Prosiect Llongau-U, 1914-18: Coffáu’r Rhyfel ar y Môr / U-Boat Project, 1914-18: Commemorating the War at Sea

The two-year U-Boat War project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was a partnership between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Bangor University, the Nautical Archaeology Society and 21 museums and community groups around Wales. Ground-breaking marine geophysical survey techniques were used to capture high resolution images of German U-boats and the ships that they sank around the Welsh coast in 1917 and 1918. Data from the scans have been used to create 3D models using digital printing technology, to show what lies beneath the waves through a series of ‘virtual dives’. Our community partners have also undertaken research, created artistic interpretations, hosted exhibitions and community days and held commemorative events to capture untold stories and commemorate the losses. Ecological surveys were conducted on some of the wrecks and should serve as a baseline for monitoring future changes to the Welsh coast and its marine fauna.