The shipwreck was confirmed to be a British cruiser that was sunk by a torpedo during World War I, killing over 500 sailors

A shipwreck discovered off the coast of Scotland was confirmed to be a British cruiser that was sunk by a torpedo during World War I, killing more than 500 crew on board, British military officials have revealed.

The wreck of HMS Hawke was found in “remarkable” condition this summer by a volunteer diving team about 70 miles east of Fraserburgh. Royal Navy experts said on Friday that analysis of videos, photos and scans had confirmed the ship's identity.

On October 15, 1914, a German submarine captained by submarine ace Otto Weddigen attacked HMS Hawke, killing 524 crew, officials said. The ship exploded and sank in less than eight minutes, with only 70 sailors surviving.

A month before the sinking of HMS Hawke, the same submarine sank three Royal Navy cruisers within an hour, killing more than 1,450 sailors and Royal Marines.

HMS Hawke was in August about six miles from where British maritime authorities estimated it was in the early 1970s. Divers found it about 360 feet underwater.

The team consulted the war log of the submarine that sank Hawke, as well as the logs of the warships closest to the cruiser at the time of its sinking, officials said. Divers also looked at current maps of the North Sea to locate the possible wreck site.

“The wreck is in remarkable condition for a ship of this period, probably due to the depth and because it has never been dived before,” said Steve Mortimer, one of the divers. “It's a fascinating place. You can look through the open ships and see artifacts just lying there on the deck. There is plenty of Royal Navy crockery including teacups, plates and bowls. It’s a truly remarkable time capsule.”

Mortimer and his team also discovered two large cannons at the bow and stern, cannons on the sides of the ship, as well as an admiral's dock around the stern and navigation equipment.

Three years before her sinking, HMS Hawke made headlines in 1911 when she was damaged after a collision with the RMS Olympic – the Titanic's sister ship.

After the outbreak of World War I, the warship was tasked with enforcing Germany's naval blockade by patrolling between Scotland and Norway. The cruiser was doomed when she was sighted by U-9 about 80 miles east of Fraserburgh, Scotland, on October 15, 1914.

Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith told the BBC that the Navy appreciated the efforts to locate and identify wrecks across the UK

“Without these volunteers who dedicate their time to these projects, the resting places of many of our sailors may never be found and their sacrifices may never be forgotten, so we are very grateful,” she said.