UC 71 U-boat wreck (Heligoland)

The First World War minelaying submarine UC 71 sank on 19 February 1919, on its transfer voyage to England, about 800 m south-west of Heligoland's harbour entrance; research suggests the crew scuttled her. The roughly 50 m wreck lies at about 23 m and rises steeply from the seabed, but after more than 100 years in the dynamic North Sea it is falling apart. Since 2014 research divers have documented it, producing a 3D model shown at the Heligoland museum. It has been a listed monument since 2012.

Facts

Region: Germany – Baltic & North Sea Coast
Area: North Sea / Heligoland
Depth: 23 m
Level: advanced
Current: moderate
Type: wreck
Coordinates: 54.172, 7.88 (approximate)
Highlights: WWI minelaying submarine UC 71 (built 1916), sank 1919 about 800 m south-west of the harbour entrance, about 50 m long, rising almost vertically from the seabed, listed monument since 2012, decaying; documented by photogrammetry (3D model)
Permit: Listed monument (since 2012). In the Helgoländer Felssockel nature reserve scuba diving is only permitted in the zones hatched on the regulation's map, and navigation is banned in some sea areas around the island (HgFSNatSchV). Because it lies near the harbour entrance, coordinate with the waterways authority (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt) and the local nature-conservation authority. Check current status.
Issuer / contact: Archäologisches Landesamt Schleswig-Holstein (monument authority)
- Phone: +49 4621 387-0
- Email: alsh@alsh.landsh.de
- covers the monument status only; nature-reserve rules (HgFSNatSchV) and waterways authority are separate bodies not listed here
Unverified: No organised sport dives found; it is unclear whether the wreck lies within a permitted diving zone.
Tips: No sport-diving operator offering this wreck was found. It lies in the approach to Heligoland harbour and next to the 'Helgoländer Felssockel' nature reserve, where scuba diving is only allowed in designated zones. Clarify permission with the authorities before any dive. Position approximate.

UC 71 U-boat wreck (Heligoland)

Facts

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