HMS Cassandra, HMS Myrtle and HMS Gentian were lost as they fought to keep Estonia out of the hands of Vladimir Lenin after his seizure of power in Russia.

The three vessels were part of British squadrons sent to the Baltic Sea in 1918-19 to extend support and deliver arms to the newly created state of Estonia, which was fighting for its independence against both Soviet Bolsheviks and German troops.

'We are confident that these are the British ships in question which were lost during the War of Independence,' announced the Estonian Navy's chief of staff Commander Ivo Vark. He said that the last co-ordinates of the vessels — reported by then British squadron commander Adm. Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair — were "surprisingly accurate" and helped the search substantially.

Estonain independence
Almost a century later, the role of the Royal Navy is regarded as heroic by Estonians, and seen as a key factor in enabling the country to enjoy two decades of independence before being overrun by both Hitler and Stalin in World War II.

A total of 19 crew died in when the three vessels went down between December 1918 and July 1919. The lost Royal Navy sailors are now expected to be posthumously honoured by Estonia for their role in keeping the country free between the two world wars in the 20th century.

War graves
The wrecks belong legally to the British government and are likely to be given official protection as war graves. The bodies of three crew of the Myrtle and Gentian are buried in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, but not all were recovered. One lieutenant, Henry Macdonald, was awarded the distinguished service cross after the tragedy for "displaying seamanship of the highest order".

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