Norwegian public broadcaster NRK in September 2020 reported that the wreckage of the last of the big German World War II warship. The Karlsruhe, was found on June 30, 2020. Sunk by a British submarine in 1940, it was discovered around 20 km off Kristiansand, Norway, during a routine inspection of undersea electricity cables.
The Karlsruhe was built in the mid-1920s and commissioned into the German Navy in 1929. It was used mostly as a training vessel until World War II. By the time it was used in battle, its structure and weapons systems had been upgraded several times, making it one of Germany’s most effective warships of its class.
After dropping off most of its crew and occupying the whole of Norway, the Karlsruhe turned around to head back to Germany when it was attacked with multiple torpedoes by the British submarine HMS Truant, causing it severe damage.
In 2017, the wreckage was first discovered but it was not identified then as the Karlsruhe. However, a project engineer for Norwegian power grid operator, Statnett, wanted to investigate the site. On June 30, he saw a well-preserved shipwreck 490 metres under the sea. The length of the sunken ship, its cannons, and a Nazi Swastika helped identify it as the Karlsruhe.
Experts are of the view that thousands of litres of oil and other substances could still be inside the wreckage and could cause an ecological disaster if leaked.
Courtesy: Indian Express