In the 1960s, a first attempt at locating the wreckage of U-Boot U-95 was unsuccessful. The search began again in 1985, led by Alain Richard. Working with a team of divers, he located what he believed to be the wreckage of the U-95 9 miles off the coast of Hardelot, in the Pas-de-Calais region of the ‘Opal Coast’. Sunk in 1918, the wreck is resting on its keel 40m below the surface. Despite some damage caused by the intense fishing of this area, the U-Boot seems to have been preserved in excellent condition. The hatches are still closed.
A series of explorations conducted between 1990 and 1997 allowed the team to identify the key features of the submarine: four torpedo tubes, a 4-inch gun, a conical tower with two periscopes and a 3.5-inch gun. Comparison of this data with the information recorded in the archives provided definitive confirmation that this was the wreck of the U-95.
Captained by Athalwin Prinz, the U-95 was launched from Kiel on 20th January 1917. It was 72 metres in length and powered by a 2400 horsepower diesel engine which allowed it to achieve speeds of 16.8 knots at the surface and 8.6 knots when submerged. The submarine was lost in January 1918, probably between on the 19th or 20th, while returning from its fifth mission. It is believed to have fallen victim to a mine or to a malfunction in one of its own torpedoes. The bodies of all 43 members of the crew are still trapped within the wreckage.