Gdańsk Bay & Gdynia · Poland · Wreck
Kanonierka (KFK 532)
A well-preserved patrol boat bombed in Hel harbour in the last weeks of the war
The Kanonierka is the well-preserved wreck of KFK 532, a small German wartime patrol boat later used as the submarine chaser UJ 301. It lies between 27 and 32 m south of the port of Hel. Frequent currents make it a dive for more experienced divers, who come for a well-preserved 24 m hull from the last weeks of the war.
Also known as Kanonierka, KFK 532, UJ 301.
Where it is and how deep
54.5913° N, 18.8023° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The Kanonierka is a well-preserved hull 24 m long, with its shallowest parts at 27 m and the seabed at 32 m. It stands on its keel with a slight list to starboard, its superstructure jutting above the deck. Frequent currents sweep the site, which is why it is kept for more advanced divers.
The wreck
- Vessel
- KFK 532
- Type
- Submarine chaser UJ 301
- Length
- 24 m (79 ft)
- Sunk
- 1945
- Cause
- Bombed in the port of Hel on 8 April 1945, then towed out and sank
- Lies
- About 1 km south of the Hel fishing port, between 27 and 32 m
KFK 532, known to divers as the Kanonierka, is reported, though not confirmed, to have been built in 1944 in a Gdynia shipyard. It served as the submarine chaser UJ 301, a U-boot Jaeger. On 8 April 1945 it was bombed in the port of Hel; it was towed away afterwards and sank 1 km south of the Hel fishing port, where it now lies well preserved.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Gdańsk Bay & Gdynia: July and August bring the warmest water; January to March is painfully cold, down to about 2 °C in March.
Know before you go
- Currents run frequently over the wreck, adding effort at 27 to 32 m.
Sources
- Kanonierka – Gdynia Dive — Gdynia Dive
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