Three German World War II wrecks discovered off Poland and Greece

Three German naval wrecks dating from World War II have been discovered in the Baltic Sea off Poland and the Ionian Sea off Greece.

The wrecks found in the Baltic Sea are the two submarines U-583 and U-649, Christian Lübcke of the German War Graves Commission told dpa on Friday.

"U-583 was discovered on July 15, the other one a little later," said Lübcke. 

U-583 was found east of the island of Bornholm, on the edge of the Polish exclusive economic zone. He was still awaiting the report containing the exact coordinates for the U-649.

All 45 crew members of U-583 died when it sank. Eleven people were able to escape from U-649, but 35 other crew members died.

The search for the wreck of U-583 was conducted by the Polish Wreck Diving Association.

"The wreck has been preserved practically in one piece, but is entangled in a great many fishing nets," the association's chairman, Piotr Wytychowski, told the broadcaster Pol Sat News.

The wreck of a German torpedo boat has also been discovered off the Greek port city of Preveza at a depth of 96 metres. The search for the torpedo boat LS-6 began 13 years ago, technical diving instructor and discoverer Marinos Giourgas told dpa.

The vessel was severely damaged during its final mission in the Ionian Sea, and was taken to Corfu for repairs. However, it took on water and sank off Preveza in September 1943.

There are no plans to recover remains from the wrecks. To ensure that the dead continue to rest in peace and to deter looters, the War Graves Commission is considering applying to the Polish authorities to establish a no-diving zone.