Centennial German torpedo boat wrecks off Estonia pose hidden oil hazard
Three German WWI torpedo boats that sank near Hiiumaa in 1916 still contain thousands of litres of heavy fuel oil, posing a future pollution risk for the Baltic Sea.
In November 1916, German torpedo boats S57, V72 and V75 were lost off the coast of Hiiumaa after entering a minefield while attacking Paldiski. A joint study by the Estonian Maritime Museum and Finnish researchers, headed by Ivar Treffner, found that the sunken vessels still contain thousands of litres of heavy fuel oil. The cold, low-salinity waters of the Baltic have helped preserve the wrecks and slow bacterial breakdown of any leaked fuel.
Although no leakage is currently observed and hull collapse is not imminent, corrosion will make future oil extraction increasingly difficult. The authors warn that proactive measures are needed before the deteriorating hulls release oil into coastal waters, which could trigger a major environmental incident. Their analysis appears in the journal Heritage.
Why it matters
Leaking oil from the century-old wrecks could cause a large-scale Baltic Sea pollution event.
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