Remaining portion of submarine found ashore at Kaiserour location
The wreck of the German U-boat U16, built in Kiel in 1911 and lost on its delivery trip to Britain, has been salvaged after a century underwater. The recovery operation was conducted on Wednesday by the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping.
The U16 sank off the coast of Scharhörn in 1919 and its wreck has become relevant for the safety of shipping and the maintenance of the fairway after the fairway adaptation of the Elbe. However, no salvage permit was issued for the recovery of U16.
The BImA, the Federal Agency for Real Estate, considers itself responsible for the case of the salvaged U16. The location of the wreck in a federal waterway does not affect the BImA's basic assessment. Discussions are now underway between the General Directorate and the BImA regarding the salvaged U16.
Images from an echo sounder showed water-filled depressions in the wreck, suggesting that a part of the wreck could have lifted if the other side had tilted. The salvaged wreck part will be secured to prevent decay and access by unauthorized third parties.
Dominik Schröder, spokesperson of the General Directorate, confirmed the recovery. Schröder highlighted potential risks for shipping due to the recovery operation. The General Directorate acted within the scope of its maritime police tasks.
Hamburg's state archaeologist, Rainer-Maria Weiss, criticized the recovery operation, calling it "ham-fisted" and an "illegal Hauruck action". Weiss described the condition of U16 as excellent on the images of the salvaged U-boat half.
Jens Auer, spokesperson for the Commission for Underwater and Wetland Archaeology, also expressed displeasure about the recovery operation. There are no available search results mentioning the owner or those involved in preserving the U-boat U16, discovered in the 1960s and raised in 2021.
The German Maritime Museum in Wilhelmshaven has expressed interest in at least a part of the recovered U16, but cannot afford to conserve the entire boat. Earlier, the "Cuxhavener Nachrichten" reported the recovery of the second part of the U16.
The recovery of the U16 has brought attention to the potential risks and challenges associated with underwater archaeology and salvage operations. As discussions continue, the future of the salvaged U16 remains uncertain.
