Identification of a paddle steamer!

We identified a German paddle steamer in the Baltic Sea!

In August 2024, our diving expedition in the Baltic Sea led to the identification of a previously unknown paddle steamer wreck. Through careful measurements and digital reconstruction by photogrammetry, we identified the ship as Express I, a sternwheel paddle steamer built in Bremen in 1911 for the Weser River. Originally designed for shallow water, it was unsuitable for the open sea.

The ship’s tragic end came on May 8, 1945. With World War II nearing its end, the Express I was used by German soldiers fleeing Danzig to avoid Soviet capture. Overloaded and unsuited for rough waters, the ship struggled against heavy waves, which strained its hull and caused it to take on water. Near the Danish island of Møn, the ship suddenly broke in half and sank. Survivors were rescued by the sister ship, Express III, which was also overloaded and barely seaworthy. They sought refuge in a nearby Danish port, where the soldiers continued on foot in secrecy. Express III was later found abandoned and looted in Præstø, a small Danish village.

Continue here: Express I
The detailed survey report here: German and English and Danish

Video

Pictures

Newspaper: Lübecker Nachrichten

October 28th 2024

SPIEGEL ONLINE

Link: SPIEGEL

BILD

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Nationalgeographic

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