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Shipwreck or sea mystery · 1945

Schleswig-Holstein, a battleship turned target on Neugrund

Soomuslaev Schleswig-Holstein, märklaud Neugrundi madalal

At 4:46 am on 1 September 1939 the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired on the Polish garrison at Westerplatte in Danzig, the first shots of the Second World War at sea. Her crew scuttled her in March 1945. The Soviets raised the hulk and towed it to Tallinn, but never put it back into service. Instead it was taken to the Neugrund shoal near Osmussaar and used as a target for aircraft until 1966. Little of the hull is left in the shallow water, at most ten metres deep, but three big steam engines and massive boilers rise almost to the surface.

Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today

Eesti keeles

1. septembril 1939 kell 4.46 avas Saksa soomuslaev Schleswig-Holstein Danzigis tule Westerplatte Poola garnisoni pihta. Need olid Teise maailmasõja esimesed lasud merel. 1945. aasta märtsis uputas meeskond laeva ise. Nõukogude väed tõstsid selle üles ja viisid Tallinna, kuid uuesti kasutusse seda ei võetud. Selle asemel viidi laev Osmussaare lähedale Neugrundi madalikule, kus see oli kuni 1966. aastani lennuväe märklauaks. Kuni kümne meetri sügavuses vees on kerest järel vaid rusud, kuid kolm suurt aurumasinat ja massiivsed katlad ulatuvad peaaegu veepinnani.

Map of the area around Schleswig-Holstein, a battleship turned target on Neugrund
59.33301° N, 23.53269° E · Map: Maa- ja Ruumiamet

Source: Estonian Wikipedia: Schleswig-Holstein (laev); English Wikipedia: SMS Schleswig-Holstein; Estonian heritage register no. 27800 ↗

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