SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND—The Independent reports that researchers led by Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz of the University of Southampton investigated the wreckage of UC-47, a German submarine sunk off the coast of northern England by the Royal Navy in 1917. Sonar 3-D images and video collected with two remotely-operated unmanned submarines reveal the damage sustained by the submarine when it was rammed by Patrol Boat HMS P-57, which had been fitted with a strengthened bow. The Royal Navy vessel then dropped depth charges on the sunken submarine over a period of several days. Both technologies were developed to fight German U-boats and the plan to prevent the British from transporting coal, steel, timber, and cement by sea. German naval officials suggested after the war that Royal Navy divers had entered the UC-47 to retrieve intelligence documents, including a map of German mines laid against British shipping, but Pacheco-Ruiz said the wreckage rests under more than 150 feet of water, making such an operation unlikely. He thinks the crew of P-57 may have dropped the multiple depth charges in an effort to create holes in the wreckage so that documents could float to the surface. Scholars will search German naval archives for more information on how German officials learned about British intelligence gathering. To read about the wreck of a World War II U-boat, go to "Nazi Sub Discovered."
