Polish technical diving team Baltitech recently located the wreck of the Baltenland, a German cargo steamer lost in the Baltic Sea during World War II.
The ship was torpedoed on December 26, 1944, by the Soviet submarine K-56 during Operation Hannibal, the German evacuation of personnel from the Courland Pocket.
Operation Hannibal was one of the largest sea evacuations in history, moving German troops and civilians away from the oncoming Red Army as Soviet forces advanced along the Baltic coast in early 1945.
The location of the wreck is something the Baltitech team has been trying to determine for some time. She was found at a depth of 91m/~300ft. The Baltenland was a 103-meter/338-foot-long vessel, built in Sunderland, UK, in 1904 and named initially Valdona. Her final resting place was found approximately 9 kilometers from the position recorded in wartime reports.
The Baltenland’s history is symbolic of the era’s turmoil. The vessel was seized by German forces in Rotterdam in 1940. She was then rechristened Baltenland and used to shuttle supplies and refugees between Kiel and Gdynia.
The wreck is heavily damaged from the impact of two torpedoes, and is currently covered in a huge amount of nets.
Commenting on the find, Baltictech stated:
“These two torpedoes, and a huge explosion of carried ammunition, caused the wreckage to be greatly destroyed.”
While wreck hunter and acclaimed photographer Tomasz Stachura, who is also the founder and CEO of dive-suit manufacturer Santi Diving, added:
“It’s a pity that the wreckage is so far and deep, because it probably hides more secrets.”
