Discovery of Two WWI Submarines: Beneath the depths of the sea floor, maritime archaeologists have made a captivating revelation, identifying the wrecks of two German submarines from the World War I era.
According to reports from local media outlet VRT NWS, these remarkable discoveries were made in the North Sea, just off the coast of Belgium.
These submarines met their fate during the war, falling prey to deadly mines. World War I stands as one of the deadliest global conflicts in history, claiming the lives of millions of military personnel and civilians alike.
Regarded as one of the pivotal geopolitical events of the 20th century, this conflict witnessed the downfall of four grand imperial dynasties, fueled the Russian Bolshevik Revolution, and planted the seeds for the outbreak of World War II two decades later.
Among the casualties of World War I were these two German submarines, now recently identified in the North Sea, a mere few miles away from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.
The North Sea, a maritime expanse encompassing Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, serves as the resting place for numerous shipwrecks, warplanes, and submarines—many of which remain nameless.
Though the existence of wrecks in the vicinity of the two German submarines had been known for some time, it is only recently that divers have been able to approach them closely, thanks to favorable water conditions.
For over a century, the location of these wrecks remained shrouded in mystery until divers successfully identified them this month.
Both submarines were employed by the Imperial German Navy, which held sway over the waters along the Belgian coast during World War I. One of the submarines, a “U-5” U-boat, stretched approximately 187 feet in length and had been commissioned prior to the war in 1910.
In December 1914, tragedy struck as this vessel sank off the Belgian coast, claiming the lives of all 29 crew members on board. It is believed that the submarine, armed with four torpedo tubes, fell victim to a mine near Zeebrugge. Remarkably, the wreck remains predominantly intact, standing as a well-preserved testament to the past.
The second submarine, a “U-14” U-boat, measured around 112 feet in length and was specifically designed for mine-laying operations. Before its deployment in the North Sea, the UC-14 had served in the Mediterranean Sea under the Austro-Hungarian navy.
These two submarines, remnants of a tumultuous era, offer a window into the naval history of World War I. Their discovery marks a significant milestone, shedding light on the untold stories hidden within the depths of the Belgian coast.
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