Divers have located a German World War II submarine approximately 20 miles off the coast of Devon, England, more than 80 years after it sank.
The wreck was initially identified as an unknown German U-boat by diver Ian Taylor and the Skin Deeper team. However, further investigation by diver Dom Robinson and his team, Gasperados, led to the identification of the vessel as the U-672, a Type VIIC submarine.
According to historian Axel Niestlé, the U-672 was lost on July 18, 1944, after being attacked by HMS Balfour. The submarine was equipped with Hedgehog anti-submarine mortars, which were designed to detonate on contact with a submerged target. These weapons would sink, attach to the submarine, and create holes that caused it to flood.
The U-672 carried a crew of 52, all of whom reportedly survived the attack. When the crew realized the submarine was taking on water faster than it could be pumped out and that it could not return to port, they waited until dark. According to Robinson, they then surfaced and escaped in dinghies. As this occurred the day after D-Day, there were many Allied vessels in the area, and the crew was rescued and debriefed, which is how the story of the sinking has been preserved.
Robinson noted that the actual location of the wreck was found to be about 40 miles from its predicted whereabouts, a discovery that surprised his team. This was their second attempt to locate the submarine.
The dive to the wreck requires descending nearly 70 meters (approximately 230 feet) to the seafloor. While the divers were only on the seafloor for about 25 minutes, the entire operation, including decompression, took approximately three hours.
During their descent, the divers observed marine life, including an anglerfish and an octopus, before finding a rope that led them to the wreck. Identifying the submarine involved looking for distinctive features, such as a unique snorkel system, which ultimately pointed to it being the U-672.
Robinson and his team have previously discovered other shipwrecks, including the US Coast Guard Temper in April. He expressed excitement about identifying objects that have been lost for extended periods, stating that such finds can aid in locating other potential wrecks.
Robinson also mentioned that he shares his findings on social media and YouTube, where he has gained a significant following, attributing the interest to the mystery and adventure associated with U-boats.