World War Two German U-Boat Wreck Identified Off Devon Coast After 82 Years

A diver has shared the extraordinary moment he located a German U-boat, which has rested on the seabed of the English Channel since its sinking during World War Two. The submerged U-672 was discovered approximately 20 miles off the coast of Salcombe, Devon, having been incapacitated by depth charges deployed by HMS Balfour in 1944.

Eight decades after its disappearance, the identity of U-672 was confirmed by divers who meticulously matched its distinctive snorkel system and radar-decoy equipment with historical records of the missing submarine, famously known for bearing a pig emblem painted on its conning tower.

Dominic Robinson, a diver with Plymouth's Gasperados team, recounted the thrill of the discovery: "I started seeing the individual features. I saw the snorkel, I saw the conning tower, all those kind of things – I knew that we were going to get the video needed to identify it, so I was really pleased about that."

A Captain's Decision and Crew's Survival

Historical accounts indicate that the captain of the severely damaged U-boat made a critical decision, waiting until the final moments before surfacing to afford his crew a last opportunity for survival. Following this, he intentionally scuttled the vessel, which carried a 52-strong German crew.

Remarkably, all crew members survived the ordeal, abandoning ship into lifeboats before being captured. They were subsequently repatriated to Germany after the war concluded.

A German submarine has been found 82 years after sinking following a Royal Navy attack. The submarine, which disappeared during World War Two, had lain undisturbed on the seabed around 230ft below the surface off the Devon coast for decades. During the summer, divers discovered it was a German U-boat. The following month, Plymouth dive team Gasperados identified the U-672 about 20 miles off Salcombe. — The submarine, which disappeared during World War Two, had lain undisturbed on the seabed around 230ft below the surface off the Devon coast for decades.
(Picture: Gasperados Dive Team)

Robinson further revealed that he had been in contact with the family of the U-boat's captain, who informed him that their ancestor had lived a "long and happy life." The family expressed their pride and pleasure at the news, stating he "would have been to know that it had been found at last."

Decades of Misdirection

The U-boat remained undiscovered for decades due to an incorrect recording of its sinking coordinates. Dr Axel Niestle, a historian specialising in U-boats, explained that "due to a clerical error," the vessel's recorded position ended up being "some 46 miles" from its actual resting place. This error meant that its location remained a mystery until its recent identification this month.