WWII German U-boat Found 82 Years After Being Scuttled Off Devon Coast

A German submarine, U-672, that went missing during World War II after being damaged by the Royal Navy has been located 82 years later. The wreck was identified by the Plymouth dive team Gasperados approximately 20 miles (32km) off Salcombe, Devon. It was initially discovered by a deep-sea diving team in August at a depth of about 230 feet (70 meters).

The vessel was attacked by HMS Balfour in July 1944. Although its 52 crew members survived, they scuttled the submarine. An error in a navy log containing incorrect coordinates for the sinking contributed to its remaining undiscovered until recently.

"Once we started moving around it and I started seeing the individual features - I saw the snorkel, I saw the conning tower, all those kind of things - I knew that we were going to get the video needed to identify it, so I was really pleased about that," said Gasperados diver Dominic Robinson. After the attack, the U-boat was left leaking. Its commander waited to blow the tanks and bring the sub to the surface, allowing the crew to escape into life rafts.

"They were bobbing around in the sea and then the very next day they were found by British aircraft, British vessels and then taken away to the prisoner of war camp," Robinson explained. The surviving crew members returned to Germany after the war, including the U-boat's skipper.

German World War II historian Dr. Axel Niestle confirmed that the wreck was found in the correct general location but noted a discrepancy in the recorded coordinates due to a "clerical error in the documents," placing the actual position approximately 46 miles (74km) from the recorded one.

Robinson mentioned speaking with the U-boat skipper's family, who shared that he lived a long life and would have been proud to know his vessel had finally been found.