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German U-Boat Discovered After Over A Century
A German U-boat lost for more than 100 years has been found on the seabed off the coast of East Anglia.
The First World War wreck was discovered by engineers working on a wind farm project in 2012, but it’s taken until now to identify it.
A scan of the wreck. Picture: Fugro / ScottishPower Renewables
It was initially thought that the submarine could be the last of seven the Netherlands lost in World War II, which is yet to be found.
Dutch Navy divers discovered that it was in fact the German-built U-31, however, which which went missing in 1915 with more than 30 crew onboard.
The submarine in action. Picture: Lamlash North Sea Diving
She is believed to have hit a mine around 55 miles off Caister on Sea in Norfolk, after leaving for a routine patrol from the north coast of Germany.
Just click above to watch video taken by divers of the sunken wreckage, laying on the sea bed in around 100 feet (30 metres) of water, being reclaimed by the sea.
What the sub would have looked like in her heyday. Picture: Fugro / ScottishPower Renewables
Mark Dunkley, marine archaeologist at Historic England, said:
“The discovery and identification of SM U-31... is a significant achievement. After being on the seabed for over a century, the submarine appears to be in a remarkable condition with the conning tower present and the bows partially buried.
“Relatives and descendants of those lost in the U-31 may now take some comfort in knowing the final resting place of the crew and the discovery serves as a poignant reminder of all those lost at sea, on land and in the air during the First World War.”
The find was made by a survey team which has been scanning the seabed in the Southern North Sea for over two years, in order to draw up plans for energy companies who are building a new wind farm.
"We looked across the maps we had and this wreck didn't appear on any of them so we knew pretty quickly that we'd found something really special," said Teri Nicklin of Scottish Power Renewables.
The wreck is now host to a variety of sea creatures. Credit: Lamlash North Sea Diving
The wreck of U-31 will remain in its final resting place, as an official maritime grave, with the wind farm developers having pledged that boat will not be disturbed by the installation of the new turbines.
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