Archaeologists left bemused as U-Boot malfunctions during recovery operation - Salvage operation hits a snag as U-boat malfunctions, leaving archaeologists in awe.
In the North Sea, off Scharhorn, a historic event has unfolded, but not one of triumph. The German submarine U16, which sank in 1919, has been salvaged, but not without controversy.
Florian Huber, an underwater archaeologist, has labelled the operation an "illegal action" and a "fatal step." His concerns are shared by Jens Auer, spokesperson for the Commission for Underwater and Wetland Archaeology in the Association of State Archaeologists.
The U16 submarine, built in 1911, was on a delivery voyage to Britain when it sank off Scharhorn. The salvage operation was carried out using a floating crane commissioned by the Waterways and Shipping Office Elbe-Nordsee (WSA).
However, Auer states that the action contradicts all established rules for construction projects or salvages in Germany. He emphasizes that there was no documentation, no archaeological accompaniment, no professional accompaniment, no research beforehand, and nothing during the salvage of U16.
The Federal Office for Real Estate Affairs is not responsible for or the owner of the U16 wreck, according to a WSA spokesperson. The federal authority responsible for managing the recovery operation of the German submarine U16 is the WSA Elbe-Nordsee. The wreck is considered federal property until it is formally handed over.
The broken submarine is currently lying in two pieces, with one part on a barge in Lower Saxony's Cuxhaven. Huber notes that if the wreck had indeed been a navigational hazard, it could have been lifted and relocated, avoiding the current controversy.
Huber stresses that the wreck of U16 tells an important story of World War I and should not be raised and scrapped. He believes that the primary goal in Germany for such projects is the preservation of a monument at its natural location.
Auer also stated that everything brought to the surface can quickly become problematic, except for secure funding for conservation. The exception to the rule about bringing finds to the surface is when there is secure funding for conservation.
The salvage of U16 is facing criticism from the scientific community, and it remains to be seen how this historic event will be resolved. The fate of the U16 submarine and its significance to our understanding of World War I history hangs in the balance.
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