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Finnish Diver Finds German WWII Submarine Near Estonia

Posted by timothy on from the they're-probably-all-dead-by-now dept.

jones_supa writes: A wreck of a German submarine, presumed lost more than 70 years ago, has been discovered near the Estonian coast. The submarine, which dates back to the Second World War, was found by Finnish diver Immi Wallin in July. The U-679 was apparently the last lost German u-boat in the Gulf of Finland. It was presumed destroyed by depth charges in January, 1945. However, the wreck was found in its own patrol zone, sunk by an underwater mine. After the wreck was discovered, the first dive down to its 90-metre grave was undertaken by a six-person group on September 10. The mission was to investigate the condition of the submarine and photograph it. Wallin says that she believes the submarine had remained lost due to the great depth at which it was destroyed.

16 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Depth by Kiaser+Zohsay · · Score: 5, Informative

    For reference, recreational diving is usually limited to 30 to 40 meters (90 to 120 feet). I've only been past 90 feet a couple of times myself, so this is pretty hard core.

    --
    I am not your blowing wind, I am the lightning.
    1. Re:Depth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      yes, that's nuts. I went to ~140 in Belize at the blue hole, and bottom time was limited to ~8 minutes. You can't do nitrox at this depth either, so it was some serious tech diving that they had to be doing.

    2. Re:Depth by pz · · Score: 2

      It goes to show how vastly different water is from air. I mean, yes, obviously there are differences, but we take them largely for granted except for those like the parent who intentionally explore them. 90 meters vertical difference is less than the height of many buildings (its, very roughly, 30 floors). In air, we barely think about that sort of altitude change.

      But in water, where every 10 m or so is an additional atmosphere of pressure, going down the same distance is a Big Frelling Deal. We may exist in a nice fat slab of the earth's atmosphere, but we are only surface dwellers on the water.

      One of the world's most famous vessels is Jacques Cousteau's Calypso. At 42 m long, she isn't a very big ship. If you put two Calypsos end-to-end vertically, that wouldn't quite reach the newly-discovered submarine.

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      Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
    3. Re:Depth by LordWabbit2 · · Score: 2

      Probably not, but you are forgetting one thing - old stuff sells. A Zippo lighter from that era would easily fetch $300, add in the place it was found etc. and you will probably get a lot more. Also you don't "risk the bends" it's bloody painful and can cause all sorts of permanent damage.

      --
      There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
    4. Re:Depth by Deadstick · · Score: 2

      If you put two Calypsos end-to-end vertically, that wouldn't quite reach the newly-discovered submarine.

      Looking at it a slightly different way, the length of submarines in that period was roughly equal to their normal maximum diving depth.

      I'm fond of pointing out that there really is no such thing as a "WW2 submarine". We had something we called submarines, but they were surface vessels that could submerge, once in a while, for a little while. The first real submarine hit the water in 1954.

  2. Re:Is this the 'Daily Nazi' or something? by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is the second article about WWII today. I wonder why. 'Refugee' propaganda not working? Add a little 'Holocaust' propaganda, that will make the goyim bow down before you... NOT.

    Evidence found on this sub will indicate the Nazis were closer to building the bomb than we ever realized.

  3. Re:Is this the 'Daily Nazi' or something? by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

    Because history doesn't count as "news for nerds"?

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  4. I doubt by LordWabbit2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I doubt that it was destroyed at that depth, that depth is just where it ended up AFTER it was damaged and could not surface.

    --
    There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
  5. Re:Is this the 'Daily Nazi' or something? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm a nerd, and I love this kind of news. It isn't like this is a sports team having to change their name... like they had on here earlier.

  6. Delimma by sycodon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    On the one hand, the members of the crew were probably Nazis in the technical sense...as in a member of the party.

    On the other hand, they were also probably just kids following the path that was laid out for them...join the party and fight or go to the camps.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:Delimma by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In 1945 I'd say it is unlikely very many of them were party members. Kids following orders, yes...

    2. Re:Delimma by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2

      Kriegsmarine was the least nazified Wehrmacht branch.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    3. Re:Delimma by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2

      In fact, your average German military man was NOT a member of the Nazi party--particularly in the Kriegsmarine, which on the whole didn't like the Nazis much (aside from SS formations, which were by definition all Nazis, the most Nazified of the armed forces was the Luftwaffe, thanks mainly to Herr Goering). Most likely there wasn't a single actual Nazi on the boat. Party membership wasn't handed out like party favors--it meant something. You had to earn it, and to earn it you had to want it. You had the choice of fighting for the party or going to the camps, but they never made you join.

  7. Re:Tech news by Coren22 · · Score: 2

    No, but they found a briefcase containing a sheet of paper with the name of a china pattern and a nice set of eye glasses inside.

    The sub was also full of gold.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  8. Re:Tech news by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2

    Was this some sort of experimental super sub carrying an early electro-mechanical computer

    Nope, just a run-of-the-mill Type VIIC, the most common U-boat. Germany made hundreds of 'em during the war.

  9. Re:7 Months after the War ended? by tehcyder · · Score: 2

    WWII ended at the beginning of May 1945. This sub continued operations another 7 months? How was it supplied?

    TFS said it sunk in January 1945, which to us normal human beings is 4 months before the end of the War.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it