Klaipėda & Curonian Spit · Lithuania · Wreck
Elbing IX
The steamer that hit a mine racing to the sinking Friedrich Carl
Elbing IX is a steamer that hit a mine in the First World War while heading out to rescue the crew of the sinking warship SMS Friedrich Carl. Its wreck lies off Klaipėda on the Lithuanian Baltic coast. Divers come for the steamer's link to the Friedrich Carl and for a hull that a volunteer team has worked to free of ghost nets.
Also known as Elbing 9.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Klaipėda & Curonian Spit and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The steamer lies on the seabed at 45 m, and the dive is spent on the wreck at that depth. Fishing nets snagged on the hull were the target of a volunteer clearance project, and once the nets were gone the team found the ship’s bell, which has since been officially recovered and is shown in the maritime museum at Klaipėda.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Elbing IX
- Type
- Steamer
- Cause
- Struck a mine on its way to rescue survivors of SMS Friedrich Carl
- Lies
- On the seabed off Klaipėda at 45 m
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 Klaipėda & Curonian Spit: July and August bring the warmest water; winter is the coldest stretch, with the sea averaging about 5 °C.
Know before you go
- Discarded fishing nets have caught on the wreck; a volunteer project set out to remove them and create a protection zone around the site.
Dive videos
LT ELBING 9 · Martins Saiters on YouTube
Sources
- Wreck Diving in Lithuania — X-Ray Mag
- Elbing IX — dive3d.eu
More dive sites in Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
Wreck
A torpedoed steam freighter, pieced together from scattered wreckage
Wreck
A large wartime transport sunk off Nemirseta, lying in shallow water
Wreck
A First World War warship with the Imperial Eagle plaque still on its bow
Wreck
A Maersk-built freighter whose bell carries another ship’s name
Wreck
A Type VIIC U-boat sunk in a training collision with its own target ship
Similar dives elsewhere
Wreck
Abille
Hel Peninsula · Poland
An intact tug with a windlass and a skylight that looks into the hull
Wreck
Casper
Gotland & Fårö · Sweden
A wooden wreck with its mast, deep below the Digerhuvud drop-off
Wreck
Consul Carl Fisser
Skarnsundet & the Trondheim Fjord · Norway
An upright 5,900-ton wartime freighter sloping from stern to bow
Wreck
Desantowiec
Hel Peninsula · Poland
A small vessel off Hel's port, with an opening bow and a small stern superstructure