Baltictech Group has published a summary of the Karlsruhe 2021 expedition

The Baltictech group has published a summary on its website giving a behind-the-scenes look at the Karlsruhe 2021 expedition.

It is certainly worth emphasising that the expedition to the wreck of the SS Karlsruhe was the largest undertaking of its kind in the history of the group. The whole thing was preceded by meticulous preparations, both in formal and logistical matters. Now we have the opportunity to read a summary, which the Baltictech divers, together with a rich photo gallery, published on their website.

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Since the discovery of the wreck of the German steamer SS Karlruhe In the spring of 2020, it aroused many emotions. Unknown and never before unexplored shipwreckwhich was the last to leave the besieged Königsberg. One must admit that such a description fired the imagination of many people. The more so as the holds of the wreck and its deck were filled with many boxes of undetermined content.

We have been preparing for the comprehensive research of this wreck for almost a year. That is, from the moment when we realised that the object discovered by us in April 2020 is the German steamer SS Karlsruhe, which was one of the last to leave the port of Piława just before the Red Army occupied Königsberg.

Thesteamer SS Karlsruhe was built in the G. Seebec Bremerhaven shipyard in 1905. The ship measured almost 67 metres long and just over 10 metres wide. On her last voyage, the ship set off on 11 April 1945 from Piława, which was then one of the ports of Königsberg.

It was important because not only refugees, but also equipment goods and looted goods were taken out of East Prussia by this route. The ship took 360 tons of cargo, including military equipment and so-called “returnable goods”. It was virtually untouched at the time of discovery. In the holds we discovered military vehicles, porcelain and many crates.

First lecture on Karlsruhe 2021 expedition

We would like to invite everyone who is interested in the fate of SS Karlsruhe and the backstage of the expedition to Warsaw. This Wednesday, 13 October, opening of the new Santi Concept Store will be honoured with Tomasz Stachura’s lecture on the subject. It will be the first time when the head of Baltictech will present the details of the whole undertaking.

Project sponsors

The entire project was financed from private funds. The main sponsor of the expedition is the SANTI company, which for years has been supporting the project of searching for the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł. Moreover, Glomar Offshore, the owner of the vessel Glomar Vantage, and the companies Suex, JJ-CCR, TopWave, CNT Gdynia and Born2Dive, which supported the project with their equipment.

Will a thorough exploration of the wreckage of the SS Karlsruhe reveal what the Germans were trying to export on the last transport from besieged Königsberg? You will read more in the 15th issue of the quarterly DIVERS24! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while the printed version can be purchased from our sklepie internetowym</strong