German WW2 submarine located after 80 years

After an absence of 80 years, divers have identified the remains of German U-boat U-672 off the coast of Devon, England. Remarkably, all 52 crew members not only survived the sinking but were eventually rescued. The Type VIIC submarine was discovered approximately 20 miles off the coast of Salcombe, resting at a depth of nearly 70 meters.

Initially, diver Dom Robinson and his Gasperados team made a second attempt to locate the submarine after its predicted location proved to be about 40 miles away. After consulting boat historian Axel Niestlé, they were able to confirm that the wreck was indeed U-672. The divers were surprised to find the submarine, as their initial prediction was off by a significant margin.

During World War II, U-672 was lost on July 18, 1944, when it was attacked by HMS Balfour. The submarine was equipped with Hedgehog anti-submarine weapons, which were essentially mortars used to sink ships. When these weapons were fired in front of the vessel, they would sink and attach to the submarine, causing it to fill with water due to holes in the framework. Despite this tragic event, all 52 crew members miraculously survived.

The divers had to descend nearly 70 meters to reach the wreckage, a journey that took three hours due to the need for decompression. Upon arriving at the site, they identified the submarine through unique features such as the Schnorkel system, which is a distinctive characteristic of U-672. The discovery provides a rare glimpse into a World War II wreck that remained unidentified for more than eight decades.