Divers identify German U-boat wreck off Devon as U-672

Divers have identified a German submarine wreck off Devon as U-672, a vessel attacked by the Royal Navy in July 1944. All 52 members of its crew survived after the submarine was brought to the surface, according to reports of the wartime incident. The wreck lies about 20 miles off Salcombe, at a depth of roughly 230 feet (70 metres). Divers with the Plymouth-based team Gasperados identified the submarine after examining features including its snorkel and conning tower. The team had first recognized the wreck as a German U-boat during an earlier exploration, then returned to establish its identity. Historian Dr Axel Niestle said a clerical error in documents put the submarine’s recorded position about 46 miles from the wreck’s actual location. The accounts describe the error as the reason the site remained unidentified for decades. The underlying naval record is not reproduced in the accounts. HMS Balfour attacked U-672 in July 1944. The submarine was taking on water beneath the surface, and its commander, Ulf Lawaetz, eventually ordered its tanks blown to bring it up and give the crew a chance to escape. The crew abandoned the vessel; accounts say British aircraft and vessels...