In November 1917, the long streak of luck of the German submarine UC-47 ended: It was sunk off the British coast. Now archaeologists have examined the wreck for the first time using high-resolution sonar and diving robots. The recordings reveal that the submarine, which is 50 meters deep, is still surprisingly well preserved. Even the damage sustained in their last battle is clearly visible, including the gaping hole from an explosion.
Launched in 1916, the UC-47 was a mine-laying submarine of the Imperial German Navy and was used 13 times during the First World War. During her voyages she sank 56 ships by torpedoes or the mines she laid. Because of these successes, UC-47 was considered a particularly lucky submarine in the German Navy.
Sunk off the British coast
But on November 18, 1917, the successful streak of the submarine and its crew ended abruptly: While sailing off the coast of Yorkshire in north-east England, the UV-47 was surprised by a patrol boat of the British Royal Navy – on the surface of the sea. Before the submarine could submerge, it was rammed by the ship. When he was diving, the British marines would send depth charges after him. As a result, the UC-47 sank with its entire crew and has since been around 20 nautical miles off the coast at a depth of 50 meters on the seabed.
“Today the submarine is marked as a shipwreck on navigation charts, but little was known about the condition of the wreck,” says Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz, director of the Offshore Archaeological Research Project at the University of Southampton. Because a new pipeline is now to cross the sea area where the submarine is moored, the underwater archaeologists were given the task of examining the remains of the UC-47. In the middle of lockdown due to the corona pandemic, they drove out to the wreck, mapped it with high-resolution sonar and then examined it with the help of diving robots and remote-controlled video cameras.
Gaping hole in the trunk
The sonar recordings already revealed that the submarine is surprisingly well preserved despite its more than 100 years on the ocean floor. Most of its hull is clearly visible above the sediment. On the sea floor around the wreck, some parts can be seen that were thrown out during fire or impact with the bottom, including one of the torpedo tubes. The fuselage of UC-47 also suffered several damage, video recordings revealed. Most noticeable is a large hole on the port side of the submarine, which is evidence of a violent explosion on board. The reason for this was probably one of the depth charges on the British patrol boat.
(Video: Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz)
“It is truly a privilege to be able to explore a wreck in such good condition and find out more about its past,” says Pacheco-Ruiz. He and his team hope that after the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions are over, they can return to the wreck and investigate it further. They could also find out whether the reports of a military diving operation immediately after the sinking of the UC-47 are correct. “It is said that British naval divers visited the submarine the day after it sank and found valuable information such as code books and maps,” explains naval historian Stephen Fisher. “More detailed evaluations of historical sources combined with the recordings from the wreck could tell us whether this is true.”
Source: University of Southampton