South Funen Archipelago · Denmark · Wreck
M36 / The Capsized
A warship rolled so far over that its keel nearly points up
M36, better known as The Capsized, is the wreck of a warship launched in 1940 that sank on 3 May 1945 in the southern part of the Langelands Belt. It lies so far over on its starboard side that the keel nearly points upward, and divers come for its two big screws, its overgrown deck gun and the strange view of a 68 m warship turned almost on its head.
Also known as M 36 / The Capsized, M36, The Capsized.
Where it is and how deep
54.7297° N, 10.7736° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck occupies the band between 22 and 28 m. Divers are normally greeted by the 2 screws, still in place, before running along the port side to let their eyes adjust to a ship lying almost upside down. The deck gun is still there and beautifully overgrown, like the rest of the hull, and wreckage lies scattered on the soft muddy seabed.
Along the port side, small bulkhead doors, hatches and holes invite a look inside, and the partly buried wheelhouse sits about a third of the way along the hull. The ASDIC sonar at the front of the ship is a fine subject for photographers, and a swim back along the keel shows the scale of the vessel. One dive rarely gets past midships, so the whole ship takes 2 dives, and nitrox helps.
The wreck
- Vessel
- M36
- Type
- Warship
- Length
- 68.1 m (223 ft)
- Built
- 1940
- Sunk
- 1945
- Cause
- Not recorded in the published sources
- Lies
- On its starboard side at 22–28 m, the keel nearly pointing upward
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 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows South Funen Archipelago: Dive trips run all year; December to March is the cold end, and no month is singled out as the best for the wrecks.
Know before you go
- Deco buoys are obligatory on this wreck because of the ship traffic overhead and the strong currents that can run.
- The upturned hull is large and hard to navigate inside; divers should learn its layout before penetrating.
Sources
- M36 / The Capsized – dive spot, South Fyn Archipelago — Dyk Sydfyn
- Wreck dive on Langeland — VisitLangeland
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