After more than four decades, all eleven German submarine wrecks dating from the Great War, found in Belgian waters of the North Sea, have been identified. The only wreck that had not yet been identified was that of the UB-57, a large 55-metre-long submarine. ‘It was a notorious vessel that the Germans used to sink 46 ships,’ says diver and maritime archaeologist Tomas Termote.
Eleven wrecks of German submarines dating from World War I have been identified in Belgian territorial waters in the North Sea. Most came a cropper by sailing into mines. One was wrecked by the explosion of a bomb dropped from the air, while another sank as a result of the impact of a torpedo. Over the last 40 years, research has been carried out to examine, study, document and identify all these wrecks in detail.
One, located in the westernmost part of Belgian waters, near the border with France remained unidentified. Scientists struggled to identify the wreck but have now succeeded.
"An incredible moment"
It was diver and maritime archaeologist Tomas Termote, who managed to identify the wreck of the UB-57, a 55-metre-long submarine. Ultimately it was the wreck's starboard propeller that led to the identification. Tomas Termote: ‘It was an incredible moment when, while diving, I saw the number UB-57 on that propeller.’
The wreck lies on the seabed near the Westhinder Sandbank, in waters some 17 metres deep. The wreck is buried in the sand. "To identify the wreck, it had to be uncovered with the help of a vessel from the dredging company DEME. We took great care not to damage the wreck. After identification, we carefully covered the wreck with sand once again to protect the remains for the future."
A seamen's grave
The UB-57 is known as a notorious submarine. Tomas Termote compares the vessel to the Red Baron’s plane. The Red Baron was a German pilot, who shot down 80 aircraft in World War I. "The submarine only entered service in 1917, at the end of the war. In a short time, it sunk 46 ships. On 14 August 1918, the UB-57 itself sank, presumably after being hit by a mine in a British minefield off the Flemish coast."
There were 34 crew members on board. Five of them washed up a week later in Zeebrugge and Flushing (The Netherlands). This means the wreck now probably still contains the remains of the other 29 crew members. Carl Decaluwé, governor of West Flanders Province: "This is a seamen’s grave. 29 people are actually buried in that submarine. And we have to treat it with respect. Because the wreck is more than 100 years old, it is protected in any case. Digging up the wreck is not an option."
World class maritime heritage
Governor Carl Decaluwé speaks of an example of world class maritime heritage. "The wreck is almost intact. Specialists say that very few wrecks around the world are ever so well preserved."