German U-Boats from WWII Discovered in Baltic Sea

Two German submarines from World War II have been located on the floor of the Baltic Sea in Polish waters. The U-583 and U-649 both went down during training missions after colliding with other German vessels, resulting in heavy loss of life in both incidents.

The U-583 was found on July 15, lying east of Bornholm Island near the edge of Poland's exclusive economic zone. Resting at a depth of approximately 65 meters (213 feet), the submarine remains relatively well-preserved, though portions are entangled in fishing nets. All 45 crew members aboard perished when the vessel sank.

The U-649 was also discovered on the seabed. In that incident, 35 crew members were killed, while 11 managed to survive. Both submarines are now classified as maritime war graves.

Christian Lübke, representing a German organization responsible for war graves, warned that such wreck sites containing the remains of fallen servicemen could become targets for divers seeking to remove artifacts from the debris. German authorities are considering establishing restricted zones around the sites to prevent unauthorized diving expeditions.

In a separate discovery in the Ionian Sea off the Greek coast, researchers and divers have located an exceptionally rare German vessel: the LS 6, a fast attack craft measuring approximately 15 meters in length that sank in 1943.

The vessel was found at a depth of 96 meters near the Preveza region, following years of research and searching. According to researchers, this represents the only known surviving example of its type, and it has been preserved in remarkable condition.

The LS 6 was constructed from aluminum and designed as a lightweight, high-speed craft. In September 1943, it was damaged during an attack and subsequently sank while being towed for repairs. For more than eight decades it remained beneath the waves, until a team of divers successfully located and identified it.