Swedish east coast wrecks

Swedish east coast wrecks:

Including Öland and Gotland Islands

The Foteviken ships. Viking ships sunk in the 12th century to make a barrage at Foteviken near Malmö in South Sweden. Excavated in the 1980s. Only the bottom parts remain. A reconstruction (photo) has been built by Foteviken Museum. Report in Swedish.
Oskarshamn cog. Discovered at Bossholmen near Oskarshamn. Excavated and partly salvaged and conserved during 1984-1992. Only the bottom remains of this c 12 m long cog, dated to around 1240. Ref IJNA 19.3 1990.
The Kalmar Castle Wrecks, 13th to 16th centuries. In the 1930s the moat and sound around Kalmar Castle was totally trained in order to be dredged. Several sunken ships were found in the mud. One of them resulted in a reconstruction, the Aluett.
Unidentified kravel. Wreck of Swedish early 16th century carvel-built warship on 30-50 m depth, in the Stockholm archipelago. Hull parts of the wreck have been dendro dated to 1512 (oak felled in Poland). Investigated by Jon Adams, University of Southampton, in 1991, 1994 and 1999. Scattered remains of a broken hull, as well as 12 wrought iron guns in their carriages have been found on the site. According to Adams, this is the world's largest collection of wrought iron guns. The amount of artillery, stored in the hold, and contemporary documents, suggests that this ship was a transport in 1525 of guns from the Danish enemy and from the previously sunken warship "Lybska Sven". Before the investigation, another two bronze guns were illegally salvaged by scuba divers. The guns were later found by the police. Ref Furstens Fartyg by J Adams & Johan Rönnby.
Ringaren. In the 1970s a merchant ship was found north of Västervik on the Swedish east coast. It is 23 m long and laying on 19 m depth. It is probably a carack from the 1540s.
Elefanten. Swedish warship, ca 50 m long, that sank after battle, close to Kalmar in 1564. The well preserved hull was partly excavated and salvaged under direction of Carl Ekman in 1933-39. This was a pioneer work in Swedish underwater archaeology. Parts of the wreck's stern are now exhibited in the National Maritime Museum, Stockholm. Interpretation drawing by Axel Nelson. Ref Günter Lanitzki: Versunken in der Ostsee.
Mars. Swedish warship and royal flagship. Built in 1563 and carrying as many as 107 guns. In May 1564 she encountered the Danish-Lübeck fleet between the Gotland and Öland islands. The powder room of Mars exploded and she sank. The wreck has not been located. Ref Alexej Smirnov: Svensk historia under vattnet.
The Danish-Lübeck fleet. In 1566 Sweden was engaged in the Nordic Seven-Year War. The Danish-Lübeck enemy fleet was anchored off Visby, Gotland, and caught by a surprising storm. 14 or 15 ships sank and perhaps 5-7000 men died. So far only cannon balls, a few cannon and smaller objects have been found on the seabottom. In 1983 a treasure of silver coins was found. Reconstruction drawing by Axel Nelson. Literature: Vrak i svenska vatten by Claes-Göran Wetterholm.
Vasa. Swedish 64 gun battleship. Hull length in waterline is 47 m. Sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage in Stockholm. Lifted from 35 m depth in one piece in 1961, and is no longer a wreck. The salvage was partly funded by private donors and sponsors, after a national fund-raising program. Read also under museums.
Riksnyckeln. Swedish battleship that sank in 1628 in the Stockholm south archipelago. The wreck is broken apart on 8-15 m depth. Ref Günter Lanitzki: Versunken in der Ostsee.
Leoparden. Swedish naval ship that got stuck in the ice of the winter 1675-76 and sank near Älvsnabben in the Stockholm south archipeago. Has not yet been located.
Constantia. Swedish threemasted flute ship carrying about 40 guns. She was sunk in battle in April of the unfortunate year 1676, near Karlskrona. Found on only 4 m depth and investigated 1970-72. Ref Günter Lanitzki: Versunken in der Ostsee.
Kronan. Swedish 126 gun battleship that exploded and sank during battle off Öland in June 1676. Hull length in waterline was 53 m. Discovered in 1980. Is being excavated every summer.
Svärdet. Swedish vice admiral ship. Burnt and sunk in battle off Öland in the summer of 1676. Has not been located.
Riksäpplet. 84 gun battleship, sunk off Dalarö, Stockholm archipelago, on 15 m depth in June 1676. The hull was in one piece and very well preserved until salvors blew it up with dynamite in 1921 to get the blackened oak. But the remains are still impressive to scuba divers. Plenty of huge timbers are sticking up from the bottom sediment.
Gröne Jägaren. 26 gun Swedish battleship, exploded and sank in August 1676 off Dalarö. Only broken parts of the hull and rigging remain. To the right is a photo of the windlass, exhibited at the Maritime museum in Stockholm.
Nyckeln. Swedish battleship which in 1679 exploded and sank in the Kalmar strait. Guns were salvaged in 1686, 1766, 1841 and 1908/09. Ref Günter Lanitzki: Versunken in der Ostsee.
Enighed. Danish battleship, sunk in 1679 in the Kalmar strait. Guns were salvaged in 1908. Ref Günter Lanitzki: Versunken in der Ostsee.
The Jutholmen wreck. Unidentified three masted trading ship, sunk on 13 m depth in the Stockholm archipelago around 1700. Well preserved, hull in one piece, but the deck is destroyed. The hull is appr 23 m long. Discovered in 1965, excavated in the 1970s. Among the finds were cannon balls, bottles and a sundial. Wooden barrels can still be seen in the cargo room. Deck drawing by Lennart Eriksson, Swedish National Maritime Museum. Ref IJNA 2.2 1973, 5.1 1976, 6.2 1977 and Maritime Museum reports no 16 and 17, 1982.
Anna Maria. In 1709 she was loaded with planks, iron and copper, headed for Portugal. But she accidentally caught fire and sank at Dalarö on 20 m depth.
The Mast Wreck. Unidentified 17 m long wreck in the Bråviken Bay. One mast still standing. Recently found and investigated. Dated to first half of 18th century.
Jungfru Katarina. The wreck is on 8 m depth on the south side of Högskär Island, between Oxelösund and Hävringe, near Bråviken Bay. Investigated in the 1980s, c 40 m long merchant ship loaded with chalk and iron bars. After archival research identified as the three-masted Dutch ship Jungfru Katarina, sunken in 1747. Ref Östersjöns sjunkna skepp by J Rönnby & J Adams & Sjunket förflutet by J Rönnby.
The Älvsnabben wreck (Concordia). Two masted trading ship, sunk on 12-17 m depth in the Stockholm archipelago in 1754. Discovered very well preserved in 1968 and excavated.
Jehu, trading ship sunk in 1825, north Sweden. Only bottom remains, partially excavated.
Severn. Brig sunk off Nynäshamn in 1834.
Vasa. 60 gun ship-of-the-line built in 1778. Sunk in 1836 in Djupasund between the Tjurkö and Sturkö islands, Karlskrona. On the same site there are about 20 different wrecks sunk to create a barrage at the entrance to the Karlskrona naval base. Link.
Fäderneslandet. Schooner sunk in 1845 at Revskär west of Torö island, near Nynäshamn. Well preserved on 12-15 m depth. Ref Christian Ahlström: Looking for Leads.
Prosper. Schooner sunk in 1865. Very well preserved wreck on 15-20 m depth in Spårösund, Västervik
Orkney. According to this German news article, this clipper ship might have sunk in the Baltic Sea in 1867 loaded with money from the US to pay Russia for Alaska. This is perhaps just a rumour, the information has not been confirmed.
Nordstjernan. Built in 1842 as a paddle steamer. It was an economic failure, so she was rebuilt as a 3 masted bark. In 1868 she sank near Hävringe in the Bråviken Bay. Sonogram made by Sture Hultqvist.
Emmy Hasse. 79 m long British steamer built in 1880. In 1887 she disappeared without trace. In 1999 she was found again by Ocean Discovery in 58 m depth off Öland. The hull is in one piece laying on the side. Both masts are still in place.
Melanie. Swedish steamer built in 1883, 77 m long. Iron hull and wooden decks. In January 1907 she hit the rocks off Biskopsön in the Stockholm archipelago and sank on 35 m depth. Discovered in 1958 by scuba diver Sven-Olov Johansson. The hull has begun to rust and slowly collapse but is still intact and a popular dive site. Photo of Melanie's anchor on land, by Ronny Edstrand.
s/s Cedric. Swedish steamer sunk in 1910 and discovered in 1993.
Director Reppenhagen, Nicomedia, Gutrune and Walther Leonhardt. German steam cargo ships that were sunk on the same day in 1915 by British submarine E19. The place is south of Öland. The very well preserved wrecks were discovered in 1982-84. Beer from salvaged bottles has been re-brewed and is successfully sold in Sweden.
Johannes Russ. German steamer sunk in 1915 by British sub E9. Discovered in 1984.
Hansa. German steamer, 68,5 m long, loaded with iron ore. 29 July 1917 she collided in the darkness and sank quickly off Landsort on 25-30 m depth. Sonogram by Sture Hultquist.
Ingrid Horn. German steamer, built in 1901, 90 m long. On a dark night in 1917 she collided with SS Bergvik and sank quickly with 19 men near Dalarö in the Stockholm archipelago. Only one man survived. The huge wreck is very well preserved, with e.g. the wooden cabin interiors intact and pulley blocks still in position. Depth 30-40 m. Popular diving object, but usually bad visibility, 2-5 m. Entry and exit is only possible at the stern because of a shipping lane above the main section. Photo of me (to the left) and diver Jonas Söderberg at the auxiliary wheel at the stern. The photo is by Peter Lögdberg. On the sonogram by Sture Hultquist, the bow is to the left and the bridge is in the middle.
s/s Auguste Helmerich. 63 m long steamer built in 1886, sank in 1919 after a collision with the steamer Normandie, located east of Öland in 2000 by Ocean Discovery on 60 m depth using sidescan sonar and filmed by divers. A large collision hole is visible on the port side, but the rest is totally intact. The visibility on the site is so good that there is daylight down on 60 m depth! Photo courtesy Ocean Discovery.
Hertha. 900 ton steamer that sank in 1922. The site is north-east of Nynäshamn on 65 m depth. Sonogram by Sture Hultquist.
Altair. Steamer that sank off Hävringe, Bråviken bay, 1925. N 58 36 45 / O 17 17 45. Photo.
Fringilla. 44 m long cargo ship built in 1920. Sank in 1930 on 47 m depth near Sandhamn. The wreck is extremely well preserved and one life boat is still neatly placed in its original position. Archive photo from the National Maritime Museum .
Jürgen Fritzen. German 124 m long cargo ship loaded with coal. On April 20, 1940 she sank on 73-80 m depth about 1 nautical mile from Landsort. Diving on this depth requires trimix.
Paula Faulbaum, German cargo ship sunk off Landsort in 1941.
Luleå. Swedish cargo ship loaded with iron ore to Germany. Sunk 11 July, 1942 by Soviet submarine S7. The wreck is near Västervik on 20 m depth.
C.F.Liljevalch. Swedish 120 m long cargo ship built in 1920, loaded with iron ore to Germany. Sunk August 14, 1942 by Soviet submarine L3. The wreck is near Västervik on 70 m depth, and was located in 1985 by Sten Lindgren & Torleif Nilsson. Investigated with ROV in 1987. Diving here requires trimix. Photo courtesy Ocean Discovery.
S7, Soviet submarine sunk in 1942 in Swedish waters by Finnish sub, discovered in 1998.
S8, Soviet submarine sunk in 1942, discovered in 1999 near Öland with side scan sonar by Marcus Runeson, Mats Karlsson, Stefan Fransson and Sture Hultqvist.
Auxiliary Naval vessel 232 Isbjörn. Built in 1894, sunk at Hävringe in 1944. Report by Sture Hultquist.
s/s Vesta. Swedish merchant ship sunk in 1945 on 40 m depth near Grisslehamn. Sonogram by Sture Hultquist.
Torsten. Barge that sank on 30 m depth in 1952 near Oxelösund. Sonogram by Sture Hultquist.
Nedjan. Swedish merchant steamer, built in 1893, sunk near Gävle in 1954. Discovered in 1996 and is a popular diving object.