Researchers Discover A 100-Year-Old German U-Boat Wreck In Virginia: Report

A German U-Boat submarine from the World War I era has been discovered after 100 years after being destroyed in US waters. The shipwreck, designated as U-boat U-111 maritime, was discovered by Eric Petkovic, a historian, shipwreck researcher, and technical wreck diver, according to a report from National Geographic.

The U-111, the last World War I-era German U-Boat submarine, was sunk by the US Navy off the coast of Virginia in 1922, plunging to the bottom at a depth of 1,600 feet. Surprisingly, Petkovic spotted it in barely 400 feet of water. Surprisingly, it was discovered in just 400 feet of water off the coast of Virginia, a significantly less depth than predicted but still outside the human diving range for all but a few expert technical divers, the outlet further said.

Besides this, five World War I German submarines and eight World War II German submarines have been unearthed in the US seas, with the U-111 being the only one known to have sunk off the US coast that has yet to be discovered, reported Newsweek.

According to Newsweek, the reckages of ships and submarines deteriorate swiftly in the salinity of the ocean, since metals corrode and rust more quickly owing to the salt. Furthermore, whatever wood that is available is frequently devoured by boring worms and other deep-sea organisms.

After being motivated by Robert Ballard's discovery of the Titanic wreck in 1985, diver Erik Petkovic began investigating the Great Lakes shipwrecks, eventually becoming an expert technical diver and author of many books on shipwreck investigation.

Mr Pekovic and his buddy Rusty Cassway used his 45-foot R/V Explorer diving vessel to uncover the unknown wreck, utilising a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) to seek out the U-boat at a place where they suspected the debris was.