In 1943, Germany deployed a rare World War II torpedo boat. 83 years later, divers found the vessel nearly intact on the Ionian seabed, ending a decade-long search and potentially identifying the last surviving boat of its type

German WWII torpedo boat discovered: For more than a decade, researchers had been searching the Ionian Sea for a German naval boat that disappeared during World War II.

That search has now ended. A team from AegeanTec has located the wreck of what researchers identify as Leichte Schnellboot 6, or LS 6, a rare German “Light Fast Boat” that sank off western Greece in September 1943, as per a report.

The vessel lies almost upright on the sandy seabed between Lefkada and Preveza, about 96 meters (315 feet) below the surface. More than eight decades underwater have not erased many of its key features. The wreck remains unusually intact, giving historians and archaeologists a rare opportunity to examine a little-known form of World War II naval design, as per a TCD report.

A search that began in 2013

The hunt for LS 6 began in 2013. The search grew from records identified by German naval historian Peter Schenk, who pointed researchers toward accounts of a small Kriegsmarine boat that had been lost in the Ionian Sea while being towed.

Historical researcher Giorgos Karelas later used wartime archives to narrow the search area. That work eventually led AegeanTec to the wreck.

The team used closed-circuit rebreather equipment to reach the site, where the boat was found resting almost upright on the sandy seabed.

Marinos AegeanTec later shared the discovery on Facebook, describing the search as a pursuit measured in years rather than meters.

The wreck still carries clues to its identity

Several features helped researchers identify the vessel. They include its Junkers Jumo engines, its dimensions and construction, and a towing cable that remains attached to the bow.

Together, those details led researchers to identify the wreck as LS 6. If that identification holds, the boat would be the only known surviving example of the Leichte Schnellboot class anywhere in the world.

A rare piece of wartime naval design

LS 6 had a lightweight aluminum hull designed to improve speed and agility during special operations. That construction is one of the features that makes the wreck particularly significant to researchers.

Because much of the vessel has survived, specialists can examine how it was built. The wreck could also help historians trace military experimentation during World War II.

Its unusually intact condition after more than eight decades underwater makes those surviving details especially valuable.

Archival research led divers to the wreck

The discovery is the result of years of historical research combined with technical diving.

Wartime records helped researchers narrow the search, while specialized diving equipment allowed AegeanTec's team to reach the site and document what was lying on the seabed.

The process shows how historical records can help locate vessels that have remained hidden underwater for decades.