štš-408 sonaripilt_Treffner 2017
ID: 1273 Name: Shch-408
Inserted: 17.01.2018 Monument: 30945
Country of origin: Russia
Date: 20th century Construction Year: 1940
Sinking time: 25.05.1943 Propulsion: diesel-powered motorship
Address: Territorial sea, Gulf of Finland
Found: Yes Purpose: warship
Vessel type: submarine Coordinates: 59 48.741N 26 08.505
Open map: Open map
History: Submarines in the Щука-(shchuka-/shch-) class were medium-sized Soviet subs, built in quite a large number and used during the Second World War.
Story of Sinking: In May 1943, the Shch-408 sub was sent on a mission to find a way through the submarine defences erected by the German military in the Gulf of Finland. Before that, a Shch-303 was sent on the same mission but did not return, so the 408 was sent out on the same assignment. Yet the Shch-303 did later return, tailed by German warships and aircraft, which now acquired the Shch-408 as a target. The crew decided to surface and engage fire, which is quite rare for a submarine to do. The fact that the submarine was involved in returning fire is indicated by the shells lying by the guns on the shipwreck. The mechanism used by the sub to surface and submerge was damaged and on the morning of 22 May it sank below the surface and did not re-emerge. Fuel and air bubbles were seen on the surface and it was presumed lost with all hands. The search for the sub continued for several days and on 25 May 1943 the submarine was declared sunk. All of the crew were killed (41 members, including captain Pavel Kuzmin). As the shipwreck’s hatches were sealed airtight, the crew likely made an informed decision not to surrender but to go down with the ship.
Object Data: The shipwreck is located on the seabed on the keel at a depth of 72 metres and is in one piece. The wreck has not been damaged by trawling. The wreck has sunk deep into the mud on the seabed, so that only a few dozen centimetres of the main fuel tanks are visible, only in the middle part of the vessel. For this reason, it is not possible to adequately assess the condition of the tanks, but the part buried in mud is presumably well-preserved. As there is no oxygen in the mud, it is highly likely that the corrosion process has stopped. The part of the submarine projecting out of the mud is covered by 10-15 mm thick layer of sediment and corrosion. The hull structures seem to be in good shape and the visible part of the submarine is complete and intact.
Maerial: steel
Description of Location: The shipwreck is about 6 nautical miles W of Vaindloo Island. Depth of the site is from 12 to 13 metres and the height of the hull from the seafloor up to 2 metres.
Archival Reference: ERA.5025.2.16639
Resource Links & Literature: Borovikov, Ivan (2017). Документальный фильм о погибшей в 1943 подлодке Щ-408 // Štš-408 submarine (sunk in 1943). https://vimeo.com/182247494
Treffner, vimeo.com/18224749408 ja T-18 dokumenteerimine ning keskkonnaohtlikkuse hindamine. Nautic Trade OÜ.
Underwater Exploration Team 2017. Štš-408. http://uwex.org/en/projects/s408/uwex.org/en/projects/s408/
Discovery Date: 2017
Discoverer: Subzone, Underwater Exploration Team