MATADOR 3

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Unmprofessional salvage largely critizised

Bonn & Mees has completed the largely critizised salvage of the German submarine 'U 16', sunk in 1919 off the coast of Cuxhaven. The wreckage was located at a depth of approximately 20 meters at the mouth of the Elbe between the islands of Neuwerk and Scharhörn. According to the German Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSV), the submarine belonging to Kaiser Wilhelm II's navy posed a potential hazard to shipping. Due to the erosion, there was a significant risk that the 'U16' would change position and project its stern into the shipping channel. The wreck of the submarine, built in Kiel in 1911, had been registered since 1960.The wreck broke in two during the lifting operation. The 'Matador 3' with the remaining section of the 114-year-old submarine proceeded to Cuxhaven. The forward section of the 57-meter-long vessel was salvaged overnight on Sep 1, with the aft section following on Sep 3. This was accomplished using the wreck grabber of the floating crane. Bonn & Mees carried out the salvage operation on behalf of Deme. According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), no permit had been requested for the salvage and only learned of the operation after the first wreckage section had been salvaged. The process iwas now being coordinated within the agency. Both sections were to be appropriately secured to prevent further damage and unauthorized access, The sections of the submarine were originally planned to be demolished and the old batteries removed. Demolition has now become uncertain. The Directorate General of the Waterways and Shipping Authority was in discussions with the Federal Agency for Real Estate (BlmA) about the fate of the 'U-16'. The German Naval Museum in Wilhelmshaven was interested in at least part of the historic submarine. No museum could afford to preserve the entire wreck. According to underwater archaeologist Florian Huber from Kiel, 'U-16' is the only German submarine from the First World War that is no longer submerged and was state-of-the-art at the time. There may still be interesting artifacts in the wreckage. Criticism of the procedure was now coming from the scientific community. Archaeologists are upset about the recovery of the boat. Hamburg's state archaeologist Rainer-Maria Weiss called the authorities' actions "bungling" and spoke of an "illegal, hasty operation." Weiss only learned about the operation from the newspaper: It's Hamburg territory, and therefore we are responsible for all archaeological sites around Scharhörn." He called it a "gross disregard for all regulations." Under normal conditions and professional supervision, the boat would not have broken apart. The intention of simply pulling up a known submarine that has been identified is quite unique. Jens Auer, who is also spokesperson for the Commission for Underwater and Wetland Archaeology in the Association of State Archaeologists, expressed similar anger. "So I'm a bit speechless and can't really understand how they came to do it this way. So from a professional point of view, it's absolutely unacceptable." He pointed to a set of rules established in Germany regarding construction projects or salvage operations. "This action simply contradicts all of these rules." The fact that it was initiated by a federal authority is particularly problematic. The primary goal is to preserve a monument in its natural habitat. After all, this is German cultural heritage, which cannot simply be destroyed. It would have been better to relocate the wreck in its environment. The Federal Agency for Real Estate (BIMA) stated the 'U16' is the property of the Federal Republic of Germany and that BIMA is the owner's representative for the wreck. According to the agency, the BIMA has not granted a permit for the salvage. In addition, according to BIMA, the following are generally required: - a notification to the relevant regulatory authorities; - an excavation permit under monument protection law; - an access permit from the respective property owner; - if necessary, a nature conservation and/or water law permit; - the involvement of the German War Graves Commission. The BIMA has contacted the German Federal Directorate for Waterways and Shipping (GDWS) after the salvage operation became known. It is in discussion with the responsible authorities there regarding the next steps. The submarine wreck will now be secured in order to appropriately prevent the boat from deteriorating and to prevent unauthorized persons from approaching it, the authority announced on Sep 4. Reports with photo and videos: https://www.geo.de/wissen/-stuemperhaft---archaeologen-kritisieren-bergung-des-u-boots--u16--36027576.html https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/09/04/matador-3-van-bonn-mees-haalt-ook-tweede-wrakdeel-van-keizerlijke-duikboot-uit-noordzee/ https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/u-boot-wrack-in-der-nordsee-u16-nun-vollstaendig-geborgen,wrack-116.html https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hallo_niedersachsen/cuxhaven-u-boot-wrack-nun-vollstaendig-geborgen,hallonds-1860.html https://www.standaard.be/buitenland/u-boot-uit-1919-breekt-tijdens-berging-in-noordzee/88097287.html

Recovery of historic wreck critizised

The salvage of the World War I submarine 'U 16' by the 'Matador 3' off the island of Scharhörn has sparked criticism. Archaeologists considered the operation a mistake. The second part of the broken was scheduled to be raised on Sep 3 from a depth of around 20 meters. The submarine's conning tower is also located on this piece of wreckage. The first piece of the wreckage was brought to Cuxhaven on a pontoon, and the second piece was also scheduled to be brought there. Due to the unprotected location in the port, corrosion, or decomposition of the material, was starting, according to the underwater archaeologist Florian Huber from Kiel. His colleague Jens Auer shared this view: "Anything I bring to the surface can quickly become problematic. I'm a bit speechless and can't really understand how they came to do it this way. From a technical perspective, the operation was "a major disaster." The spokesperson for the Commission for Underwater and Wetland Archaeology in the Association of State Archaeologists added: "There was no documentation, no archaeological support, no expert support, no prior research, nothing." What will happen to the wreckage after its complete recovery is not yet clear. "Currently, inquiries have been received from the German Marine Museum Foundation in Wilhelmshaven and the Benneckenstein Vehicle and Technology Museum," Dominik Schröder, spokesperson for the Directorate General for Waterways and Shipping (WSA) said. There was also talk of possible scrapping. Reports with photos: https://www.spektrum.de/news/u16-deutsches-u-boot-wrack-laut-archaeologe-stuemperhaft-geborgen/2285355 https://hamburg.t-online.de/region/hamburg/id_100897460/scharhoern-u-boot-zerbricht-bei-bergung-archaeologen-stinksauer.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/zerbrochenes-u-boot-wrack-u16-experten-kritisieren-bergung,wrack-116.html https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/technik/scharhoern-bergung-eines-u-boots-aus-1919-sorgt-fuer-empoerung-bei-forschenden-a-b78ca843-d317-4d15-b07c-8983f50425ba https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/auf-nordseegrund-gesunken-weltkriegs-u-boot-zerbricht-bei-bergung,wrack-112.html https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3881841?navList=gallery&category=61&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3881843?navList=gallery&category=61&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3881842?navList=gallery&category=61&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest

Sheerleg to raise German submarine from WW I off Scharhörn

On the night of Aug 31, 2025, the "Matador 3" has salvaged the remains of the German submarine 'U16' of the Imperial German Navy off Scharhörn. After the end of World War I, it was supposed to be transported to England, but sank on Feb 8, 1919, during the delivery voyage to Englandi in vicinity of pos. ♁53° 59′ N, 8° 25′ E. The boat was now found during a routine search. Hopes of its preserrvation have apparently been dashed. On Aug 27, the 'Matador 3' berthed in Cuxhaven, coming from Rotterdam, for the preparations of the recovery work. The wreck was resting in a water depth of 20 meters. Before the wreckage was lifted, a suction dredger had flushed the area surrounding the wreck. The salvors then pulled steel cables underneath the boat to raise it. On Aug 31, the tugs 'Wulf 5' and 'Wulf 9' brought the pontoon "Hebo P82" to the site. The convoy set sail around 4:30 p.m., and after approximately two and a half hours, the wreck was reached. The "Matador 3" completed the lifting operations around 11 p.m. The submarine had broken into three pieces during the lifting process. Two pieces of the submarine were loaded onto the pontoon and secured there. Shortly after midnight, the convoy set off back to Cuxhaven, where the wreck arrived at the ferry port on Sep 1 at around 1:30 a.m. The remaining piece still needs to be salvaged. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) discovered the submarine a few weeks ago during a routine inspection for underwater obstructions. The hull still appeared tio be intact. After salvage, the wreck is expected to be scrapped, although it was originally planned to be transferred to a museum. The submarine was built in Kiel in 1911. Reports with photos: https://www.cnv-medien.de/mehr/schifffahrt-meer/bergung-mitten-in-der-nacht-u-boot-aus-dem-ersten-weltkrieg-jetzt-in-cuxhaven.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/wrack-von-altem-u-boot-aus-nordsee-geborgen,uboot-130.html