WWII Wreck Photos: 48 Tons of Silver Recovered 3 Miles Down

Ghost Ship

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

A ladder connects the cargo hold to the Gairsoppa's deck. The ship's holds are open, and its belly is splintered by the torpedo that sank it, but the Gairsoppa nevertheless sits upright on the seabed, largely intact, its paint still faintly visible.

As for the silver inside those holds, Odyssey Marine has a deal with the U.K. government to retain most of the cargo after the mission is complete. Twelve hundred bricks have been recovered so far, worth around U.S. $38 million, according to the New York Times.

(Also see "Giant Roman Shipwreck Yields 'Fishy' Treasure.")

Published July 26, 2012

Seabed Claw

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

A remotely controlled robotic arm lifts silver bullion from the Gairsoppa's hold. Recovery of the bricks began in May 2012.

Seabed Worker, the ship chartered for the project, is specially equipped for deep-sea salvage, according to its operators. The vessel's toolkit includes tethered robots, pressure-proof lights and tools, and a special plastic cable that's weightless in seawater, according to Odyssey.

The technology has opened even the deepest and heaviest sunken cargo to recovery, Odyssey chief executive Greg Stemm told the New York Times.

"People have been worried about the technology," he said. "This shows that we have it under control. We can pick up large amounts of silver."

(Pictures: World War II "Time Capsule" Fighter Found in Sahara.)

Published July 26, 2012

Water Closet

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

A topside toilet remains intact on the Gairsoppa.

During Odyssey's search for the merchant ship about 300 miles (480 kilometers) off western Ireland, the group made another discovery: the British steamship Mantola, sunk by a German U-boat in 1917.

Like the Gairsoppa, the still unsalvaged Mantola holds a silver mother lode, though closer to 19 tons, versus Gairsoppa's 240.

(Related pictures: "Unseen Titanic" in National Geographic magazine.)

Published July 26, 2012

Golden Compass

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

Crowned with anemones, the Gairsoppa's brass stern compass retains its shine after 71 years. (See more anemone pictures.)

In addition to the silver cargo, more than 1,700 tons of tea were listed in the ship's manifest. Tea chests in the wreck are among the clues that helped Odyssey identify the wreck as the Gairsoppa.

Published July 26, 2012

A Ship With Real Pull

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

The Seabed Worker's main crane (foreground) can safely lift about a hundred tons, according to the 291-foot (89-meter) ship's operators.

Its winch (right) uses specially designed fiber rope. Traditional steel cable would be too heavy at the lengths needed for ultradeep sea operations such as the salvaging of the Gairsoppa.

(Related: "James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive.")

Published July 26, 2012

Ship Noise

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

The Gairsoppa glows in sepia tones in a side-scan sonar image created by Odyssey Marine.

By casting a fan-shaped sound beam onto the seafloor and recording the resulting echoes, side-scan sonar paints pictures of the seafloor.

Crews can then use the grainy views to identify promising targets for closer investigation, for example by video-equipped remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

Published July 26, 2012

Deep Patina

Photograph courtesy Odyssey Marine Exploration

Seabed Worker crew members examine silver bricks retrieved from the Gairsoppa. The bullion collected so far is now housed in a secure location in the U.K., according to Odyssey.

It took the Gairsoppa just 20 minutes to sink in 1941. Recovering the rest of its 240 tons of silver will take months, with the mission expected to finish by October.

Published July 26, 2012

More Shipwreck Pictures: Civil War-era Wine, Cologne Found

Photograph by Tane Casserley, NOAA

Published July 26, 2012