Île d'Oléron & the Pertuis d'Antioche · France · Wreck
Sauerland
Wide, open tween decks inside the bow of a wartime blockade breaker
A German Sperrbrecher of the Second World War, 150 m long, lying at 35 m off La Cotinière. The site is exposed to the Atlantic swell in a strong tidal stream, and it draws certified divers for the sheer size of the hull and the fish sheltering inside its bow.
Also known as Sperrbrecher 7, Speerbrecher 7.
Where it is and how deep
46.0930° N, 1.7039° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The hull rests on the seabed at 35 m and is too long to see in one dive. The reinforced bow is the best-preserved part and still stands upright; it holds very wide tween decks that are open and clear, so divers can move through them safely. Out of the current, pouting and pollack gather around the wreck, while conger eels and lobsters shelter in the steelwork.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Sauerland
- Type
- Sperrbrecher (blockade breaker)
- Length
- 150 m (492 ft)
- Built
- 1929
- Cause
- Attacked by Coastal Command Beaufighters, then finished off with a torpedo from the Polish warship Piorun
- Lies
- On the seabed at 35 m off La Cotinière
The ship was built at Danzig by the Schichau yard and completed in 1929, and in the war served Germany as a Sperrbrecher. On the afternoon of 12 August she was attacked by Beaufighters of Coastal Command, and the Polish warship Piorun finished the blockade breaker with a torpedo into her side. The hull went down off Oléron.
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 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Île d'Oléron & the Pertuis d'Antioche: The season runs from spring to autumn; summer brings the warmest water, while spring often gives the better visibility.
Know before you go
- The wreck is exposed to the Atlantic swell and sits where the tidal current runs very strongly.
Dive videos
4k wreck - #4 Le SAUERLAND - Les épaves de l'Atlantique · Ocean’s globe trotter on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Sauerland wreck need?+
French Level 2 at minimum, and some Oléron centres ask for Level 3. The wreck lies at 35 m in a strong tidal stream exposed to swell, so dives are planned for deep, current-ready divers.
Sources
- Sauerland (Ile d'Oléron) — plongee-anges.com
- Carte des épaves d'Oléron — Oléron Plongée
- Sites plongée Oléron — Oléron Plongée
- Epaves autour d'Oléron — passion-oleron.com
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