Nine WWI Ships Sunken by German Torpedoes Found Off Morocco

Nine vessels that met their end at the hands of German torpedoes during World War I have been unearthed in Moroccan waters, as reported by experts on Monday. This discovery adds to a series of recent finds of World War I shipwrecks.

Site of Discovery

The wrecks, comprising Japanese, Norwegian, French, British, Portuguese, and Italian ships, were all located along the southern coast of Morocco, as per the Assalam Association for the Protection of Maritime Heritage, a nonprofit organization devoted to safeguarding underwater archaeological sites in the region.

The association refrained from confirming whether the ships had been positively identified, but it did release a video on social media, showcasing historic photos of various vessels and divers examining artifacts on the ocean bed.

The association elaborated, “German submarines targeted commercial and military ships of allied countries, resulting in the loss of many vessels off the southern provinces.” Information detailing the precise locations of the wrecks and a comprehensive report outlining the distinct characteristics of each vessel has been conveyed to the pertinent authorities.

The recent discovery of the wrecks occurred over ten years after researchers located the remains of the Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse, a prominent German ship that was sunk during World War I off the coast of Dakhla, Morocco. The area of Dakhla, situated in Morocco-administered Western Sahara, was last observed on January 7, 2021.

Other World War I shipwrecks have also been found across the globe in recent months. In November, military officials in England announced that a shipwreck discovered off the coast of Scotland was confirmed to be the HMS Hawke, a British cruiser sunk by a torpedo during World War I, resulting in the loss of more than 500 crew members on board.