WWII German submarines and speedboat finally located in Baltic and Mediterranean seas
Researchers have located three German WWII warship wrecks after more than 80 years underwater – two submarines in the Baltic Sea off Poland and a speedboat in the Mediterranean off Greece. Two of the sites also serve as underwater war graves.
After lying on the seabed for more than eight decades, three German warship wrecks from World War II have finally been located – two submarines in the Baltic Sea off the Polish coast and one vessel in the Mediterranean off Greece.
A submarine lost with all hands
The submarine U-583 was found in the Baltic Sea at a depth of about 65 metres, between the Danish island of Bornholm and the Polish ports of Kołobrzeg and Ustka. It was identified using modern technology by the Polish diving organisation Stowarzyszenie Wyprawy Wrakowe, and researchers say the wreck is preserved almost intact. U-583 was a training submarine of Germany's 5th Flotilla that sank in November 1941 after colliding with another submarine, killing all 45 crew members.
A second wreck off Poland's coast
In the same area of the Baltic, the submarine U-649 was also located. It sank in February 1943 following a similar collision with another German submarine. That accident killed 35 crew members, while 11 were rescued. Further details about the wreck's exact location and condition have not yet been released.
Both Baltic wrecks also serve as underwater graves for the submariners who died aboard them. Germany's War Graves Commission is calling for the sites to be left undisturbed, citing concerns about potential looting. A representative of the organisation criticised Poland's recent relaxation of rules protecting underwater cultural heritage, warning that it increases risks to such sites, since cases of war-grave looting have already been recorded in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere.
A speedboat in the Mediterranean
Off the coast of Greece, at a depth of 96 metres, the research team AegeanTec located the German speedboat LS 6 after a search lasting several years. It is believed to be the only surviving vessel of its series preserved in such good condition, and it rests on the seabed in an upright position. The 15-metre boat was severely damaged in September 1943 and sank while being towed for repairs. Historical records indicate there were no casualties when it went down.
It remains unclear what will happen to the newly located wrecks.
