Originally thought to be a large metal hulled shipwreck with two masts, this site is actually the remains of a First World War German U-boat: U-86. Since its launch in 1916, this vessel carried out 12 patrols and sank 33 allied ships. One of these ill-fated vessels was the Llandovery Castle, a British hospital boat that U-86 torpedoed. As it sank the commander of U-86 ordered for the lifeboats to be fired upon in order to kill any surviving witnesses. This war crime resulted in the commander and associated crew being arrested and tried when the war had ended.
After the war, the U-86 submarine was commissioned into the British Navy as part of the armistice treaty. It was scuttled in 1921 after the Royal Navy had tested her design and construction.
The wreck site was discovered in 2003 by the UKHO. Once it had been identified as a U-Boat, the remains were compared to detailed plans and descriptions, and identified as a U-81 type. Six boats were built within this sub-type but only one of those sank in the Channel - U-86.
The site is located 25nm SSE of Shoreham, West Sussex, lying at a general depth of 46m. The submarine measures 58-70m in length and 5-6.5m in beam. It is lying on an even keel and stands 3.5m proud of the seabed. Despite some damage to both the bow and stern, the remainder of the vessel is largely intact.
In August 2005, a geophysical survey was carried out of the site using sidescan sonar, magnetometer and multibeam sonar. The geophysical results confirmed that a large amount of the wreck still existed and that it was built of metal.
In 2006, the site was surveyed using a ROV (remotely operated vehicle), which immediately identified the remains as a naval submarine. This discovery meant that the earlier surveys could be re-examined and analysed knowing the true nature of the remains.
Further information about the geophysical surveys can be found here.
Images of the remains from the wreck site can be viewed by clicking on the red lettering accompanying a diagram of the U-86 (at the bottom of the webpage). More information regarding the submarine, including its construction, identification, layout, fittings and machinery, together with a detailed history, can be found by navigating to the links provided on this page.
For a list of other websites about U-boats, and in particular the U-86, visit here.
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After the war, the U-86 submarine was commissioned into the British Navy as part of the armistice treaty. It was scuttled in 1921 after the Royal Navy had tested her design and construction.
The wreck site was discovered in 2003 by the UKHO. Once it had been identified as a U-Boat, the remains were compared to detailed plans and descriptions, and identified as a U-81 type. Six boats were built within this sub-type but only one of those sank in the Channel - U-86.
The site is located 25nm SSE of Shoreham, West Sussex, lying at a general depth of 46m. The submarine measures 58-70m in length and 5-6.5m in beam. It is lying on an even keel and stands 3.5m proud of the seabed. Despite some damage to both the bow and stern, the remainder of the vessel is largely intact.
In August 2005, a geophysical survey was carried out of the site using sidescan sonar, magnetometer and multibeam sonar. The geophysical results confirmed that a large amount of the wreck still existed and that it was built of metal.
In 2006, the site was surveyed using a ROV (remotely operated vehicle), which immediately identified the remains as a naval submarine. This discovery meant that the earlier surveys could be re-examined and analysed knowing the true nature of the remains.
Further information about the geophysical surveys can be found here.
Images of the remains from the wreck site can be viewed by clicking on the red lettering accompanying a diagram of the U-86 (at the bottom of the webpage). More information regarding the submarine, including its construction, identification, layout, fittings and machinery, together with a detailed history, can be found by navigating to the links provided on this page.
For a list of other websites about U-boats, and in particular the U-86, visit here.
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