Extreme Heat Exposes 20 WWII German Warships in Serbia's Danube as €30 Million Cleanup Stalls
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 20
Extreme Heat Exposes 20 WWII German Warships in Serbia's Danube as €30 Million Cleanup Stalls
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 20
Summary
At least 20 German WWII warships have re-emerged near Prahovo in eastern Serbia after record-low Danube water levels exposed rusted hulls and masts this month.
The vessels were part of a Nazi Black Sea fleet scuttled in September 1944, when more than 200 ships were sunk to block the Soviet advance through the Iron Gates.
Some wrecks are still believed to hold weapons and unexploded ordnance, leaving a navigation hazard that has slowed Serbia's estimated €30 million removal program.
The same low water has also exposed a Wehrmacht motorcycle in Budapest, a 1,543-pound British bomb in Slovakia and ancient remains in Bulgaria.
Europe, the fastest-warming continent, is seeing more heat and disrupted rainfall, with repeated Danube low-water events already forcing cruise cancellations and route changes.