A team of divers have confirmed the identity of the wreck of a World War I-era German U-boat sunk off the coast of the Shetland Islands in 1917. The SM UC-55 was laying sea mines in the Scottish archipelago when she suffered issues, forcing her to rise to the surface, where she was ultimately sunk by three British Royal Navy ships.
Speaking with the BBC, Jacob Mackenzie, one of the divers who visited the wreck, said it was “eerie” being down there, knowing crewmen had lost their lives aboard the U-boat. “You are aware of that, although I believe about 15 of the crew did escape, the rest of the crew of course didn’t – so they are still inside and that’s very obvious when you’re looking around it.”
The British government has designated the site a war grave, meaning no further dives can occur without government permission. When approached by McClatchy News, a spokesperson for the Royal Navy said, “Those who lost their lives should be left in situ and undisturbed.”