World · Europe · 1 day ago
German U-boat U-672 identified off England after 82 years
Divers identified the wreck as German submarine U-672 in the English Channel off Devon, England.
It lies about 32 kilometres from Salcombe, around 70 metres below the surface.
For decades, charts marked the site as the wreck of an American sailing ship lost in 1917.
A mistake in old records placed U-672’s sinking site more than 70 kilometres away, sending searches to the wrong location.
The submarine was attacked by a British warship in July 1944 and began taking on water.
All 52 crew members escaped and survived after the commander brought the damaged boat to the surface and the crew abandoned it.
The wreck’s features and historical records support the identification, though one account says it is not yet officially confirmed.
The discovery helps resolve the submarine’s fate and correct its location in historical records.
Divers identified the wreck of the German U-boat U-672 off Devon, England, 82 years after it sank.
The wreck lies about 32 kilometres off Salcombe, at a depth of around 70 metres.
For decades, charts listed the site as the wreck of an American sailing ship lost in 1917.
Researchers say a numerical error in postwar records put U-672’s reported sinking place more than 70 kilometres away.
The identification is based on the wreck’s features, but one source says it is very likely rather than officially confirmed.
All 52 crew members survived after abandoning the submarine following a British attack in July 1944.
- Who
- Divers and maritime researchers identified the wreck as U-672.
- What
- A German Second World War submarine was identified after decades of being mistaken for another wreck.
- When
- The wreck was first explored by the team in July 2026; the submarine sank on 18 July 1944.
- Where
- About 32 kilometres off Salcombe, Devon, in the English Channel, at around 70 metres deep.
- Why
- A numerical error in postwar records reportedly placed the sinking site more than 70 kilometres away.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
U-672 began its fourth patrol in the English Channel.
HMS Balfour attacked U-672, and its crew abandoned and scuttled the damaged submarine.
British aircraft and ships found the crew, and the 52 sailors were taken into captivity.
A dive team explored the wreck near Salcombe and recognized that it was a submarine.
- Submarine
- U-672, a German Type VIIC boat
- Wreck site
- About 32 kilometres off Salcombe, Devon
- Depth
- Around 70 metres
- Crew
- 52; all survived the sinking
- Attack
- HMS Balfour attacked U-672 on 18 July 1944
- Identification status
- Described by one source as very likely, not officially confirmed