U-boat wreck found in Atlantic Ocean waters

German researchers from the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation have announced the discovery of the wreck of the German submarine U-581. The sunken Class VIIC U-boat was found in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, near the Azores. The vessel lies at a depth of nearly 900 metres, and it was possible to find it and make a preliminary examination and identification, thanks to the use of the three-man submersible vehicle “LULA1000”.

Scientists have been studying the wreck since September 2016, but the information about its finding and identification, was made public only now. Along with the announcement, information was provided that, thanks to the possibilities offered by the underwater vehicle “LULA1000”, it was possible to record high-quality photo and video documentation. This provides a unique opportunity to observe the condition of the wreck and the development of the local flora and fauna, which took advantage of the sinking of the Kriegsmarine.

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Between 31 July 1941 and 1 February 1942, U-581 carried out two missions, during which her crew managed to sink one enemy ship – HMS “Rosemond”. In her final hours, together with another submarine, U-581 carried out a mission to sink a British convoy near the port of Horta in the Azores. Unfortunately for the German sailors, their presence was detected by the crew of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Westcott, which resulted in a successful attack with depth charges near the island of Pico.

However, luck favoured the crew of the U-boat, as they managed to abandon and sink the damaged vessel, so that it did not fall into enemy hands. Of the 46 sailors, 4 died in the water from the bomb blast, 41 were taken prisoner and 1… managed to escape. Officer Walter Sitek swam 6 km, made it to the Spanish shore and was then deported to Germany, where he managed to survive until the end of the war.

An undoubted curiosity is the information that U-581 is a sister unit of the famous U-boat 96, which is the setting of the legendary 1981 film “Das Boot”. A unit of this type (exactly the replica used in “Das Boot”) also appears in another cult film about the adventures of Dr Henry Walton Jones Jr, better known as Indiana Jones. Specifically, this is “The Searchers of the Lost Ark”.

Researchers from the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation, in consultation with Portuguese authorities, began the search for U-581 in spring 2016. Using high-tech sonar, they created a 3D map of the seabed in the region where the U-boat was most likely sunk. Luck smiled on the searchers on 13 September 2016, when a crew operating the LULA1000 submersible vehicle located the Kriegsmarine vessel lying on the bottom in two pieces.

Thanks to precise photographs, the ship’s identity has been confirmed, thus reducing the number of U-boats still to be found. However, this is not the end of the work of the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation employees. They intend to further explore the area around the wreck in order to create a unique documentary film about the discovery itself and the marine life in the deep and cold waters.

The LULA1000 is a manned, 3-person exploration vehicle, providing the opportunity to explore the deep sea to depths of up to 1000 metres. Its special design features a large 140 cm diameter PLEXIGLAS® window and advanced equipment for collecting oceanographic data, photo-video, audio, and environmental samples.

Source: rebikoff.org, navaltoday.com