We were attacked by ‘strange beast’, submarine captain claimed

It’s like something from the imagination of Jules Verne.

The wreck of a German U-boat that sank almost 100 years ago has been discovered off Scotland.

Sonar images, collected by engineers laying subsea power cables off the Galloway coast, have revealed that the submarine remains largely intact.

And while experts believe the vessel could be the UB-85– whichsankin 1918, according to official records – another story has long been associated with the boat and its commander, Captain Krech.

The captain, when questioned why he had been cruising on the surface, related how the sub had been recharging batteries at night when “a strange beast" rose from the sea.

He described a creature with “large eyes, set in a horny sort of skull. It had a small head, but teeth that could be seen glistening in the moonlight."

The entire crew of the Uboat was reported to have abandoned ship due to the “monster attack".

Krech claimed that the submarine was so damaged in its battle with the “monster", that it could no longer submerge.

Dr Innes McCartney, a historian and nautical archaeologist who helped identify the wreckage, does not believe the tale. “In reality, the real sea monster here was the U-boat which was trying to sink ships.

“The submarine was caught on the surface at night, recharging its batteries. It saw the patrol ship coming. It attempted to do a ‘crash dive’ to get away.

“Once the submarine was under water, it rapidly started flooding from above, so the crew had no option but to blow all the compressed air they had, bringing the submarine to the surface at which point all they could do was surrender."

He added tales of sea monstersandhauntedsubmarines abounded due to secrecy surrounding the first U- boat war which meant the period was “ripe for conspiracies".

The find was made off Stranraer by engineers involved in the £1bnWestern Link project to lay a subsea power line between Ayrshire and the Wirral.

Gary Campbell, the keeper of the Official Sightings Register of the Loch Ness Monster, claimed it was “entirely feasible" a sea creature disabled the submarine.

He added: “The World War I report from the captain of the British ship HMS Hilary a year earlier makes it clear seafarers were well aware of large sea ‘monsters' that could be harmful to their ships."

“Seafarers were aware of sea ‘monsters' that could be harmful to their ships”

WRECKAGE: A sonar image of the UB-85 which is lying on the seabed off the coast of Stranraer

HMS Coreopsis, which engaged sub UB-85 as the U-boat sank in the Irish Sea