Sunken Sub: German WWII U-Boat Found Near Indonesia

[unhappycamper]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/world-war-ii-german-submarine-found-near-indonesia-a-934967.html

The rusted remains of a Nazi-era submarine have been discovered off the coast of Java, Indonesia. Researchers are looking through the wreckage, which includes human bones and plates with Nazi insignia, for clues that could identify the ship.

Sunken Sub: German WWII U-Boat Found Near Indonesia
November 21, 2013 – 05:51 PM

Researchers have apparently discovered the remains of a World War II-era German U-boat and the skeletons of its crew off the coast of Indonesia. Experts say its an unprecedented find that could provide insight into how the war was fought in the South West Pacific theater.

The first inspection uncovered binoculars, batteries and dinner plates emblazoned with swastikas, according to an AFP report printed by the newspaper The Star on Thursday. There were also reportedly 17 human skeletons buried in the wreckage, and more bones may yet be discovered.

"This is the first time we have found a foreign submarine from the war in our waters," said Bambang Budi Utomo, head of the research team at the National Archeology Center that found the vessel off the coast of Java. "This is an extraordinary find that will certainly provide useful information about what took place in the Java Sea during World War II."

The researchers believe the wreck is that of the U-168, which German naval forces used to successfully sink several allied ships. The U-boat was eventually torpedoed by a Dutch submarine while en route to Australia. According to a report by German newspaper Die Welt, the Dutch vessel fired six torpedos from 900 meters, but only one of the explosives detonated. Twenty-three German sailors reportedly died in the attack, and the captain and 26 crew members survived.

[Demeter]

1. I didn't know they hunted that far afield

Hitler really was bent on conquering the world.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. The Nazis sent some cargo subs to Japan with highly sensitive wartime materials ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-234

Another boat reportedly carrying nuclear materials was lost, but I don't have any details on that.

[pa28]

3. That was my first thought.

Will be interesting to see if any uranium is found.

[Kaleva]

4. German subs regularly operated in the Indian Ocean and sometimes in the Java Sea.