Tens of thousands of ships from every era lie undisturbed at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Some of the world’s most advanced underwater photography now reveals how miraculously the cold, brackish water has preserved them
Main image: A diver exploring the Cap Guir, which was sunk in 1945 by Soviet planes. Between 700 and 800 people lost their lives. Photograph: Jonas Dahm/T/C
Fri 13 Jan 2023 01.00 EST
A cod swims through the wreck of the SMS Undine in the southern Baltic. The ship, a German cruiser built in the late 19th century, was deployed for coastal defence duties along Germany’s Baltic coast in the first world war. It was sunk while on patrol in November 1915 by two torpedoes from HMS E19, a Royal Navy submarine, which caused its ammunition magazines to detonate. Most of its crew were rescued. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Carl Douglas exploring the wreck of a Soviet S-class submarine sunk during the second world war. The submarine probably struck a mine. The hull has come off and the bow section is lying alongside with its front split open. Exploring sunken submarines can be strange as their natural place is beneath the the waves – it sometimes it feels as if they’re just resting there before they continue on their way. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A passenger cabin on board the Aachen, a late 19th-century steamship. The Aachen, which lies off the coast of the Swedish island of Gotland, was built to transport cargo and passengers to and from South America. In October 1914, the vessel was taken over by the Imperial German Navy to be used as a minesweeper. It was sunk in July 1915 after being hit by a torpedo from a British submarine. While three people lost their lives, everyone else in the crew was rescued. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A woman’s shoe is one symbol of the many human lives that were lost in the Baltic sea over the centuries. This photo was taken on a wreck where many people perished – soldiers as well as civilians. As well as the shoe, a handbag and a military belt with a pistol were found in a corridor on the ship. A short distance away there was also a basket filled with children’s shoes. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Exploring the ‘porcelain shipwreck’, which is filled with cargo including bottles, pocket watches, violins and porcelain. The cause of this shipwreck may have been a storm as few traces of the deck or rigging remain. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A seahorse-shaped figurehead on an unknown vessel. The horse’s expression changes depending on the angle from which it is viewed; sometimes it appears to be scowling, at others, it looks friendly. There are lots of reasons for the decoration of ships over the centuries, but a common one was to placate the spirits of the sea. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
The Swedish navy warship Svärdet, sunk by the Danes in 1676 off the coast of the Swedish island of Öland during one of the largest naval battles in Sweden’s history, where Sweden fought the Danes and the Dutch for control of the southern Baltic. This photo shows diver Jan Peterson on his way towards an iron cannon, still protruding from its gunport. Behind him is John Jonsson, shining his light on the many items that lie on the seabed. Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
This passenger ship was built in Glasgow in 1927 and named the Almazora, before it was purchased by the Société Anonyme de Gérance et d’Armement and named the Cap Guir. In 1940, it was confiscated by Nazi Germany and given the less evocative name Transport H11. On 16 April 1945, just 22 days before the end of the war in Europe, the Cap Guir was hit by at least one aerial torpedo from a Soviet plane and sank south of Gotland after being engulfed in flames. The ship may have burned for a long time before it sunk, far from the site of the attack. Between 700 and 800 people perished.
A diver shines a light on what seems to be part of the cargo on an unidentified 16th-century wreck. The large Bartmann jug in the foreground is made from salt-glazed stoneware and would have been used to store food and drink.
