update deskWorld News

Serbia pulls sunken Nazi ship from Danube

The Germans scuttled the vessel in 1944 to prevent capture by the Red Army.

A shipwreck exposed by drought in the Danube River, eastern Serbia. Credit: captsingh/X.
A shipwreck exposed by drought in the Danube River, eastern Serbia. Credit: captsingh/X.

A Nazi ship packed with explosives was raised from the Danube River in Serbia last week after eight decades underwater.

The Kriegsmarine Black Sea Fleet ship was among 200 vessels the Nazis scuttled in August 1944 to prevent them being captured by the advancing Red Army. Some 8,000 German soldiers and civilians who had been on board fled on foot to escape capture by the Soviets.

The shipwreck will be checked for remaining explosives and then displayed to the public.

“Every ship that is extracted undergoes a thorough inspection with the dismantling of any remaining explosives,” Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesić said. “This process takes about 10 days.”

Serbia plans to salvage another 21 of the vessels from the Danube in the E.U.-funded project in the coming months, with an estimated 80 others slated to be removed at a later date.

As the water level in the river drops due to summer heat and drought, parts of these wrecks often emerge, hindering navigation.

You have read 3 articles this month.
Register to receive full access to JNS.

Just before you scroll on...

Israel is at war. JNS is combating the stream of misinformation on Israel with real, honest and factual reporting. In order to deliver this in-depth, unbiased coverage of Israel and the Jewish world, we rely on readers like you. The support you provide allows our journalists to deliver the truth, free from bias and hidden agendas. Can we count on your support? Every contribution, big or small, helps JNS.org remain a trusted source of news you can rely on.

Become a part of our mission by donating today
Topics
Comments
Thank you. You are a loyal JNS Reader.
You have read more than 10 articles this month.
Please register for full access to continue reading and post comments.