[1][2] On 8 August 1869, she collided with and sank the British schooner Mary Bottwood off Hastings, Sussex, United Kingdom, killing three of her four crew and rescuing the survivor.

The paddle tug Liverpool was dispatched at daylight on 7 December, reaching the Deutschland via the sequence of light vessels, and embarked all 173 still alive on the wreck.

[6] It was not usual to hold such an enquiry in the case of a foreign registered vessel being wrecked outside the three-mile limit, and it may have been done to respond to the criticisms which had been raised regarding the delay in coming to the ship's aid.

Charles Butt QC, who had been briefed by the German government, stated that it was surprising that "a large steamer with upwards of 200 persons aboard should have lain on a dangerous sand close to the English coast for thirty hours before any assistance came to her".

[6] The enquiry eventually exonerated everyone of any blame except Captain Brickenstein, who, it was decided, had "let his vessel get ahead in its reckoning" and "shown a very great want of care and judgement".

It lies at a general depth of 14 m. While it could not be definitely identified, its size, condition, and items found by the maritime archeologist Andreas Stolpe in 2005 suggest that it is that of the Deutschland.