Overview

• The WSA Elbe-Nordsee commissioned a night lift near Scharhörn in which the 1919 U16 wreck broke into two pieces.
• One section now rests on a pontoon in Cuxhaven as preparations proceed to recover the remaining part.
• Archaeologist Jens Auer called the operation professionally unacceptable, citing a lack of prior research, documentation, and archaeological oversight.
• A WSA spokesperson said the wreck is WSA property as part of the Elbe federal waterway and that the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben is neither responsible nor owner.
• Underwater archaeologist Florian Huber labeled the recovery an illegal action and urged in-situ preservation unless conservation funding is secured.