wars I mean these ships were actually unsung heroes when it came to battle damage repairs

[@bazhen_1239]

May I ask at which time you will arrive at Pisa.

[@salty4496]

👍

[@WalterReimer]

I'd raise HMVS Cerberus, get her back into a seaworthy operating condition, and use her as a mobile museum. But that's me.

[@malusignatius]

As much as it would be great to see Cerberus recovered/restored, getting the money together for that to happen is probably impossible. I doubt Victoria has the money spare for such a project, and I'm not even sure if Federal would have the legislative ability to organise funding (Someone who knows the relevant statutes and separation of powers lot better than I do would have to comment there). We just don't have the money that say, a US state does for historical projects.

[@montecarlo1651]

Thanks Drach, good too see both vessels. What's really lacking to save the Cerberus is political will. A great shame.

[@scottygdaman]

if you were given command of a thing with smoke stacks sticking up from the waterline would you think a..they've given me a sunken ship to commane. b.. it's a bbq. c.. I'm the most expendable guy in the navy .

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Its a K Boat?

[@leongt1954]

I can see lots of youtubers going to see the sub and annoying the hell out of the yacht club because I've lived in Mel most of my 70 years and didn't even know it was there

[@merlinwizard1000]

43rd, 11 October 2024

[@guysheppard7682]

There are six scuttled ww1 submarines out side the heads of the bay.

[@montecarlo1651]

Drach mentions these.

[@barrydysert2974]

You mentioned J 1 hitting 2 ships with 1, 4 torpedo salvo. This must be a 1 off event. Or am i wrong about this? Are there records of any other submarine or torpedo boat salvos being that lucky?

[@chrissouthgate4554]

I believe in the battles around Java (Battle of Sunda Strait?) one of the Japanese ships fired a Long Lance salvo that managed to hit several troop transports. Unfortunately, they were on the same side. Does this count?

[@ZIGSVIDS]

What about the Waratah , where is it ? wasn't it carrying gold ?

[@sirboomsalot4902]

She’d be off the coast of South Africa, and as far as I know she wasn’t carrying gold. Unless we are talking about a different Waratah

[@jimadamson8563]

Hello

[@orjeetghrajshingbade-d3d]

Martin Scott Martin Amy Thomas Charles

[@NoraNuessle]

Your videos always stand out from the crowd. Thank you for your creativity and unique way of looking at the world!🥝🥨🌟

[@greggschultz9256]

Two KZbin ads before the video begins, then, with less than one word on topic, your ad, and then directly into another KZbin ad. No thanks, I’m out of here.

[@crunchytheclown9694]

Plus you paid nothing

[@guineapigzed]

Pointless

[@EmilyKing-p5o5o]

Your videos are like little masterpieces. Thank you for your talent and effort.🥰🦛🗻

[@GrettaMcmanus1]

Your videos always bring me tons of fun and positivity! Thank you for your unrivaled geony and wit!🍖🚥😎