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U-boat wreck uncovered off French coast

Listen to this article The sea has uncovered the wreck of a World War I German submarine. After decades spent under the sand near the village of Wissant, near Calais, on the northern coast of France, the remains of the Kaiserliche Marine vessel are slowly emerging. The wreck in the photos is the remains of

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: January 13, 2019 - 16:37

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 17:42

Listen to this article

The sea has uncovered the wreck of a World War I German submarine. After decades spent under the sand near the village of Wissant, near Calais, on the northern coast of France, the remains of the Kaiserliche Marine vessel are slowly emerging.

The wreck in the photos is the remains of the German submarine UC-61, which “anchored” here forever, in July 1917. The crew abandoned the ship and flooded its interior. In the 1930s, the U-boat was practically invisible under the layer of accumulated sand.

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Today it is again visible to visitors to the northern coast of France, but local experts advise people not to get used to the sight, as it is most likely temporary and soon the sea will bury the wreck again. Two sections of the U-boat are currently visible.

[blockquote style=”2″]”The wreck appears briefly, every 2-3 years, depending on the tides and the wind, which determines the movement of the sandy bottom. However, all it takes is a good gust of wind and it disappears again buried in the bottom,” said Bernard Bracq, mayor of Wissant.[/blockquote]

D’autres photos.
Si vous venez sur Wissant, consultez au préalable l’horaire des marées sur le site…

Published by Vincent les 2 caps Thursday, 3 January 2019

Vincent Schmitt, who works as a local guide, has a different opinion. Everyone in the area knows about the wreck, which has been partially uncovered in recent years, but has never been so visible.

Ship UC-61 is quite a piece of history. Experts on the subject claim that it is responsible for sinking as many as 11 vessels. Whether by direct hit or by laying mines. On its last mission, the ship left Zeebrugge in Belgium and headed for Boulogne-sur-Mer and on to Le Havre to lay more mines. It was then that it ran aground.

The 26 crew members, having no other option, flooded the ship and then surrendered to the French.

Source: euronews.com

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About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.