Diving on the Wreck
The wreck of M85 lies off Jastarnia on a flat, sandy seafloor. Currents in this area are uncommon. It lies at a depth of 65 meters, the depth above the wreck being 60 meters. There is no permanent downline attached to the wreck. Due to the damage caused by hitting a mine, the wreck is divided into two parts that are close to each other and connected by debris (the stern part lying on the keel and the bow section leaning on the starboard side). The wreck is heavily covered in nets, especially around the stern section and superstructure. On the stern deck, there is a 10.5 cm cannon with a visible barrel covered in numerous nets around the turret. Despite the nets on the superstructure, it's possible to look inside the wreck through multiple openings. Diving on this wreck requires a permit from the Maritime Office.
Text by: Artur Wiśniowicz and Agnieszka Wójcicka
Story
The "M 85" was built at the Nordseewerke Emden shipyard in 1918 for the Kaiserliche Marine (German Imperial Navy) as one of many M-type minesweepers. In September 1939, it was part of the 7th Minesweeper Flotilla, meant for escort service and sweeping duties on the Stolpmünde (Ustka) - Pillau (Piława) route, and for blocking the Polish coastline. On October 1, 1939, during a mine-clearing operation along the Hel Peninsula by Kriegsmarine ships, the minesweeper "M 85" trips a mine. Due to the resulting explosion it sank within minutes, losing 24 of its 51 crew members. It took 64 years to precisely locate and identify the wreck of M 85, when hydrographers aboard the ORP Arctowski identified it during a survey in September 2013. The aim was to collect current bathymetric data and assess seabed cleanliness in the area used by submarines for diving and bottom-maneuvering exercises. This was a standard procedure that took place before such exercises.
This discovery was described in the magazine "Sea, Ships and Vessels" (January - February 2017 edition) in the article "Finding M 85" (authors: Marcin Gronek, Dominik Iwan). I wish to cite the article below:
"Previous information on the depth of the surveyed areas was based on vertical echo sonar measurements, which resulted in 'unirradiated' stripes several hundred meters wide. Equipping the vessel with a MBES (multibeam echosounder) enabled 100% coverage of the seabed, allowing us to map depths and the locations of natural and artificial underwater objects. We verified the positions and dimensions of already known wrecks in the area and discovered seven new objects of various sizes that weren’t charted yet. Most turned out to be fishing boats or small wooden units. The last two unidentified objects were not listed in the Naval Hydrographic Office's database. One turned out to be a VIIC type submarine at a depth of 80 meters. The other, 65 meters deep, was divided into two parts separated by 13 meters. The MBES data used in the first phase of the study allowed the assumptions that the object was about 60 meters long and 7 meters wide. The bow section, along with the superstructure, was slightly stuck in the seabed, resting on its starboard side, while the 25-meter stern section laid flat on its keel."
Using the collected measurement data, the team was able to determine detailed parameters for hydrographic purposes and could begin identifying the wreck in two separate ways: by comparing its dimensions and features with other surface vessels of similar characteristics and using historical research to narrow the search to ships that had sunk in the area. The wreck’s unusual ratio of width to length and the construction of the stem strongly indicated it was a warship. Additionally its steel construction, steam propulsion, and wooden deck suggested the vessel dated back to the early 20th century. With these narrow criteria the team started comparing silhouettes of similar warships from countries that were engaged in hostilities in the area. From this information it was deduced that German Naval ships, mainly big torpedo boats (GroßesTorpedoboote) and minesweepers (Minensuchboote), fit the description the most.
Analyzing the reasons for the ships sinking, an explosion was the most plausible. Afterwards, taking the war efforts on the Baltic Sea into consideration as the interesting period, analysis of ship losses during WW2 began. An important piece of the puzzle turned out to be a small black-white map by Edmund Kosiarz “WW2 on the Baltic” that illustrated the effects of Polish submarine efforts with the M85 minesweeper noted on the map. After compiling the illustrations with the sonar image, everything clicked into place.
In accordance with coast protection concept, based on the plan codename “Worek”, in September of 1939 the Polish submarines took their positions along the Hel peninsula and the Gdańsk Bay, On September 9 ORP “Żbik” placed a line of mines 9 Nm northeast off Jastarnia. For this purpose it used a contact mine of French make. October 1st 1939, during a minesweeping operation by the Kriegsmarine the minesweeper M85 tripped one of the mines placed by ORP Żbik, sinking in minutes losing 24 out of 51 people in its crew.
It has to be noted that the ability to access objects thoroughly is based on the ability to analyze sonar images which comes with years of experience on the sea. The historical knowledge supplementing the vast hydrographic knowledge allowed for identifying the wreck as the minesweeper m-85. The discovery was confirmed through historical photographs and ship diagrams."
Interesting facts about the wreck
The M85 minesweeper is the only Kriegsmarine ship sunk by the Polish fleet during the September 1939 campaign.
Interestingly, the report of M 85's sinking appeared in German reports about two hours after Germany sent a ceasefire request for the defense of the Hel Peninsula. This was to collect captain Antoni Kasztelan and commander Marian Majewski who were chosen by the main admiral Józef Unrug as peace negotiators from the Polish side for surrender talks in Sopot. Even though the mine barriers still protected Hel the Polish forces had to surrender on October 2, 1939, after 32 days of fierce fighting. This difficult decision was made to protect the lives and wellbeing of Hel defenders who had no chance against the overwhelming enemy forces. The last point of Polish defense surrendered in 1939. The mine barriers remained to make life difficult for the enemy and on 22.01.1940 on the same barrier that M-85 sank, another trawler, the Muhlhausen PG 14 ended his service.
Technical Specifications
Class: Minesweeper
Type: Minensuchboot
Displacement: 553 tons
Length: 59.3 meters
Width: 7.3 meters
Draft: 2.15 meters
Hull material: steel
Propulsion: 2 steam engines (1850 HP), two propellers
Speed: 16 knots
ArmamentS: 10.5 cm cannon, 4.5 cm cannon, mines
Crew: 51 people
Text by: Kamil Stankiewicz
Translation: Szymon Rydzewski
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