NORWEGIAN scientists mapping the biology and geology of the seabed stumbled upon 'a graveyard' off the coast of Rogaland. 

The wreck of what is probably Barrow-built HMS Thistle was discovered 83 years after she met her end on April 10, 1940, after she was sunk by a German U-boat in the early naval exchanges of World War Two. None of the 53 crew members survived.

The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research team identified HMS Thistle but only the Royal Navy can conclusively confirm if this is the correct submarine. There was some initial discussion when the wreck was discovered if it might be the resting place of HMS Oxley, which was also built at Vickers shipyard in Barrow. 

HMS Oxley was accidentally sunk by another British submarine. Two of the crew survived, while 53 perished. 

The discovery was made in connection with a research cruise conducted through the MAREANO programme. The submarine was discovered this spring, but it is only now after a second cruise in October has it been possible to identify which vessel it likely is.

It was clear that the wreck was a British submarine after the institute contacted experts from both the Norwegian and British navies. 

Senior engineer Kyell Bakkeplass said: "After examining the wreck using a camera, we could quickly establish that it was a submarine." 

The site HMS Thistle was found in had no previous association with being a wreck site, making identification more difficult: "At that time, navigators used bearings and squares and not GPS as they do today. This means that the position for the sinking is inaccurate", said Bakkeplass.

Now HMS Thistle rests at a depth of 160 meters outside Rogaland in south-western Norway. Since it is a submarine that was sunk during war, the vessel is to be considered a war grave. According to maritime law, The British Royal Navy maintain right of ownership.

Postdoctoral fellow Kyree Heldal Kartviet, who was part of the team that discovered the HMS Thistle, said: "It isn't every day you find these wrecks. Our jobs are to map out the bed and ecosystem. Every now and then we stumble across a wreck but this was clearly something else I had never come across. 

"It was a very eerie experience. We knew it was most likely a graveyard. It was exciting but I'm not sure how to describe it. It was a feeling of utmost respect."