It took more than a decade, but researchers say they have found a rare World War II German torpedo boat on the floor of the Ionian Sea.
The wreck has been identified as Leichte Schnellboot 6, or LS 6, a German “Light Fast Boat” that sank off western Greece in September 1943, according to Greek Reporter. It lies 96 metres deep in waters between Lefkada and Preveza.
The team from AegeanTec found the vessel after a search that began in 2013. The effort grew out of records flagged by German naval historian Peter Schenk, who directed researchers to accounts of a small Kriegsmarine boat lost in the Ionian Sea while being towed.
Historical researcher Giorgos Karelas later used wartime archives to narrow the search area further.
When AegeanTec reached the site with closed-circuit rebreather equipment, the boat was found sitting almost upright on the sandy seafloor.
Researchers identified it from markers including its Junkers Jumo engines, the boat’s dimensions and construction, and a towing cable still attached to the bow.
If confirmed, LS 6 would be the only Leichte Schnellboot-class boat known to survive anywhere in the world.
Researchers say the boat’s design makes the find especially unusual. LS 6 had a lightweight aluminium hull intended to improve speed and agility during special operations.
The wreck is also described as highly intact after 83 years underwater, giving historians and archaeologists a clear chance to study how the craft was built and how it sank.
Marinos AegeanTec announced the find on Facebook, writing: “Some pursuits of hidden wrecks are measured in meters. Others are measured in years…”
In another Facebook post, the group wrote: “Few experiences compare to the privilege of being the first to dive, document and identify a forgotten piece of history. This is more than a dive. It’s a journey through time!”
The group added: “In the next chapter, we’ll reveal the story of this extremely rare finding, the evidence that led us there, and what we discovered beneath the surface.”
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