Lost at sea for 100 years
First World War U-boat found with all 23 crew still on board
THE wreck of a First World War U-boat has been found at the bottom of the North Sea, with the bodies of its 23 crew on board.
The German submarine, found by researchers off Belgium, is one of 11 known to have sunk in the area.
Belgian authorities are not giving the exact location to deter looters. Carl Decaluwe, governor of Western Flanders, said the find was “unique”.
He said: “The impact damage was at the front, but the submarine remains closed, and there are 23 people still on board.”
Belgian authorities have contacted the German embassy to discuss how to deal with the bodies. Mr Decaluwe said: “There are people on board. We need to see what we can do.”
The use of U-boats to disrupt UK trade routes in the Channel and North Sea was a key German tactic.
U-boats sank almost 5,000 ships carrying 13 million tons of cargo. The Germans, in turn, lost 178 U-boats and about 5,000 men.