Using Remote Sensing Data to Identify Large Bottom Objects: The Case of World War II Shipwreck of General von Steuben

Abstract

The seabed of the Baltic Sea is not yet fully searched for and investigated. In 2004 the crew of the Polish Navy hydrographic ship Arctowski discovered a new shipwreck that was not listed in the official underwater objects database nor was it marked on a chart. The identity of a new wreck is most frequently established based on artefacts found in the object by divers as a part of archaeological research, or through underwater inspection with remotely operated vehicle. The aim of this paper is to show how acoustic remote sensing data is used to identify large bottom object without having to go underwater. Bathymetric survey and sonar investigation were conducted over the study area. An appropriate methodology allowed for obtaining high-resolution imagery of the wreck. A review of literature concerning the end of World War II in the Baltic Sea was carried out. Moreover, the author presents a comparative analysis and evaluation of remote sensing data with archival photos, silhouette, and ship characteristics. The proposed approach led to the identification of a new Baltic Sea wreck as the General von Steuben, which was torpedoed in 1945 by soviet submarine. The author’s findings show that state of preservation of the shipwreck, quality data as well as historical records play a key role in establishing the wreck’s identity.