Heat Wave Uncovers River Secret

Reuters | August 06, 2003

[RussianConservative]

PRAHOVO, Serbia-Montenegro -- Europe's worst drought in years has pushed the River Danube to its lowest level in more than a century, revealing German warships sunk to slow advancing Soviet forces in World War II.

As the Danube's depth at this remote spot in eastern Serbia fell to levels not seen since records began in 1888, the wreckage of an old battleship slowly emerged last week above the surface by the Romanian border.

"You see, when Germans make something it's for eternity," said fisherman Dragan Curovic, carefully navigating his boat down the river toward the rusty remains of the ship dynamited by retreating Nazi forces six decades ago.

Still boasting a rotating cannon platform as well as metal holders for shells, it has become an attraction for locals and tourists, its badly damaged bow sticking up above the water in a hilly, wooded stretch of Europe's main waterway.

Shippers say this year's prolonged heat wave and lack of rain have reduced the water volume in the major transport artery to its lowest in 160 years.

The vessel was one of 130 ships that German forces loaded with explosives and blew up as they fled the pursuing Soviet Black Sea fleet, according to a Serbian nautical and tourist guidebook.

"The Germans sank ships horizontally in several rows, covering the Danube's width to slow down the Russians who chased them, pounding their retreating ships with artillery," Curovic said.

[ko_kyi]

Is it really a battleship or something smaller?

I would think that a battleship's captain would feel mighty claustrophobic on a river.

[battlegearboat]

uh...B-1.

[vetvetdoug]

Looks like there will be a flood of WWII relics on Ebay in the near future.

[robowombat]

This was a river gunboat. The German Army had a large fleet od small craft they operated against guerrilas on the rivers of Yugoslavia. The Kriegesmarine also had a number of larger escort vessels which were brought up the Danube after the Germans were expelled from the Black Sea. These appear to be along with various unarmed auxilliary vessels what were used to carefully block the Danube lat in 1944.

[ko_kyi]

Thanks for the info. I enjoy military history but I know very little about Germany's eastern front battles.

[ko_kyi]

Interesting that the Reuters reporter felt the need to use the term "rotating cannon platform," "turret" being too obscure for the average Reuters reader.

[Seselj]

The Balkans is not the eastern front.

[DAPFE8900]

HAHHAA That is good. The reporters of today are absolute jackasses!

[ko_kyi]

Also note "metal holders for shells," as apparently "rack" is too technical as well.

[DAPFE8900]

YES true... It was the Southern front...But the russians still went in....

[ko_kyi]

"its badly damaged bow sticking up above the water.."

I don't know how this sneaked past the editor. That should read "It's badly damaged pointy end..."

[headsonpikes]

LOL!!