German WWII U-boat wrecks discovered in the Baltic Sea

Two German World War II U-boat wrecks, identified as U-583 and U-649, have been discovered on the floor of the Baltic Sea. The U-583 was located on July 15 east of the island of Bornholm, near the Polish economic zone. Experts report that the U-583 is in very good condition and remains largely intact, though it is heavily entangled in fishing nets.

Both vessels sank during training exercises following collisions with other German submarines rather than during combat. U-583 sank in 1941, resulting in the deaths of all 45 crew members. U-649 sank in 1943; of the 46 men on board, 11 survived and 35 perished. The average age of the sailors on both vessels was approximately 24 years.

The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge intends to treat these sites as official war graves. To respect the peace of the deceased, the organization does not plan to recover the remains and is considering requesting a diving ban from Polish authorities to deter looters.