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The Danube River's water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging
Compiled Aug 7
What happened
Water levels on the Danube River have dropped very low due to drought, exposing WWII-era German warship hulks
The detail
The ships were part of Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, deliberately sunk as Germany retreated from Romania near the war's end
The detail
Historians say up to 200 German warships were scuttled near Prahovo in September 1944 under Soviet fire
The detail
The scuttling was meant to slow the Soviet advance in the Balkans, but Germany surrendered in May 1945
How it unfolded
September 1944: Up to 200 German warships were scuttled near Prahovo as Soviet forces advanced · May 1945: Nazi Germany surrendered · Aug. 5, 2026: Story first published · Aug. 7, 2026: Story updated to correct 'battleships' to 'warships' · Present (drought period): Danube water levels drop low enough to expose the sunken warships and disrupt shipping and power plants
By the numbers
200 German warships · 10 nations · 1944 year of scuttling · 1945 year of surrender
Still unresolved
The article was updated to correct that the exposed vessels are warships, not battleships as originally described