WreckfinderBritish liner · Sunk 23 May 1918
HMS Moldavia wreck
The HMS Moldavia is a British liner wreck lying more than 20 nautical miles off Selsey in Sussex. The top of the wreck is about 28 m down on a 47 m seabed. She sank on 23 May 1918. The exact GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
- Top of wreck28 m
- Seabed47 m
- Nearest harbourSelsey
- ConditionIntact
Get the exact mark for the HMS Moldavia
The HMS Moldavia is one of 1,558 wrecks in Sussex waters in the Wreckfinder app. Premium shows the exact GPS position to put in your chartplotter, plus your distance to it at sea.
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Are you fishing or diving the HMS Moldavia?
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Fishing the HMS Moldavia
What you might catch
- PollackAll year, best late summer to winter
- Conger eelAll year, best on summer nights and neap tides
- PoutingAll year
- LingAll year, bigger fish in deeper water
- CodMostly autumn and winter
- WhitingAutumn and winter
Typical for wrecks like this (draft, until we have catch reports). Caught something here? Tell us.
Tide and method
Tide: Deep wreck. Neap tides and the slack water around high or low tide give you the best chance of holding bottom over it.
Method: A standing wreck. Anchor uptide and fish baits back into the wreck and scour for conger and ling, or drift over the top with shads for pollack.
Report a catch
Fished the HMS Moldavia? Tell Dusty what you caught, when, and what worked. With your OK we'll add it to this page so other anglers know what's biting.
Diving the HMS Moldavia
The dive
The top of the wreck is about 28 m down on a 47 m seabed. That is a deep dive that needs the right training, gas planning and a good skipper.
Condition: Intact, on port side, bows sw (from the last survey).
Before you dive
- This is a military wreck. Military wrecks may be protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and some are war graves. Look, don't touch, and check before you dive.
- Anything you recover from a wreck must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck.
- Plan around slack water and check the weather. Skippers who know the wreck make all the difference.
History of the HMS Moldavia
A P&O liner built in 1903 at Greenock and taken over as an armed merchant cruiser in 1915. On 23 May 1918, carrying American troops to the war, she was torpedoed by UB-57. Fifty-six American soldiers were lost.
| Type | British liner |
|---|---|
| Sunk | 23 May 1918 |
| Tonnage | 9,500 tons gross |
| Length | 158.8 m |
| Beam | 17.7 m |
| Cargo | Personnel |
| Top of wreck | 28 m |
| Seabed | 47 m |
| Area | Sussex (nearest harbour Selsey) |
Where is the HMS Moldavia wreck?
The HMS Moldavia lies more than 20 nautical miles off Selsey, in Sussex. We don't publish exact positions on the website. The GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
Other wrecks in Sussex
- PentyrchBritish steamship, 1918
- T R ThompsonBritish steamship, 1918
- City of BrisbaneBritish steamship, 1918
- MiraBritish tanker, 1917
HMS Moldavia wreck: questions
How deep is the HMS Moldavia wreck?
The top of the wreck is about 28 m down on a 47 m seabed.
Where is the HMS Moldavia wreck?
It lies more than 20 nautical miles off Selsey in Sussex. The exact GPS position is in the Wreckfinder app.
Can you fish the HMS Moldavia?
Yes. Wrecks like this typically hold pollack, conger eel, pouting, ling. A standing wreck. Anchor uptide and fish baits back into the wreck and scour for conger and ling, or drift over the top with shads for pollack.
Can you dive the HMS Moldavia?
The top of the wreck is about 28 m down on a 47 m seabed. That is a deep dive that needs the right training, gas planning and a good skipper.
How do I get the GPS coordinates for the HMS Moldavia?
Download Wreckfinder, search for HMS Moldavia, and Premium shows the exact position to enter in your chartplotter.
Got a question about the HMS Moldavia?
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