Windfarm developers scanning the southern North Sea floor off the coast of Norfolk for future offshore windfarm projects have discovered the remains of an uncharted German U-boat missing in action since 1915. ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall scanned the seabed with advanced sonar technology for two years. They covered more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,317 square miles) and discovered more than 60 wrecks in the process, most of them were known. The submarine came as a surprise.
When it was first discovered at a depth of 98 feet about 55 miles east of the Norfolk coast, experts couldn’t be sure which wreck it was. The find was reported to the Receiver of Wreck in the UK, but the scanning company, Dutch contractors Fugro, suggested they contact the Royal Netherlands Navy in case the wreck was of a Dutch submarine from World War II the Dutch Navy has been looking for: military submarine HNLMS O13, last seen in June 1940 while on a mission to patrol the sea between Denmark and Norway. It is The Netherlands’ last unaccounted for missing World War II submarine.
A team of Dutch Navy divers explored the wreck and filmed it in the hopes of getting enough information to conclusively identify the submarine. They found the wreck was 57.6 meters (189 feet) long, 4.1 meters (13.5 feet) wide and 4.6 meters (15 feet) high. Some damage at the bow and stern may have trimmed off some length. Debris found around the wreck suggests it was originally more than 60 meters (197 feet) long. The footage of the submarine captured the conning tower and deck which marked it as a German vessel. Researchers were able to match it to the Type U-31 German World War I U-boat, the first in a series of eleven sequentially numbered submarines built between 1912 and 1915. Only U-31 and U-34 were known to have been in the area before their disappearance.
The wreck was found in September of 2012. It has taken more than three years to finally identify it as U-31.
Mark Dunkley, marine archaeologist at Historic England adds: “SM U-31 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy in September 1914. On 13th January 1915, the U-31 slipped its mooring and sailed north-west from Wilhelmshaven for a routine patrol and disappeared. It is thought that U-31 had struck a mine off England’s east coast and sank with the loss of its entire complement of 4 officers, 31 men.” […]
“The discovery and identification of SM U-31 by ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, lying some 91km east of Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, 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.”
Because it is an official military maritime grave, the wreck will not be excavated or disturbed. Any future windfarms built in the area will be done without interference with the grave site.
Here’s some wonderful raw footage of the dive by Lamlash North Sea Diving. It’s some of the best underwater exploration footage I’ve seen. You get to see the divers at work in the environment, the light adjustments, the changes in visibility; it’s not just still-worthy shots of the U-boat spliced together. Also the crabs rule there now. That blue crab at the end is clearly claiming the vessel as his own.
Waandaaji wa mashamba ya upepo wakichunguza bahari ya kaskazini kusini mwa pwani ya Norfolk kwa ajili ya miradi ya baadaye ya mashamba ya upepo ya pwani wamegundua mabaki ya U-boti ya Ujerumani ambayo haijawahi kuchorwa kwenye ramani tangu 1915. Kampuni ya Scottish Renewable Power (SPR) na kampuni ya Vattenfall ilichunguza sakafu ya bahari kwa kutumia teknolojia ya hali ya juu ya sonar kwa miaka miwili. Walitazama eneo la kilomita za mraba 6,000 na kugundua zaidi ya mabaki 60 ya meli, ambayo mengi yalijulikana. Chombo hicho cha chini ya maji kilikuja kikiwa cha kushangaza. Wakati iligunduliwa kwa mara ya kwanza katika kina cha mita 98 karibu maili 55 mashariki mwa pwani ya Norfolk, wataalamu hawakuweza kuwa na uhakika ni meli gani iliyopotea. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya kampuni ya ""Receiver of Wreckage"" ya Uingereza, kampuni ya uchunguzi ya Uholanzi ya Fugro imependekeza kuwasiliana na Royal Netherlands Navy ikiwa mabaki ya meli ya chini ya maji ya Uholanzi ya Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia, ambayo ilikuwa ikifuatwa na HNMS O13 iliyotokea mwezi Juni 1940 wakati wa safari ya doria kati ya Denmark na Norway." Ni Uholanzi ya mwisho unaccounted kwa kukosa Vita Kuu ya Pili submarine. Kikosi cha wapiga mbizi wa Jeshi la Wanamaji la Uholanzi kilitazama na kupiga filamu ya meli hiyo iliyozama, kwa matumaini ya kupata habari za kutosha kuweza kutambua meli hiyo. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na urefu wa mita 57.6, upana wa mita 4.1, na urefu wa mita 4.6. Huenda baadhi ya uharibifu katika sehemu ya mbele na nyuma wa meli hiyo ulipunguza urefu wake. Mabaki ya meli hiyo yaligunduliwa na kuonekana kuwa yalikuwa na urefu wa mita 60 au zaidi. Picha za nyambizi hiyo zilionyesha mnara wa kuongoza na sakafu ambayo ilionyesha kuwa ni meli ya Ujerumani. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, meli hiyo ilikuwa ""U-31"" ya Ujerumani ya Vita vya Kwanza vya Ulimwengu, iliyotengenezwa kati ya 1912 na 1915."" U-31 na U-34 zilikuwa katika eneo hilo kabla ya kutoweka. Meli hiyo iligunduliwa Septemba mwaka 2012. "Ilichukua zaidi ya miaka mitatu kugundua kwamba ilikuwa ni ""U-31.""" "Mark Dunkley, mtaalamu wa vitu vya kale vya baharini katika Historic England, anaongeza: ""SM U-31 iliwekwa katika Jeshi la Wanamaji la Ujerumani mnamo Septemba 1914."" Januari 13, 1915, U-31 iliondoka kwenye meli ya Wilhelmshaven na kuhamia kaskazini magharibi kwa ajili ya doria ya kawaida. U-31 iligonga mgodi kwenye pwani ya mashariki ya Uingereza na kuzama na kupoteza wafanyakazi wake wote, maafisa wanne na watu 31, na kugundua na kutambua U-31 na Scottish Power Renewables na Vattenfall, iliyoko kilomita 91 mashariki mwa Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, ni mafanikio makubwa. Baada ya kukaa chini ya bahari kwa zaidi ya karne moja, meli hiyo ya chini ya maji inaonekana kuwa katika hali nzuri sana, ikiwa na mnara wa kuongoza na upinde uliofunikwa sehemu fulani. "Wazazi na wazao wa wale waliopotea katika U-31 sasa wanaweza kupata faraja fulani katika kujua mahali pa mwisho pa kupumzika kwa wafanyakazi na ugunduzi hutumika kama ukumbusho wenye kuumiza wa wale wote waliopotea baharini, ardhini na hewani wakati wa Vita vya Kwanza vya Ulimwengu. """ Mashamba yoyote ya upepo ya baadaye yaliyojengwa katika eneo hilo yatafanywa bila kuingilia eneo la kaburi. Hapa ni baadhi ya filamu nzuri ya mbichi ya kupiga mbizi na Lamlash North Sea Diving. Ni baadhi ya picha bora za utafutaji wa chini ya maji ambazo nimewahi kuona. Unaweza kuona wapiga mbizi wakifanya kazi katika mazingira, marekebisho ya taa, mabadiliko katika maono; si tu picha za U-boti zilizounganishwa pamoja. Pia crabs kutawala huko sasa. Ni wazi kwamba kamba huyo wa bluu aliye mwisho anadai kwamba chombo hicho ni chake.