News
Have divers found the Amber Room?
During their September expedition, a team of divers from Batlictech led by Tomasz Stachura found the German steamer Karlsruhe. The Steamer was involved in Operation Hannibal, the largest marine evacuation in history, which saw the Nazis transport approximately two million refugees from East Prussia to the West as they fled the red army in early 1945. Karlsruhe was the last ship leaving Piława, the port at Koenigsberg.
This discovery may provide ground-breaking insights into the disappearance of the legendary Amber Room because it was in Königsberg that the Amber Room was seen for the last time. From there, the Karlsruhe steamboat sailed out on her last big-loaded cruise.
“Karlsruhe was a small, old ship, but in those days, every unit capable of evacuating people to the west was important. We had been looking for the wreck for over a year to realize that it could be the most interesting, undiscovered history from the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
Karlsruhe set off on her last voyage under extreme tight security quite heavily loaded as for this ship. The wreck rests several dozen kilometers north of Ustka at a depth of 88 meters. It is virtually untouched. In its cargo holds we discovered military vehicles, porcelain and many chests with so far unknown contents”, says Tomasz Stachura.
SS Karlsruhe was constructed in G.Seebeck Bremerhaven shipyard in 1905. Her dimensions: Length – 66.3 m / Width – 10.1 m / Draught – 3.6 m / Load displacement – 897 tons.
On the last voyage she set off from Piława (the port of Koenigsberg) on April 12, 1945. There were 150 soldiers of the “Herman Gornig” regiment, 25 railroad workers and 888 refugees on board. Together with the crew there was a total of 1083 people. The ship also took 360 tons of “returnable goods” in uneven chests; and military vehicles.
A convoy consisting of four Freighters and three Minesweepers was formed right before the Hel Peninsula. This convoy left the roadstead of Hel on 12th April in the evening. In the morning of 13th April, she was detected by Soviet planes that attacked Karlsruhe and then sank the ship. The ship sank within three minutes with its entire cargo. About 100 people were saved. The position of the attack was imprecise, and the resting place of the wreck was unknown until recently.
“The history and available documentation indicate that the German steamer Karlsruhe was leaving the port in a great hurry and with a large cargo after the Germans had to evacuate Koenigsberg. All of this, when put together, stimulates people’s imagination. Finding a German steamer and a chest with unknown contents resting at the bottom of the Baltic Sea can be significant to the entire history”, says diver Tomasz Zwara, member of the Baltictech team who finally identified the wreck.
The Amber Room was a golden, jewel-encrusted room, which was made of several tons of gemstones and was a gift to Peter the Great in 1716 to celebrate peace between Russia and Prussia. It was stolen by the Nazis during World War 2 and the amber panels were placed into crates which disappeared in the final months of the war.
Baltictech
Baltictech is a diving group from Tri-City, Poland which is involved in the study of Baltic wrecks and promotes the Baltic as one of the most interesting dive sites in the world. Find out more here:
Tomasz Stachura
Renowned Baltic Sea wreck diver, Tomasz Stachura, specialises in taking underwater photos of wrecks at great depth. He is Founder of SANTI Diving and Co-founder of Baltictech – international conference. Find out more at:
Dive Travel Curaçao is thrilled to announce the launch of the Curaçao Dive Vacation Guide – 2024 DEMA Special Edition, an expertly curated resource that unveils the unparalleled dive experiences and vacation possibilities awaiting you in Curaçao. Produced exclusively for the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) Show 2024, this special edition guide is packed with exclusive insights, travel tips, and limited-time DEMA offers that make it easier than ever to explore Curaçao’s stunning underwater landscapes and vibrant culture.
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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