There are very few unknown wrecks close to shore left. To discover something new, one must venture very far or very deep. We've had a few deep discoveries this year. With the water getting colder, we opted for the first option this time. Our patience was rewarded, and while scanning the Słupsk Bank with our multibeam, we came across a well-preserved aircraft wreck. The dimensions suggested it was another Douglas, and with that in mind, we jumped into the water. To our surprise, the wreck turned out to have a beautifully preserved black Luftwaffe cross. The visibility was just average for the middle of the Baltic Sea, so we quickly took some identification photos, knowing we might not return soon. The wreck lies at a depth of 36 meters on bright sand, more than fifty miles north of Łeba. It likely flipped over during a landing and lies "upside down." This allowed us to see the black German crosses painted on the underside of the wings.
Wooden propeller blades and other characteristic elements are clearly visible, which will help in identification. Between 1942 and 1944, Germany lost six Junkers 88 aircraft in "our" part of the Baltic Sea, all due to accidents during exercises. Since this period was still relatively calm for the Luftwaffe, all these accidents are well-documented.
Several of these units have already been located, including the most famous wreck - the Ju 88 lying at 28 meters, 7 miles north of Łeba. This "new" object is most likely JU 88D No. 1047, which disappeared over the central Baltic on July 4, 1943. It was commanded by pilot Heinz Krieger, with three other crew members who all perished in the crash. Neither their bodies nor the wreck were ever found.
These are our assumptions, but 100% identification requires a bit more work. Nonetheless, the consistency of our team and the excellent comparative work by Maciej Honc has yielded results as shown in the attached images.
The team consisted of:
Tomasz Stachura
Maciej Honc
Marek Cacaj
Mariusz Banaszak
Bartłomiej Pitala
Lukasz Pastwa
