The Danube drought reveals details of hitherto unrevealed World War II history
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| The Danube drought reveals details of hitherto unrevealed World War II history |
PRAHOVO, Serbia (AP) —The Danube River's water levels have dropped, causing dozens of World War II German battleships to rise to the surface. This is one of the effects of the worst drought that Europe has seen in decades, which has also scorched farmland and impeded river traffic.
A rusty hull, a broken mast where the Swastika flag once flew, an upper deck where a command bridge once stood, a barrel that may have been holding fuel or even explosive materials, and a pebblestone dune that has emerged from the middle of the massive river separating Serbia and Romania are all visible close to the Serbian port of Prahovo.
The ships belonged to Nazi Germany's Black Sea navy, some of which were still carrying ammunition, and were purposefully sunk by the Germans as they withdrew from Romania and Soviet forces advanced.
According to historians, the fleet commander ordered the scuttling of up to 200 German vessels in September 1944 as they came under severe Soviet fire near Prahovo in the Danube canyon known as The Iron Gate. The purpose of the intentional sinking was to, at the very least, impede the Soviet advance in the Balkans. But when Nazi Germany finally capitulated in May 1945, it didn't help.
Scientists attribute global warming and other elements, as well as this summer's extremely hot weather, to the continent of Europe. The Danube, Europe's second-longest river that flows through ten nations, was among the many rivers on the continent where navigation became hazardous due to the declining water levels. Dredging has been employed by the Serbian authorities to keep ships going.
Although the wrecks rising from the water are a striking sight, they have been a source of frustration for river users for many years. With support from the EU, the Serbian government is now planning to address this issue.
Right after the war, the Communist Yugoslav government cleared several of the wrecks from the river. But the majority of them stayed, which made shipping difficult, particularly in the summer when water levels are low.
Plans to remove the ships from the muddy waters have been in place for years, but due to the explosives they were carrying and a lack of funding, the operation was deemed too risky.
In order to increase the Danube's capacity for commerce, the European Union and the European Investment Bank have now decided to offer loans and grants to finance the operation to remove some of the vessels near Prahovo. 30 million euros ($30 million) is the expected total cost of the operation, of which 16 million euros are grants.
Emanuele Giaufret, the EU ambassador to Serbia, stated during a recent visit to the wreckage site, "These vessels have been sunk and they have been lying on the river bank ever since." And that's a difficulty. The Danube trade is affected; the flow is constrained; and there is a risk because some ships still have explosive munitions on board.
Alessandro Bragonzi, the regional director of the European Investment Bank for the Western Balkans, accompanied Giaufret. He stated that the project will include the removal of 21 sunken vessels.
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