Photo via Spiegel Online of one of the skulls found in the Nazi U-boat.
Earlier this month local divers in Indonesia discovered the wreckage of a WWII-era Nazi U-boat off the coast of Java. Thanks to the tip that they received from these divers, researchers from the National Archeology Center in Indonesia have discovered the remains of the crew and artifacts. The skeletal remains of 17 people have already been found, and the team believes more bones may have yet to be found. They have also recovered dinnerware decorated with swastikas, binoculars, a bottle of hair oil, and batteries.
Experts believe the wreckage belongs to a U-168 that was part of the German ‘Kriegsmarine,’ which sunk several Allied vessels before it was torpedoed in 1944. This U-168 was part of the Monsun U-Boats that were sent from the Third Reich to attack Allied ships along trade routes. This submarine went on four missions before it was sunk on October 6th, 1944 by a torpedo from the Dutch submarine HrMs Zwaardvisch. The attack left 23 dead and 27 survivors.
Bambang Budi Utomo, head of the research team told Spiegel Online, “This is the first time we have found a foreign submarine from the war in our waters. This is an extraordinary find that will certainly provide useful information about what took place in the Java Sea during World War II.”
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