Drought Reveals WWII Shipwrecks in Serbia’s Danube River

The Danube River in Serbia has become a point of interest as water levels have dropped significantly due to drought. This situation has exposed the hulls of several German warships from World War II. These shipwrecks have emerged as an unusual sight amidst Europe’s heat crisis.

The decreasing water levels in the Danube have pushed power plants to the brink of shutdown. Governments across Europe are implementing strategies to conserve electricity. Near the Serbian port of Prahovo, the river now reveals a rusted hull and a broken mast, remnants from when the Nazi flag once flew high.

These ships were part of the German Black Sea fleet. They were deliberately sunk during the retreat from Romania as Soviet forces advanced towards the end of World War II. Historians state that up to 200 German warships were scuttled in September 1944 near Prahovo, within the Danube gorge, under Soviet attack. The aim was to slow the Soviet advance into the Balkans; however, Nazi Germany surrendered months later in May 1945.

The presence of these ancient warships serves as a reminder of ongoing efforts by the Serbian government, financially supported by the European Union, to address this issue. Some vessels were removed by Yugoslav communist authorities, but many remain due to the explosives they contain.

Currently, authorities are striving to maintain navigation on the Danube, which runs through 10 countries. Falling water levels have created hazardous conditions. Experts associate the extreme heat with global warming and other contributing factors. Krsta Brandic, a Prahovo resident, remarked that the low water has nearly halted ship traffic: “As you can see, large ships are no longer able to pass.”

“The low waters have nearly brought shipping to a standstill,” said Brandic.

The article includes contributions from correspondent Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade and was translated from English with assistance from a generative AI tool.