This U-Boat Spent 61 Years Lost Beneath The Waves – Until Divers Unearthed Its Harrowing Secrets
There’s a boat setting out from the Italian village of Santa Margarita Ligure, despite high waves making the journey unpleasant. It takes 60 or so minutes to reach its destination, where a party of divers enter the water and begin fighting their way through the angry sea. It’s all worth it, though, for the astonishing sight of a WWII submarine – one with an extraordinary but somewhat upsetting history.
Santa Margarita Ligure is close to Portofino, which is a popular diving spot. The dark waters are full of extensive reefs and fascinating wrecks suitable for both beginner and experienced divers. There’s even a statue called “Christ of the Abyss” that was deliberately sunk as a memorial to people who’ve perished beneath the waves.
Divers have been visiting Christ of the Abyss for more than half a century, but this particular submarine had been undisturbed for even longer. The journey to find it would take the searchers nearly 300 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. Well, finding the top of the sub would take them 300 feet down – but it would be another 100 before they reached the bottom.
The submarine in question was the German U-455, which dated back to WWII. During its brief time in service, the sub saw battle and was sunk within half a decade. The long vessel, formed from 800 tons of steel, fell so that one end was buried in the sediment of the seabed, but the other rose up at a dramatic 45-degree angle.
Despite the damage that must have occurred to send the U-455 to the bottom of the Mediterranean, it still seems to be in fairly good condition. You can make out details of a hatch, anchor, gun placement and the bridge. Divers have been joined by numerous fish as well as eels and lobsters that have made the wreck their home.