Low water levels on the Danube have revealed the sunken remains of World War II German ships. The Nazi wrecks, some of which are still carrying hazardous cargo, are complicating commerce in Serbia and Hungary.
Wrecked Nazi Warships Of The Danube
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The Danube has dropped to one of its lowest levels in almost a century as a result of Europe's worst drought in recent memory, exposing the wrecks of German ships that were scuttled during World War II.
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At the beginning of September 1944, the German flotilla known as Kampfgruppe Zieb gathered in the Danube's Prahovo region in Serbia in a futile attempt to cross upstream to escape the Soviet advance. The Germans ultimately made the decision to scuttle the entire fleet. Nearly 200 ships were sunk. Some were later refloated and used by the Soviets.
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Ivica Skodric, a local fisherman in Prahovo, steers his boat close to one of the ships. Some of these vessels still have turrets, command bridges, shattered masts, and bent hulls, while others are mostly submerged beneath sandbanks.
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More than 20 hulks have been discovered close to Prahovo as a result of this year's drought, which scientists attribute to global warming. Tons of bombs and armaments are thought to be stored on several of the sunken WWII ships, endangering trade and fishermen like Skodric.
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"The German flotilla has left behind a big ecological disaster that threatens us, the people of Prahovo," said Velimir Trajilovic, 74, a pensioner from the Serbian region who wrote a book about the German ships.
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Months of drought and record-high temperatures have snarled river traffic on vital arteries in other parts of Europe, including Germany, Italy, and France. In Serbia, the authorities have resorted to dredging to keep navigation lanes on the Danube open.
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Near Prahovo, some of the hulks have narrowed the navigable section on this stretch of the Danube to just 100 meters.
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This photo from 2011 by author Gordana Karovic shows one of the WWII ships near Prahovo that was previously discovered.
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In her book, The Danube In Serbia, Karovic claims that explosives, ammunition, and chemicals are still present and pose a risk.
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In March, the Serbian government announced a tender for the salvage of the hulks and the removal of ammunition and explosives. The cost of the operation was estimated at $30 million.
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The problem isn't just in Serbia. Ships that were sunk during World War II are also appearing in Hungary, such as this wreck, which was revealed by the unusually low water level of the Danube near Vamosszabadi on August 17.
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A closer view of the sunken ship that is now visible near Vamosszabadi.
