German WWI submarine wreck exposed off French coast - Atlanta Journal Constitution

CALAIS, FRANCE —

A German submarine scuttled more than 100 years ago off the coast of France has been revealed by shifting sands.

The UC-61, a German U-boat, sank 11 merchant ships during seven months of activity during World War I, according to the Wreck Site, a database of wrecked ships. The vessel was stranded in July 1917, and by the 1930s, it had for the most part been buried under sand.

"The wreck is visible briefly every two to three years, depending on the tides and the wind that leads to sand movements, but a good gust of wind and the wreck will disappear again," Bernard Bracq, the mayor of Wissant, told the BBC.

On its final mission, the crew was laying mines on the way to Boulogne-sur-Mer when it ran aground. The 26 members of the crew then surrendered to French authorities.